Libya Denies Making Chemical Weapons

BEIRUT — Libya on Tuesday accused the United States of preparing to attack it on the pretext that it is manufacturing chemical weapons.

The official Libyan news agency JANA, monitored in Beirut, reported that the Libyan Foreign Ministry has sent a letter to U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar denying the U.S. accusations.

JANA said copies of the letter were also submitted to European ambassadors and the Soviet envoy in Tripoli.

U.S. officials in September repeated reports that Libya is building a chemical weapons plant and may be about to start production.

“Libya categorically denies the American accusations and asserts it has no intentions of producing any kind of chemical weapons,” the letter said. “Libya also asserts its commitment to all international treaties and all United Nations resolutions concerning chemical weapons.”