President Joe Biden announced that the United States has destroyed its remaining stockpiles of chemical weapons, completing a process that began in 1997 when it signed the global agreement to ban these deadly weapons.
In a statement, Biden said, “For over 30 years, the United States has tirelessly worked to eliminate its stockpiles of chemical weapons. Today, I am proud to announce that the United States has safely destroyed the last ammunition in this stockpile, bringing us one step closer to a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons.”
Other signatories of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention had already destroyed their reserves, according to the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Fernando Arias, in May. Arias stated that the United States alone had to complete the destruction of its reserves, noting that over “70,000 tons of the world’s deadliest toxins” had been destroyed under his organization’s supervision.
In his statement, Biden encouraged the rest of the world to sign the 1997 agreement to ensure that the global ban on chemical weapons reaches its full scope.
The U.S. President stated that “Russia and Syria must once again comply with the treaty and acknowledge their undisclosed programs, which have been used to commit heinous and blatant attacks.”
Prior to the White House announcement, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell stated on Friday that the Blue Grass Army Depot located in Kentucky (central-eastern) had recently completed the destruction of approximately 500 tons of deadly chemical materials after a four-year mission. Those materials represented the last reserves held by the U.S. armed forces.
McConnell said in a statement, “While the use of these deadly weapons will remain an indelible stain in history, our nation has finally fulfilled its promise to rid ourselves of this scourge.” He added, “Chemical weapons are responsible for some of the most horrific casualties.”
