Albania Rejects US 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.