In Cyprus, officials from Algeria to Iraq train to keep WMD from crossing their borders

Associated Press

LARNACA, Cyprus (AP) — A small facility in Cyprus is hosting senior government officials from as far as Algeria, Iraq and Georgia for training by top U.S. experts to prevent the kinds of materials used to build weapons of mass destruction from crossing their borders. In just its third year of operation, the U.S.-funded Cyprus Centre for Land, Open Seas and Port Security (CYCLOPS) has far exceeded expectations. The center’s director says it expects to schedule more than 50 training sessions next year. So far, over 2,000 officials from 20 countries including Yemen, Libya, Armenia and Ukraine, have received training on such topics as radiological and nuclear detection for customs officers and chemical terrorism investigations.