PUEBLO: The United States is about to begin destroying its largest remaining stockpile of chemical weapons, marking a milestone in the global campaign to eradicate a debilitating weapon.

The Pueblo Chemical Depot in southern Colorado plans to start neutralizing 2,600 tons of aging mustard agent in March. It’s part of the long-running US effort to comply with a 1997 treaty banning all chemical weapons.Chemicals still creep into modern warfare.

Less than a year ago, chlorine gas killed 13 people in Syria in April 2014. Who was responsible isn’t clear. Mustard agent can blister the skin, cause scarring on eyes and inflame airways.

Published in Dawn February 5th , 2015

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