asked Her Majesty's Government:whether the Chemical Weapons Convention envisages the unilateral destruction, by signatories of
the convention or by others, of facilities that through their own national technical means they deem may be intended for the production of chemical weapons, and if not, whether they will discuss with the United States its reported threats to "take out" the site (
International Herald Tribune, 20th April 1996).
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) requires each State Party to close all chemical weapons production facilities on its territory within 90 days of entry into force, and destroy all such facilities within 10 years.The CWC will enter into force six months after 65 countries ratify. Libya is not a signatory. The convention does not directly address the matter of chemical weapons production facilities in non-States Parties.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the United States has registered with the appropriate international body its suspicions that the site the Libyan Government claims is part of its Great Man Made River Project (ME/2591 MED/30) is in fact intended as a chemical weapons production facility, and if so, what steps is that body (or any other, until the Chemical Weapons Convention comes into force) proposing to take to establish the truth of the matter.
We are not aware of action by the United States to involve any international body in the investigation of this site.