USAF COUNTERPROLIFERATION CENTER
CPC OUTREACH JOURNAL
Maxwell AFB, Alabama
Issue No. 410, 22 February 2005
Articles & Other Documents:
Al Qaeda Has Bases In Africa, UN Says U.S. Official Says North Korea Could Be Bluffing On Nuclear Arms IAEA Head Disputes Claims On Iran Arms Rumsfeld States Case For Burrowing Weapon Goss Fears WMD Attack In U.S. 'A Matter Of Time' U.S. Envoy To Japan Assails North Korea's Arms Program Iran Says Pilotless U.S. Jets Are Spying On Nuclear IAEA Digs Into Past Of Iranian Program Sites Al Qaeda is still a threat, U.S. intelligence chiefs say North Korea Urged To Resume Talks U.S. And Japan Declare Concern Over North Korea Pyongyang Rebuffs Calls To Resume Nuclear Talks North Korean Said To Be Willing To Resume Talks Natanz Plant In Iran Is Focus Of Nuclear Concerns G7 to establish germ warfare crisis centre
Welcome to the CPC Outreach Journal. As part of USAF Counterproliferation Center’s mission to counter weapons of mass destruction through education and research, we’re providing our government and civilian community a source for timely counterproliferation information. This information includes articles, papers and other documents addressing issues pertinent to US military response options for dealing with nuclear, biological and chemical threats and attacks. It’s our hope this information resource will help enhance your counterproliferation issue awareness. Established in 1998, the USAF/CPC provides education and research to present and future leaders of the Air Force, as well as to members of other branches of the armed services and Department of Defense. Our purpose is to help those agencies better prepare to counter the threat from weapons of mass destruction. Please feel free to visit our web site at www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/awc-cps.htm for in-depth information and specific points of contact. Please direct any questions or comments on CPC Outreach Journal Jo Ann Eddy, CPC Outreach Editor, at (334) 953- 7538 or DSN 493-7538. To subscribe, change e-mail address, or unsubscribe to this journal or to request inclusion on the mailing list for CPC publications, please contact Mrs. Eddy. The following articles, papers or documents do not necessarily reflect official endorsement of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or other US government agencies. Reproduction for private use or commercial gain is subject to original copyright restrictions. All rights are reserved
Detroit Free Press February 16, 2005 Al Qaeda Has Bases In Africa, UN Says By Free Press News Services UNITED NATIONS -- Al Qaeda has opened recruiting and training bases in Nigeria, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda, the United Nations said Tuesday in a report that warned the terror group's attacks should be expected to increase. The report was written by terrorism experts appointed by the Security Council to monitor sanctions against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, the regime of radical Muslim clerics that had run Afghanistan until a U.S.-led coalition ousted them in 2001. UN sanctions require all 191 UN member nations to impose a travel ban and arms embargo against a list of those linked to Osama bin Laden's terror network and the former Afghan rulers. Members are also required to freeze the financial assets of those on the list, which includes more than 430 individuals and groups. Terrorism involving Al Qaeda and weapons of mass destruction remains among the paramount global threats, the report said. Al Qaeda wants chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons, and it is only "a matter of time" before a successful attack occurs using such weapons, the report said. "The biggest fear we all have is terrorists getting hold of the means to cause a mass attack," said Richard Barrett, a British intelligence expert who is the team's coordinator. "Al Qaeda is a phenomenon that observes no borders. It is even harder to track now than it was a year or two ago when it had a more coherent structure." The report said Al Qaeda is looking for "new areas to expand" and has established bases in "poorly policed" areas of sub-Saharan Africa. They are present there. The security forces of those countries agree with that," Barrett said of Nigeria, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. http://www.freep.com/news/nw/terror16e_20050216.htm
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New York Times February 16, 2005 U.S. Official Says North Korea Could Be Bluffing On Nuclear Arms By Joel Brinkley WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 - Robert B. Zoellick, a senior government official nominated to be deputy secretary of state, suggested Tuesday that North Korea's recent announcement that it now possesses nuclear weapons might have been a bluff. "I would be careful about reading too much into the North Koreans' most recent statement," Mr. Zoellick, the United States trade representative, said during his Senate confirmation hearing for the second-ranking position in the State Department. He then listed several possible political motivations for the statement, including "pounding one's chest" for the benefit of North Korean citizens. His remark represented a subtle shift in tone on Tuesday by Bush administration officials, who had previously focused their response on urging the North Koreans to return to the regional negotiations intended to persuade them to dismantle their nuclear program. The White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, echoed Mr. Zoellick's assessment, saying at a news briefing on Tuesday that "North Korea has frequently used that rhetoric in the past." The comments by the White House officials are similar to that offered by the South Korean foreign minister, Ban Ki Moon, in talks on Monday with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Another