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US concerned about security for mustard gas, chemicals in Libya
The Washington Times ^ | Feb 24, 2011 | By Eli Lake

Posted on 02/24/2011 8:31:37 PM PST by robowombat

Proliferation analysts generally assess that Libya has close to 14 tons of mustard gas that it has not destroyed

U.S. military and intelligence officials are closely watching Libya's stockpiles of mustard gas and their precursor chemicals as the North African country descends further into civil war.

Proliferation analysts generally assess that Libya has close to 14 tons of mustard gas that it has not destroyed despite the announcement in 2003 that it would dismantle its weapons of mass destruction program.

"Obviously, the security of the Libyan stockpile of chemical weapons is a concern," a U.S. intelligence official told The Washington Times.

"You could see a scenario where [Libyan dictator Moammar] Gadhafi takes troops away from these [stockpiles]," a Senate aide monitoring the situation in Libya said. "He could be pulling his security forces off of his missions, and bring them to Tripoli and Benghazi and other towns he needs to secure to hold on to his regime and, as a result, these facilities will be unguarded."

On Wednesday, Libyans in the eastern part of the country celebrated their liberation from Col. Gadhafi and vowed to free the capital, Tripoli, where Gadhafi forces attacked protesters with heavy arms. In a rambling, nationally televised speech Tuesday, Col. Gadhafi vowed to die a "martyr."

(Excerpt) Read more at homeland1.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 201102; arabspring; benghazi; chemicalweapons; gas; libia; libya; mustardgas; tripoli; wmd

1 posted on 02/24/2011 8:31:42 PM PST by robowombat
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To: robowombat

And we’ve let them have these supplies how long?


2 posted on 02/24/2011 8:43:54 PM PST by 386wt (First news? Read FR.)
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To: robowombat

Daffy’s got WMD’s?
Cue the CPUSA chant...
One, two, three, four
We don’t want your racist war...


3 posted on 02/24/2011 9:10:44 PM PST by griswold3 (Second law of thermodynamics. Are we there yet?)
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To: robowombat

Seems a little odd they’d really have that much stockpiled for so long. The stuff has a shelf-life. Plus... managing a large inventory is technically intricate, expensive, and dangerous. Chemical and Bio weapons just aren’t the sort of thing you want to have a whole lot of on hand, if you’re not actively using them. Ideally, you’d have a small supply on hand to use in a pinch... but this has to be rotated every so often and replaced with new. Then you make more as you need it.


4 posted on 02/24/2011 9:23:50 PM PST by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
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To: robowombat

The silver lining is that he’ll probably use up a couple tons on the protesters.


5 posted on 02/24/2011 9:24:54 PM PST by bornred
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To: robowombat

yah...and once it becomes clear that Kadaffy is gassing his own people, that useless bastard in the White House will convene another study group to think about what to do.

Libya gets much worse before it ever gets better.


6 posted on 02/24/2011 9:37:29 PM PST by Bean Counter (Stout Hearts)
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To: robowombat

Zer0, send in the Marines to police the area, and kill anyone trying to get their hands on the WMD!


7 posted on 02/24/2011 10:35:32 PM PST by Noob1999 (Loose Lips Sink Ships)
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To: griswold3

We don’t know who controls them now, however. Might be in rebel hands ready to put Gaddhafi on a hot-dog bun and apply the mustard with relish.


8 posted on 02/24/2011 11:09:17 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Hawk)
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To: Noob1999

Gates is probably screaming and banging on Bummer’s door right now, and Bummer is saying “Go ‘way, don’t bother me.”


9 posted on 02/24/2011 11:10:23 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Hawk)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
Moammar Gadhafi could employ chemical weapons, but the rebels might get part of the stockpile and respond in kind.

What would happen if both sides employed these chemical weapons? Yikes, it would be like World War 1 on a sand table.

10 posted on 02/25/2011 1:38:01 AM PST by MasterGunner01 (To err is human; to forgive is not our policy. -- SEAL Team SIX)
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