While the world reels from the White House announcement that it will be sending banned cluster munitions to Ukraine, President Joe Biden bragged on Friday that the final munition in the nation’s chemical weapons stockpile has been destroyed.
“For more than 30 years, the United States has worked tirelessly to eliminate our chemical weapons stockpile,” Biden said in a statement released on Friday. “Today, I am proud to announce that the United States has safely destroyed the final munition in that stockpile—bringing us one step closer to a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons.”
(Video: YouTube)
“Successive administrations have determined that these weapons should never again be developed or deployed, and this accomplishment not only makes good on our long-standing commitment under the Chemical Weapons Convention, it marks the first time an international body has verified destruction of an entire category of declared weapons of mass destruction,” the president continued. “I am grateful to the thousands of Americans who gave their time and talents to this noble and challenging mission for more than three decades.”
Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty that was signed by 193 countries and went into effect in 1997, the United States faced a September 30th deadline to eliminate what was left of its chemical weapons.
“Most recently, 51,000 M55 rockets which have GB nerve agent, also known as sarin, were destroyed in Kentucky,” Fox News Digital reports. “The chemicals were stored in Kentucky since the 1940s.”
According to the CDC, sarin is “a nerve agent that is one of the most toxic of the known chemical warfare agents.”
Typically odorless and tasteless, “exposure to sarin can cause death in minutes,” the CDC states. “A fraction of an ounce (1 to 10 mL) of sarin on the skin can be fatal.”
Kentucky GOP leader Senator Mitch McConnell touted his role in the process on Twitter.
“Today, America has fulfilled its promise to rid our arsenal of chemical weapons,” he tweeted. “I’ve been proud to help KY’s Blue Grass Army Depot lead our nation’s disposal efforts. Grateful to all whose work has made this achievement possible.”
Today, America has fulfilled its promise to rid our arsenal of chemical weapons. I’ve been proud to help KY’s Blue Grass Army Depot lead our nation’s disposal efforts. Grateful to all whose work has made this achievement possible.
My statement: https://t.co/dpjVo2uouD
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) July 7, 2023
“Chemical weapons are responsible for some of the most horrific episodes of human loss,” McConnell said in the official statement. “Though the use of these deadly agents will always be a stain on history, today our Nation has finally fulfilled our promise to rid our arsenal of this evil.”
“The Blue Grass Army Depot in my home state of Kentucky has led U.S. disposal efforts with its state-of-the-art destruction facility,” he continued. “At the federal level, I have secured nearly $7 billion in federal funding to support the responsible destruction of chemical weapon stockpiles in Kentucky and fiercely advocated on behalf of Madison County families to ensure these lethal weapons were safely eliminated from our community on our terms.”
In his statement, President Biden urged Russia and Syria to comply with the treaty.
“Today—as we mark this significant milestone—we must also renew our commitment to forging a future free from chemical weapons. I continue to encourage the remaining nations to join the Chemical Weapons Convention so that the global ban on chemical weapons can reach its fullest potential,” he said. “Russia and Syria should return to compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and admit their undeclared programs, which have been used to commit brazen atrocities and attacks.”
“We will continue to stand with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to prevent the stockpiling, production, and use of chemical weapons around the world,” the president vowed. “And together with our partners, we will not stop until we can finally and forever rid the world of this scourge.”
The “milestone” came on the same day the White House announced it would be supplying Ukraine with thousands of cluster munitions — bombs so devastating, more than 100 nations have signed a 15-year-old treaty banning their use.
A year ago Psaki called cluster bombs illegal war crimes; now, Biden expected to send them to Ukraine https://t.co/Y8UrlNKr1p via @BIZPACReview
— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) July 7, 2023
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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