senior South Korean official was even more direct, saying Monday that North Korea's statement represented little more than a bargaining ploy intended to compel the United States "to change its stance." North Korea wants direct negotiations with Washington, while the Bush administration insists that negotiations be limited to the six-party talks that also include South Korea, Japan, China and Russia. No talks have been held since June. Mr. Zoellick listed several possible motives for North Korea to make its provocative statement last Thursday. The announcement "could have been, as they have done in the past, sort of a demand to get additional compensation," he suggested. He added, "It could have been related to the fact that the Chinese were scheduled to come, and they have played a key role in terms of economics and assistance." "In some senses it doesn't matter what one guesses," he said, as long as the United States "stays constant with the core strategy here," the six-party talks. Mr. Zoellick faced no apparent opposition at his confirmation hearing, where he responded in detail to questions about a wide range of foreign policy issues; even the committee's Democrats embraced him. He caused a positive stir among some committee members by speaking out against the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez. He cited Mr. Chávez as an example of what he called the "creeping authoritarianism" afflicting Venezuela and other Latin American states. "You win the election, but you do away with your opponents, you do away with the press, you do away with the rule of law, you pack the courts," he said. The Organization of American States adopted democratic changes in the early 1990's intended to protect nations from military coups, he said. But now, he added, the region faces this new threat. The United States, he said, "should not be afraid" to speak out when Mr. Chávez "is taking away liberties." If Mr. Chávez cuts off oil shipments - the United States imports 13 percent of its oil supply from Venezuela - Mr. Zoellick said he was confident that the United States could make up the losses from other sources. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/16/international/asia/16zoellick.html?
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Washington Post February 16, 2005 Pg. 12 IAEA Head Disputes Claims On Iran Arms U.S. Called Inconsistent in Nuclear Talks By Dafna Linzer and Glenn Kessler, Washington Post Staff Writers VIENNA, Feb. 15 -- The head of the U.N. agency responsible for investigating Iran's nuclear program said Tuesday that there had been no discoveries in the last six months to substantiate claims that the Islamic state is secretly working toward building a nuclear bomb. In a wide-ranging interview with four U.S. newspapers, Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency also described White House policies on Iran and North Korea as inconsistent. Without greater U.S. participation in diplomacy, ElBaradei said, confrontation could increase. "North Korea and Iran are still the two 800-pound gorillas in the room and not much is happening," he said in his office overlooking Vienna. U.S. officials have attended joint meetings with the North Koreans and envoys from four other countries, but the talks have produced little and have been on hold for almost eight months. The White House has said repeatedly that it wants those talks to resume but recently ruled out a similar arrangement with Iran, arguing that it didn't want to give legitimacy to the country's ruling clerics. "I don't see talking to a regime as legitimization," ElBaradei said. "They talk to North Korea, and I don't think that legitimizes the North Korean regime." He praised France, Britain and Germany for entering into negotiations with Iran that have led to the suspension of its nuclear activities, such as uranium enrichment, that could be used in a weapons program. "If I look at the big picture," he said, "there is no enrichment in Iran, and this is quite satisfactory, and I hope it keeps this way until we reach an agreement" for a permanent stop. ElBaradei, 62, an international lawyer and Egyptian diplomat, has been at odds with the Bush administration since he challenged U.S. intelligence in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. His caution on Iran has led some Bush administration officials to suggest he is more interested in blocking U.S. policy than in stopping Iran. The White House wants him to step down when he finishes his second term this summer and has tried to find a candidate willing to challenge him. But a majority of countries on the IAEA board consider ElBaradei's leadership on Iran helpful and want him to take a third term. Despite the tensions with Washington, ElBaradei said professional relations with U.S. officials have been good. "I would hope we would continue to cooperate no matter what," he said. ElBaradei was joined in the interview by top aides from the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada. During a two-year investigation, IAEA inspectors uncovered an 18-year-old nuclear program in Iran and chastised the country for failing to report the work and disclose its suppliers to the agency, as required under the nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty. The Bush administration contends the program is designed to build nuclear weapons, but Iran says the goal is nuclear energy that will someday substitute for its oil and gas reserves. ElBaradei's last report on the status of the investigation in November said that Iran's cooperation had improved steadily and that most outstanding issues had been resolved. The investigation is continuing, and IAEA inspectors are awaiting results from samples taken recently at an Iranian military facility. ElBaradei said Tuesday that the past six months have uncovered very little new