§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will follow up, under procedures appropriate to the Chemical Weapons Convention, Libya's reported invitation to the international community to examine the tunnel which Libya claims is part of an irrigation project and the United States claims is chemical weapons facility.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyThe Chemical Weapons Convention has not yet entered into force. Even when it does, the provisions of the convention will apply to Libya only if she ratifies. We therefore urge Libya to ratify in order to help dispel doubts about her chemical weapons activities.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their view of the suggestion (reported in the International Herald Tribune on 20th April) of Mr. William Perry, US Secretary for Defence, that when the appropriate burrowing munitions are available, he will consider launching an attack, possibly using a nuclear warhead, on a tunnel in Libya, which Libya claims is part of an irrigation project and he claims is a chemical weapons facility.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyWe share US concerns at reports that Libya has a chemical weapons programme and we have noted recent US statements on this issue. Most recently, on 7th May, a US Defence Department spokesman stated that the first line of defence was to prevent the chemical plant at Tarhuna being built, using diplomatic and economic means. He said that no consideration was being given to using nuclear weapons and any implication that the US would use nuclear weapons pre-emptively against Tarhuna was wrong. We continue to urge Libya to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in order to help to dispel doubts about her chemical weapons activities.