American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2014 – The U.S. motor vessel Cape Ray
departed Rota, Spain, this morning en route to the port of Gioia Tauro, Italy,
where the ship will receive declared Syrian chemical materials transferred from
the Danish vessel Ark Futura.
In a statement announcing the departure, Pentagon Press
Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said the transit to Italy is expected to
take several days.
After the transfer is complete, the Cape Ray will depart
Gioia Tauro for international waters to begin neutralization of the chemical
agents using the embarked field deployable hydrolysis system, Kirby said.
“Neutralization will be conducted in a safe and environmentally sound manner,”
he added. “Nothing from this operation will be released into the environment.”
The Cape Ray and the field-deployable hydrolysis system are
part of the U.S. contribution to the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons -- U.N. Joint Mission to eliminate Syria's declared chemical
materials stockpile. The vessel is part of the Transportation Department
Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force program.
“As [Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel] has made clear, we will
work hard to destroy these materials so they never again pose a threat to the
Syrian people or America's allies in the region,” Kirby said.
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