information. "On Iran, there really hasn't been much development, neither as a result of our inspections or as a result of intelligence." U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not dispute that comment, but emphasized that the investigation was incomplete. Echoing public and private comments from French, German and British officials, ElBaradei said the only way to end the crisis and avoid confrontation was for the Bush administration to get involved in the talks between the three countries and Iran. "I don't think the Iranian issue will be resolved without the United States putting fully its weight behind the Europeans," he said. "We have been very active diplomatically, including working with the IAEA, on both Iran and North Korea," a senior Bush administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he had not seen ElBaradei's full comments. "It is clear that these nations need to take the IAEA more seriously and need to work toward that goal." The official added that the IAEA's own reports demonstrate an "established pattern" over decades of Iran using peaceful nuclear programs to move toward developing nuclear weapons. "It is not a matter of finding a bomb in a given week," he said. ElBaradei backed the idea of a comprehensive deal between the West and Iran that would address nuclear power, regional security, terrorism and Iranian recognition of Israel. Iran's negotiations with the Europeans touch on some of those issues, and diplomats have signaled that Tehran would be willing to go further if the United States took part. Over the past four years ElBaradei has been juggling investigations in Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Libya and Pakistan. Of those countries, he said North Korea was "the greatest security challenge" faced by the world. "I am very concerned about the North Korea dialogue right now. . . . The six-party talks never really took off," he said. At the last such meeting, the United States said it would support a South Korean and Japanese proposal to provide energy assistance if North Korea agreed to dismantle its nuclear programs. But the United States said it would not consider providing direct concessions until U.S. intelligence had verified that North Korea had fully disclosed the extent of its nuclear activities. The North has not officially responded to the offers, but throughout the last two years, has sought to win direct benefits from the United States as a condition of ending its nuclear programs. Last week, North Korea announced that it had built nuclear weapons and was suspending participation in the talks. ElBaradei said the agency had no way to verify the weapons claim. IAEA inspectors were expelled from North Korea at the end of 2002. But he called the claim a sign that North Korea was feeling helpless and ignored. "This is their trump card, and they will try to squeeze every drop of blood out of it," he said. He urged a strategy aimed at coaxing North Korea back into accepting IAEA inspections. "The sooner, the better," he said. Kessler reported from Washington. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27319-2005Feb15.html
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Washington Post February 17, 2005 Pg. 5 Rumsfeld States Case For Burrowing Weapon By Walter Pincus, Washington Post Staff Writer Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld yesterday defended plans to resume studying the feasibility of an earth- penetrating nuclear warhead, saying many countries are burying targets underground and "we have no capability, conventional or nuclear" to go after them. Last year, Congress, by a single vote, refused to continue funding what was begun in 2002 as a three-year technical study. The goal is to see whether the nation's nuclear weapons laboratories could come up with a concept for a warhead casing that could carry a nuclear device down through rock or hardened earth, keeping it intact to explode and destroy an underground facility. Opposition to the study came from House and Senate members who saw it as the United States working to create a new nuclear weapon when Washington is attempting to stop other countries, such as Iran and North Korea, from having atomic weapons. At the House Armed Services Committee meeting yesterday, Rumsfeld said what was involved was a feasibility study and not development of a weapon. Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified that Gen. James E. Cartwright, the new chief of Strategic Command who has to deal with countering underground targets, "certainly thinks there's a need for this study," and that the other Joint Chiefs agreed. "It's not a commitment to go forward with a system," Myers said. On Tuesday, Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman, whose laboratories had halted work on the project when the budget was eliminated, said Rumsfeld had asked that he support resumption of the study and funds had been included to complete it in fiscal 2007. The Defense Department is "a very important customer and one that we try to work with effectively and so we have done so at their request," Bodman told a Senate panel. He described the project as "design work" that does not involve nuclear materials. Instead, he said, "it involves understanding the physics of having a projectile hit the earth, and to determine just how deep the device goes and what happens to the internal structure." Bodman said questions include whether the warhead can "retain sufficient structure that a nuclear device that might be inside . . . or a non-nuclear device, be protected until it reaches some depth in the ground." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30615-2005Feb16.html
