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US "remains committed" to elimination of chemical weapons

WASHINGTON, April 28 (KUNA) -- On the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) the US reiterated Friday its commitment to "the complete elimination of chemical weapons worldwide." The CWC is the world's only multilateral treaty that verifiably bans an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.
"Despite the destruction of over 1,200 tons of chemical weapons and precursor chemicals, the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) has repeatedly expressed concerns about gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies in Syria's declaration," US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said in a statement.
"The OPCW concerns preceded the most recent appalling chemical weapons attacks prpetrated by the Assad regime in Khan Shaykhun earlier this month," he noted.
Toner also highlighted the use of nerve agent VX in the assassination North Korean President Kim Jong-Ils eldest son, Kim Jong-Nam, in Malaysia, "a heinous act representing a clear threat to international security." He added that the so-called Islamic State has also used sulfur mustard in attack across Syria and Iraq.
"There must be consequences for these actions and those responsible must be held accountable. "The use of chemical weapons by any actor lowers the threshold for others that may seek to follow suit, and raises the possibility that such weapons may be used against the United States, our allies or partners, or any other nation around the world," Toner added. (end) ak.gb