Paxety Pages

All diplomacy is always successful. Every diplomat always wins. It doesn't matter what actually happens; when a diplomat finishes he'll always declare victory and claim that he got what he wanted out of the diplomacy.

With that in mind, take a look at this article from AIN. It says an official of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons assured (no direct object, so we don't know who this person assured) that Cuba "is committed to the objectives of the international convention in force since 1997."

Diplomacy is always successful.

The celebration in Havana of a regional workshop for the training of Latin American groups accompanying international inspectors is proof of Cuba's cooperation, said Liu Zhixian, director of the OPCW's Office of External Relations, with its headquarters at The Hague, Holland. 

A celebration is proof of Cuba's cooperation? A celebration? Obviously, the talking has ended. The diplomat has declared victory.

The Chinese expert predicted that the inspection of the Suchel Debon cosmetics and toiletries firm on Wednesday would come to ratify the positive results obtained by other Cuban entities that were checked by the OPCW in 2003 and 2004. 

"Visiting a factory and the opportunity to see its mechanisms for storage, residual substances treatment, the laboratories and other areas producing toxic substances, will be very useful to improve management," said Liu. 

The article goes on to say that chemical weapons are non-existent in the Caribbean and Latin America. Oh, really? This article from The Society For The Study Of Peace And Conflict says it may not be so. (hat tip to Killcastro blog)

Recent outbreaks of West Nile virus that have killed more than 30 Americans and infected another 675 have been traced to birds that may have been infected at Cuban bioweapons labs. Cuba’s record in the filed of Chemical Warfare is also not very encouraging. Cuba had reportedly used weaponised poison gas against South African troops and forces from the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Also Cuban-supported rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia had used poison gas in an attack on the Colombian town of San Adolfo recently. Defected Cuban scientists and Ken Alibek, former deputy director of the Soviet Biopreparat, provided major evidence about Cuba’s bio-weapons programme during 1980s and 1990s.

And Ziva,  links to Globalsecurity.org,  which says:

Cuba's biotechnology sector has come a long way since 1981. It is the world's second-largest producer, by volume, of Alpha interferon. Cuba is also the only country, besides highly developed nations, producing a range of human and recombinant interferons on an industrial scale.

Cuba's research centers have also produced monoclonal antibodies, as well as chemically synthesized gene fragments and breakthroughs in virological research. One center, the most important one, the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, CIGB, handles the research on proteins, hormones, vaccines DNA probes, modification of enzymes, biomass, and cell genetics.

How can this stuff be so hard to detect? The article says the machinery needed to produce such weapons is almost the same as that used commonly in Cuba.

Fermenters, and centrifuges, are equipment very similar to the ones used in the dairy industry, in the sugar industry, and liquor industries. These are industries where Cuba has had experience for years. Therefore, the equipment is now manufactured in Cuba. Even at this stage, there is not a weapon. The pathogen has to be mixed with special additives to stabilize it over a long period. A scientist works with recipes. The raw ingredients are similar, but quantities and combinations of nutrient media, heat, and time vary. If something fails, the scientist has to start all over again.

A diplomatic victory for Mr. Liu - it doesn't matter what happens to us.