OPCW mission in jeopardy after Albania, others say ‘not in my backyard’
TIRANA, Nov. 21 – After Albania’s prime minister bowed to public pressure last week and rejected an international proposal for Syria’s chemical weapons to be destroyed on Albanian soil, the mission of the global chemical weapons watchdog has been dealt a serious blow, because the response of all other countries approached so far appears to have been: not in my backyard.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, however, says it is still confident it can eradicate the arsenal outside Syria by the middle of next year.
Albania appears to have been the last hope for an immediate solution for OPCW, and Tirana’s “no” has left open the question of where the organization would send Syria’s estimated 1,300-ton arsenal, which includes mustard gas and sarin.
Albania had been considered the strongest hope, and few diplomats expected the NATO country of 2.8 million people to reject what Prime Minister Edi Rama said had been a direct request from the U.S.
But the plan is a very hard sell to any country’s public, and it was unpopular in Albania with young protesters camping outside Rama’s office to oppose it, fearing it would be a health and environmental hazard.
Chemical weapons have to be incinerated at extremely high temperatures or neutralized using other chemicals נboth costly, risky and time-consuming operations that require specialized machinery.
‘Impossible’ for Albania
Rama’s final decision came down to a televised address in which the prime minister sounded apologetic to the international community, but said that it was “impossible for Albania to take part in this operation” נan announcement that brought a loud cheer from some of the 2,000 protesters camped in front of his office for two days straight.
Rama said he rejected the request because other countries, which he did not identify, were not prepared to be a part of the operation.
An OPCW official said it was a sovereign decision that Albania has taken, and that the organization would look for other solutions.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jan Psaki said the decision would not hurt U.S.-Albanian relations.
“We appreciate Albania looking seriously at hosting the destruction of chemical weapons,” she said. “The international community continues to discuss the most effective and expeditious means for eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons program in the safest manner possible.”
Albania is one of only three nations that have declared a chemical weapons stockpile to the OPCW and destroyed it. The U.S. and Russia have also declared stockpiles but have not yet completed their destruction.
Tirana has been an avid supporter of Washington since the U.S. and NATO intervened with airstrikes in 1999 to stop a crackdown by Serb forces on rebel ethnic Albanians in neighboring Kosovo.
“Without the United States, Albanians would never have been free and independent in two countries that they are today,” Rama said in his speech.
But the relationship was not enough to convince the hundreds of protesters.
The protesters questioned whether that can safely be done in their country and whether it would undermine efforts to boost their tourism.
Albanians have very little faith because Albania has had problems with ammunition storage in the past.
In 2008, an explosion at an ammunition dump at Gerdec near Tirana killed 26 people, wounded 300 others and destroyed or damaged 5,500 houses. Investigators said it was caused by a burning cigarette in a factory where some 1,400 tons of explosives, mostly obsolete artillery shells, were stored for disposal.
Syria has said it wants the weapons destroyed outside the country, which is in the throes of civil war.
Wherever it happens, the destruction of Syria’s weapons will be overseen by experts from the OPCW, which won the Nobel Peace Prize this year for its efforts to eradicate poison gas around the world. For now, just getting Syria’s weapons out of the war-torn country will be a major challenge, officials said.
Rejection from other countries
International news agencies have reported that not a single European Union nation has come forward offering to host the destruction of Syria’s poison gas stockpile, with many instead calling for the arsenal to be eradicated close to Syria itself.
Belgium had been considered a strong candidate after the withdrawal of Albania, but Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said that “we have to find a way to send experts and the technology on site.”
“To transport them over long distances to bring them on our soil נwe do not really see how to do that, and not only in Belgium, also in other European states,”Reynders said, highlighting a reluctance found across the 28 EU nations.
“There is no member state that has come forward in saying ‘OK, give us the stuff’,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans.
After Albania refused to take on the task Friday, Belgium נas well as France נhad been considered possible candidates, if only because Belgium has a long history of destroying the gas arsenal from World War I.
“The remaining question is actually where we will be able to find a location,” said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said “two alternatives” were being explored, but he didn’t say what those might be.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also took his country out of the mix. “When I look at the technicality, the geographical stretch, then I think that such a discussion makes no sense,” he said.
The OPCW has not released any names of countries where the weapons could be destroyed, but says it remains confident it can wipe out the entire arsenal by mid-2014. Norway has said it will send a civilian cargo ship and navy frigate to pick up the stockpile.
A spokesman for the global chemical weapons watchdog says destroying Syria’s stockpile of poison gas and nerve agents at sea is a possible alternative to finding a country willing to host the destruction. Christian Chartier said Wednesday the alternative of destruction at sea, on a boat or floating rig, is a “feasible” possibility.
