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Libya May Be Allowed to Retain Scud B Missiles
Although the United States has removed Libya’s long-ranger missiles, Tripoli might be allowed to keep is supply of aging Scud B ballistic missiles, a senior U.S. official said yesterday (see GSN, March 8). Five Libyan Scud C missiles were included in a shipment of materials from Libya’s WMD programs that left the country over the weekend, but Tripoli could retain its arsenal of less-advanced, shorter-range Scud B missiles, the senior U.S. official said in a Reuters article. “We’re still in discussion with them on this. ... There may be an option,” the official said. “The Scud Bs are pretty old. If you had to make a choice between Scud Cs and Scud Bs — which one would you eliminate first — we got the right ones,” the official added. As part of the pledge to dismantle its WMD programs, Libya agreed to rid itself of all missiles covered by the Missile Technology Control Regime — those capable of carrying a 500-kilogram payload for a range of 300 kilometers. Some experts have said the Scud B is capable of carrying a 985-kilogram payload for a range of 300 kilometers, according to Reuters Libya might have 80 Scud B launchers and up to three times as many missiles, according to the Web site globalsecurity.org. The country said it needs the Scud Bs for defensive purposes, the U.S. official said. “We’ll be taking a look at whether there are defensive things that could happen instead (of leaving Libya with the Scud B missiles). Are there shorter-range systems that could meet their needs?” the official said (Carol Giacomo, Reuters, March 9).
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