Albania Rejects U.S. Request, Won't Host Destruction of Syria's Chemical Weapons
Albania has rejected an American request to host the dismantling of the Assad regime's chemical weapons.
From the BBC:
Albania will not allow the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons on its soil, the country's prime minister says.
Edi Rama was responding to two days of protests in Tirana and other cities.
The Balkan nation recently destroyed its own chemical stockpile, and the US had requested that it host the dismantling of Syria's arsenal.
Under the deal brokered by Russia to remove Syria's chemical weapons, it was agreed that they should be destroyed outside the country if possible.
Following protests in Tirana Prime Minister Edi Rama said that, "It is impossible for Albania to get involved in this operation," adding, "We lack the necessary capacities to get involved in this operation."
Today was the deadline for plan between the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Syrian government on the destruction of the Assad regime's chemical weapons. A source from the OPCW told Reuters that U.S. has alternative countries where the stockpile could be destroyed in mind. If the next country asked rejects the American request to host the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons it will be the third to do so (Norway has already rejected a request to host the destruction of the weapons).
Read more from Reason.com on Syria here.