US chemical weapons in Panama destroyed
THE LAST of the chemical munitions left on a Panama island by the US military have been destroyed says a Thursday, October 5 announcement.
Munitions have been on the San Jose island since WW II when a lease agreement was signed in1942. committed to its destruction.
Ammunition had been identified in 2002, during a technical inspection by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and The United States committed to the its destruction.
The process included advice from the OPCW and the UN which carried out monitoring and verification work from September 13 to 25 this year 2017. The destruction of chemical weapons was planned for September 14 until October 6.
150 specialists participated, including personnel from the US Southern Command, The United States and members of the Technical Unit of Explosives of the National Police.
The Department of State, Department of Defense and the United States Embassy in Panama represented the United States in diplomatic negotiations and technical advice. with Panama’s Ministry of the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Public Security, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment.
No damage to human health or safety or the environment has been reported during the destruction process. The United States and Panama are now committed to ensuring the objectives of the Convention on the OPCW Prohibition of Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.
