A number of developments are expected
to unfold in the year 1997 with respect to
how countries will proceed with national
plans to dispose of chemical weapons. It is
of particular importance for the United States
and Russia--with a combined chemical arsenal
of approximately 70,000 agent tons--to join
the other countries in ratifying the Convention. If they place themselves under the international jurisdiction of the treaty, chemical
weapon destruction must occur under a tight
time regime and be completed by the year
2007, with a possible 5-year extension. In the
case of their failure to ratify however, it is
hoped that the two countries will proceed in
the direction of unilaterally eliminating the
threat of an aging chemical weapon arsenal.
The US has already made progress on this
path with two disposal facilities in operation. Russia is behind, largely for financial reasons.
Four countries are lending a helping hand to
get a Russian chemical weapon disposal program up and running; however. Western
support falls short of Russian expectations.
Delays in the Russian program have also
occurred due to difficulties in convincing
communities that destruction will occur under
safe conditions. The same problems are
weighing down the process in the United
States and consequently adjustments in the
national plan have already been made. In
addition to arguing that countries should join
together in meeting international obligations
for disarmament, proponents of the Convention can also rightfully argue that, the longer
chemical weapons remain in storage, the
greater the difficulties and complexities of
handling them, the greater the costs incurred,
and the greater the risk of accidents or leaking
munitions.At the end of 1996 the issue of surplus
chemical weapons looked like an unfinished
puzzle with most of the pieces on the board
but not yet in place. As more information
becomes available and experience is gained
in this field, perhaps the puzzle will become
less complicated in time and additional
lessons can be learned on how to tackle the
problems of chemical weapon disposal.
References
| Babievsky, Kirill K. and Alexander V. Fokin. 1996. "Chemical 'echo' of the wars." In Kaffka, 1996, pp. 29-34. | |
| BICC. See: Bonn International Center for Conversion. | |
| Blakeman, Karen. 1995. "Cleaning up past: new Belgian disposal center gets rid of WWI ordnance." Stars and Stripes. 20 September, p. 20. | |
| Bonn International Center for Conversion. 1996. Conversion Survey 1996. Global Disarmament, Demilitarization and Demobilization. Oxford: Oxford University Press. | |
| The CBW Chronicle. 1996. Vol. II, Issue 2 (September). Washington DC: Henry L. Stimson Center. | |
| Chemical Demilitarization Update. 1995. Special Edition. Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD: Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization. July. | |
| Chemical Weapons Working Group. 1996. "Defense Appropriations Committees approve funding alternatives to incineration of chemical weapons." Press Release, 14 September. | |
| Coats, Dan. 1996. "Letter to The Honorable Togo D. West, Secretary of the Army, The Pentagon, Washington, DC." Capitol Hill Press Database. 24 September. | |
| Conference on Disarmament. 1988. "Past Production of Chemical Warfare Agents in the United Kingdom." Working Paper CD/856. Geneva, 11 August. | |
| _____. 1991. "Destruction of CW Stocks, Weapons and Associated Plant." Working Paper CD/CW/WP.373. Geneva, 21 October. | |
| _____. 1992. "Some Information on Discovered Chemical Weapons Abandoned in China by a Foreign State." Working Paper CD/CW/WP.384. Geneva, 18 February. | |
| Covington. Ned. 1996. "The DoD Chemical Demilitarization Program: Start-up at Tooele." CBIAC Newsletter. Vol. 2, No. 4. | |
| Edwards, Rob. 1995. "Danger from the deep." New Scientist. 18 November. p. 16. | |
| Evans, Peter. 1996. "Background Paper: Destruction of Abandoned Chemical Weapons in China." Bonn: BICC. | |
| FAFVC. See: Federal Armed Forces Verification Center. | |
| Federal Armed Forces Verification Center. 1995a. "Facility Agreement: Incineration Plant." Munster: FAFVC. |
-211-
Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: Conversion Survey, 1997:Global Disarmament and Disposal of Surplus Weapons.
Contributors: Herbert Wulf - Author, Bonn International Center for Conversion - OrganizationName.
Publisher: Oxford University Press.
Place of publication: New York.
Publication year: 1997.
Page number: 211.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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