The Wall Street Journal was a little concerned that Qaddafi might be tempted into using his chemical weapons stockpile to beat back the rebel forces in Libya. He was scheduled to have eliminated his chemical weapons and precursors by the end of this year, but was dragging it out a little (probably more to milk international funds than any nefarious thoughts). So what's up with that?
Libya initially said the U.S. could convert a weapons facility outside Tripoli into a pharmaceutical factory, but then demanded an Italian firm do the work, extending the process. Libya also was reluctant to provide U.S. and British officials visas to monitor the process and cited environmental concerns for the slowed process.
Libya was to have destroyed all 23 metric tons of its mustard gas by the end of last year, according to the OPCW, but 9.5 metric tons remain. The Hague-based body said Libya was granted an extension until May to destroy the rest.
Libya also possesses more than half of the 1,300 metric tons of precursor chemicals used for developing chemical agents. The material is believed to be stored in jugs at the former Rabta chemical-weapons facility.
A spokesman for the OPCW said the utility of such chemical agents is lessened without the delivery systems. But officials in Washington said they remain concerned about the security of these materials. They wouldn't rule out the possibility Col. Gadhafi could seek to use them.
Well, according to the NTI country profile, Libya had produced mustard agent but only had nerve agent precursors (i.e., no actual nerve agent produced). They destroyed the munitions, so unless Qaddafi orders the army to load his ancient Scud rockets with mustard, he really doesn't have a capability. And Scuds, not really that accurate for use against bands of roving insurgents. As for bioweapons, he had intentions, but no developed stockpiles or weapons capability. So all is well, at least on that concern.
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