U.S. Permanent Representative Robert P. Mikulak today said the United States will comply with the April 29, 2012 destruction deadline.
“The U.S. destruction program is well ahead of where we thought it would be five years ago, we are projected to have only approximately 10 percent of our stockpile remaining on April 29, 2012. No other delegation appears to doubt the United States’ full commitment and dedication to completely destroy our stockpile completely.” -Mr. Mikulak
In his remarks to the 16th Session of the Conference of the States Parties, Mr. Mikulak stressed that a delay in destroying one’s stockpile, even though the United States isdestroying it as rapidly as practicable, is not a deliberate attempt to illicitly retain chemical weapons.
Iran’s accusation is absurd or to use a synonym with its origins in the Dutch language “poppycock.” He aadded that U.S. chemical weapons stockpile, which remains under full OPCW verification, does not pose a security threat to anyone, while others’ illicit acquisition and retention efforts pose a threat to us all.
“With this in mind, we trust that the other members of the Conference will continue to understand that the unrelenting and transparent CW destruction effort of the United States will continue.” -Mr. Mikulak
He stressed that U.S. CW stockpile, which remains under full OPCW verification, does not pose a security threat to anyone, while illicit acquisition and retention efforts of Weapons of Mass Destruction threaten us all.
“In this connection, I need only recall the resolution adopted in Vienna at the IAEA on 18 November 2011 which stressed “that Iran continues to defy the requirements and obligations contained in the relevant IAEA Board of Governors and UN Security Resolutions” related to implementation of nuclear safeguards.” -Mr. Mikulak
He stressed that the Permanent Representative of Iran has also made the spurious allegation that the United States provided the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein with “chemical weapons.”
