The US has destroyed the world’s last official chemical weapons – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

In a heavily guarded military facility in Kentucky in the US, shell after shell has rolled into a chamber. They have stored chemical weapons in the form of mustard, phosphorus and sarin gas. The gases cause everything from burns to breathing problems, paralysis and death. But now it’s over. The last official chemical weapon in the world was destroyed on Friday, reports the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Fernando Arias is the head of the OPCW. Photo: Peter Dejong / AP – The completion of the destruction of all declared chemical weapons stockpiles is an important milestone, says OPCW director Fernando Arias in a press release. Took over 100 years from ban The horrific damage and destruction from chemical weapons meant that international law already tried to ban them in 1899. Nevertheless, chemical weapons were further developed and used actively, including in the First and Second World Wars. Only in 1997 did the United States and other countries commit to getting rid of their stockpiles of chemical weapons. The US has had huge stockpiles of chemical weapons. This photo from 2001 shows sleeves that held 640 liters of mustard gas. Photo: Douglas C. Pizac / AP Of the countries that had such weapons, Britain and India were the first to reach the target after a decade. Then in 2017, Russia announced that all its chemical weapons had been destroyed. True, American intelligence denies that Russia has gotten rid of all chemical weapons, the New York Times has written. Last to finish was the USA. It would take 1.4 billion dollars and a few years. But the job was huge and costly. In the end, it took 26 years and $42 billion to destroy America’s chemical weapons, according to the New York Times. For that price, you could build over 100 of the opera in Oslo. All places in Norway with city status could then have a stately opera. Are there more – unofficial Although the last official stores have been emptied, the problems have not been solved. Several countries and terrorist organizations are believed to be secretly possessing chemical weapons. Several civilians were injured after what is said to have been an attack with chemical weapons in Syria in 2014. Photo: STRINGER / Reuters Civil war-stricken Syria is one of the countries. Several times, troops linked to President Bashar al-Assad have used chemical weapons against their own population, according to the UN. After the attacks, the UN decided that Syria had to get rid of them. In 2014, Norway contributed ships and money to transport these weapons out of Syria. But in 2018 there were new attacks in Syria, where chemical weapons were used. It is unclear whether the country still has such weapons. Norway sent the frigate Helge Ingstad to escort tankers that brought chemical weapons out of Syria. Photo: LARS MAGNE HOVTUN / AFP Almost all countries in the world have joined the international agreement to get rid of chemical weapons. The exceptions are Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan. – Several challenges lie ahead of us, states Arias in the OPCW



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