Canada Pledges $10 million to help Libya recover arms stockpiles

Canada will give $10 million to the new government in Libya to help it secure the country''s stock of weapons of mass destruction. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced the funding during a meeting with the head of Libya''s National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, as he toured the capital Tripoli on Tuesday. While former Leader Muammar Gadhafi claimed he destroyed his regime''s stockpiles of nuclear and chemical weapons, rebel forces reportedly found two warehouses containing radioactive material as well as stockpiles of chemical weapons in southern Libya in September. Baird stressed Canada''s ongoing support to the new government, "particularly to get rid of weapons of mass destruction, which obviously exist in at least several warehouses of chemical weapons." "The establishment of a new government is exciting," Baird said. "We''re excited by the roadmap towards (electing) a national congress. We''re excited about the future role of women in Libya.", he added.