October 31, 2011 9:43 AM

Libyan leader wants chemical weapons gone

(AP) 

TRIPOLI, Libya - Libya's interim prime minister on Sunday confirmed the presence of chemical weapons in Libya and said foreign inspectors would arrive later this week to deal with the issue.

Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said Libya has no interest in keeping such weapons.

"We would like to assure you that the new Libya will be a peaceful Libya and that it is in our interest to have no weapons in Libya," he told reporters.

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Last week, Ian Martin, the top U.N. envoy to Libya, told the U.N. Security Council that undeclared chemical weapons sites have been located in Libya.

At the time, he also expressed concern over command and control of chemical and nuclear material sites.

Jibril, who has announced his resignation ahead of the formation of a new interim government, did not provide any details about the chemical weapons.

"There are international organizations taking care of this issue," he said, adding that representatives of those organizations are due to arrive in Libya later in the week.

A Russian-drafted U.N. resolution, to be voted on this week, calls on Libyan authorities to destroy stockpiles of chemical weapons in coordination with international authorities.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment
by Leaderless October 31, 2011 10:07 PM EDT
Didn't the UN weapon inspectors say there were no WMD in Libya?
Reply to this comment
by Goofer-Buddy October 31, 2011 11:58 AM EDT
We don't want them, we will send them to Iran, they love stuff like this.
Reply to this comment
by JavMD October 31, 2011 11:12 AM EDT
so if they found 'undeclared' chemical sites in Libya... then what kind of sites remain in ... IRAN and North Korea... Syria too?
Reply to this comment
by KnowerseekerReturns October 31, 2011 1:06 PM EDT
No kiddin'.
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