Norway mulls taking bulk of Syria chemical arsenal

50 metric tons of mustard gas and some 300-500 metric tons of chemicals designated for weapons to be destroyed

By AP 22 October 2013, 11:33 pm

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Illustrative photo of a chemical weapons stockpile (photo credit: CC BY-jenspie3/Flickr)

STAVANGER, Norway — Norway said it is considering a request to take the bulk of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile for eventual destruction.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ragnhild Imerslund said the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which are charged with destroying the deadly arsenal, would like the stockpile destroyed in one country outside Syria, and have asked Norway to do that.

Imerslund told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Norway would consider accepting Syria’s chemical precursors and mixed chemicals such as mustard gas, but not chemicals loaded onto weapons such as warheads, which would be very dangerous to handle.

The ministry said that, according to the latest UN estimates, Syria has 50 metric tons of mustard gas and some 300-500 metric tons of chemicals needed to make deadly nerve agents.