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Washington Times February 17, 2005 Pg. 3 Goss Fears WMD Attack In U.S. 'A Matter Of Time' By Bill Gertz, The Washington Times Senior U.S. intelligence leaders told Congress yesterday that "it may only be a matter of time" before terrorists try to use weapons of mass destruction against the United States. In his first public appearance since becoming CIA director in September, Porter J. Goss used the annual worldwide threat hearing to issue the prediction, while another federal official said the FBI knows little about al Qaeda sleeper cells such as the September 11 terrorists. "It may be only a matter of time before al Qaeda or another group attempts to use chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons," Mr. Goss told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III testified that he is "very concerned" about the lack of data on a network of al Qaeda "sleeper" cells in the United States. "Finding them is a top priority for the FBI, but it is also one of the most difficult challenges," he said. "Because of al Qaeda's directed efforts this year to infiltrate covert operatives into the U.S., I am also very concerned with the growing body of sensitive reporting that continues to show al Qaeda's clear intention to obtain and ultimately use some form of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear or high-energy explosives material in its attacks against America," Mr. Mueller added. In a related development, a National Intelligence Council (NIC) report made public yesterday stated that terrorists have targeted Russian nuclear weapons storage sites. In 2002, Russian authorities twice thwarted terrorist efforts to monitor nuclear-weapons storage sites, the report said. Chechen terrorists also have conducted surveillance of Russian rail stations and a train used to move nuclear bombs, said the report from NIC, an analysis group under Mr. Goss. The report noted that Russian authorities could not have recovered "all the [nuclear] material reportedly stolen." "We assess that undetected smuggling has occurred, and we are concerned about the total amount of material that could have been diverted or stolen in the last 13 years," the report said. Asked by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, West Virginia Democrat, about the report, Mr. Goss said he could not say whether terrorists had stolen nuclear material from Russian nuclear facilities. Vice Adm. Lowell Jacoby, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told the subcommittee that al Qaeda has said that it wants to conduct an attack "exceeding the destruction" of the September 11, 2001, strikes, raising fears about the terror organization's use of chemical, biological and nuclear arms. Adm. Jacoby said al Qaeda and other terrorists are likely to use deadly biological weapons, such as ricin or botulinum toxin, or industrial chemicals. Mr. Mueller said the United States is "awash" in potential terrorist targets, including the White House, the Capitol, nuclear power plants, mass-transit systems, bridges and tunnels, shipping and port facilities, financial centers and airports. An attack on such targets "would cause both mass casualties and a crippling effect on our economy," Mr. Mueller said. Sen. Pat Roberts, Kansas Republican and the committee chairman, said after the hearing that al Qaeda's use of weapons of mass destruction is a major fear. "It's probably our biggest worry," he said. Coast Guard Adm. James Loy, who was acting homeland security secretary until Tuesday's swearing-in of Michael Chertoff, told the committee that recent information showed "al Qaeda has considered using the Southwest border to infiltrate the United States." "Several al Qaeda leaders believe operatives can pay their way into the country through Mexico, and also believe illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons," Adm. Loy said. Other threats outlined during the Senate hearing included the growing danger of North Korea's nuclear program and its export of missiles and other weapons, and Iran's drive for nuclear weapons. Mr. Goss said the Iranians think nuclear weapons are a matter of national pride and are motivated in part by Pakistan's acquisition of such arms. Adm. Jacoby said the Iranians want to deploy nuclear arms as a regional deterrent force. Unless its program is curbed by international controls, Tehran likely will be able to produce nuclear weapons by the early 2010s, he said. Adm. Jacoby also said North Korea is not expected to give up all of its nuclear arms capabilities even if an agreement is reached with Pyongyang. http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20050216-111354-2798r.htm
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New York Times February 17, 2005 U.S. Envoy To Japan Assails North Korea's Arms Program By James Brooke TOKYO, Feb. 16 - The United States ambassador to Japan criticized North Korea on Wednesday for proliferating nuclear weapons materials and called its nuclear program "a deadly threat." "The thing I worry most about with the North Koreans, to tell you the truth, is not that they're going to bomb Tokyo, but rather that they have a demonstrated record of selling any military device they own," Howard H. Baker Jr. said in a press briefing as he prepared to leave Japan. "A regime such as the North Koreans, with that record, selling nuclear material to all comers, is a very serious issue." Mr. Baker said the world should not have any doubts that North Korea had nuclear weapons. "They have said now, more than once, that they have nuclear weapons, and I accept that at face value," Mr. Baker, a former Republican senator from Tennessee, told American reporters. "What is the upside of not believing them?" As Mr. Baker spoke, North Korea was celebrating Wednesday the 63rd birthday of Kim Jong Il, the nation's hereditary leader. American, Chinese and South Korean diplomats, in the meantime, embarked on an urgent round of talks prior to a high-level Chinese visit to North Korea on Saturday. China, North Korea's main economic partner and military ally, is seen as the only country with the leverage to force North Korea to return to the talks and to negotiate a formula for nuclear disarmament. Two years ago, when North Korea was refusing to enter talks over its nuclear arms program, China closed "for cleaning" the lone oil pipeline to North Korea, which then agreed to attend talks in Beijing. From Saturday to Tuesday of next week, Wang Jiarui, head of the Chinese Communist Party's international liaison department, will visit North Korea, Reuters reported. American and South Korean negotiating teams are to arrive in Beijing on Thursday in an effort to hammer out a common approach with China. The American envoy is Christopher Hill, United States ambassador to South Korea. On Tuesday, Mr. Hill, a veteran of negotiations in the Balkans, was appointed to lead the American team to what North Korea's neighbors hope will be a resumption of the six-nation talks in Beijing. Japan and Russia also participate in the talks. On Wednesday, Japan's foreign minister, Nobutaka Machimura, and his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing, held their first phone conversation since North Korea said last Thursday that it had nuclear arms and was boycotting talks. In what may be a first step toward coordinated regional pressure, South Korea's foreign minister, Ban Ki Moon, said Wednesday after returning from Washington, "We told the U.S. there won't be any large-scale economic cooperation with North Korea until its nuclear problem is resolved." Ambassador Baker, about to be freed of diplomatic constraints, called North Korea "a major problem" and ran down the list of options. "But I don't think military intervention is imminent" Mr. Baker said. "Sanctions are a tool, but it is seldom effective unless it's a multilateral undertaking. It probably wouldn't be really effective unless you've got South Korea, China, and maybe Russia on board, and I presently do not see that in the cards." Mr. Baker said the best approach would be a start of serious disarmament talks. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/17/international/asia/17korea.html
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New York Times February 17, 2005 Iran Says Pilotless U.S. Jets Are Spying On Nuclear Sites By Nazila Fathi TEHRAN, Feb. 16 - Iran said Wednesday that American pilotless spy planes had been seen over its nuclear sites and threatened to shoot them down if they came within range. Information Minister Ali Yunessi, speaking after a meeting with members of Parliament, said the American spying over Iran had been going on for "a long time." "Most of the shining objects that our people see in Iran's airspace are American spying equipment used to spy on Iran's nuclear and military facilities," Mr. Yunessi said on state television. "If any of the bright objects come close, they will definitely meet our fire and will be shot down," he said. "We possess the necessary equipment to confront them." Iran's Foreign Ministry would not comment on Sunday on a Washington Post report that American pilotless planes had been flying over Iran for nearly a year, looking for evidence of a nuclear weapons program. "I cannot make comments about it," said the spokesman for the ministry, Hamid Reza Assefi. "The subject is related to the security and information apparatus." The White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, asked about the reports on Monday, said he could not confirm or deny "matters related to intelligence." Questioned again by reporters on Wednesday, Mr. McClellan said he had nothing to add. The issue adds to rising concern in Iran over possible United States surveillance operations in the country. A report last month in The New Yorker contended that American commandos had been operating in Iran since last summer. The Iranian authorities rejected the report, saying it was part of "psychological warfare against Iran." Also on Wednesday, explosions in southern Iran that were later said to be from construction work, jolted world financial markets, causing stocks to briefly fall. The jitters arose over concern that the blasts could have come from missile fire aimed at Iran's nuclear site in Bushehr, a southern port. But Iran dismissed those reports, with the leader of the policy making Supreme National Security Council, Ali Aghamohammadi, saying "the explosion was caused by blasts during work at Kossar dam." State television had reported that the explosion was caused by a fuel tank that fell from an aircraft. The explosion was heard at 10 a.m. local time in Deylam, a southern port city about 130 miles west of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The comments on Wednesday on the pilotless planes followed reports in April in Iranian newspapers that U.F.O.'s had been seen by people in several parts of the country, but mostly in the north and northwest, the locations of Iran's nuclear sites. A reporter for the state-run news agency IRNA said he had seen a similar object over Bilesavar in the north for 90 minutes. But the news media reported then that military and civilian radar had not registered any violations into Iran's airspace and the defense and foreign ministries dismissed suggestions that the objects were American pilotless planes, emphasizing that nothing could penetrate Iranian skies without being tracked. Later in the year, the authorities acknowledged the possibility that surveillance aircraft could be operating over Iran. In December 2004, the daily Ressalat reported that Iran's air force had been ordered to shoot down any suspicious flying object near its nuclear facilities. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/17/international/middleeast/17iran.html
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Washington Post February 17, 2005 Pg. 18 IAEA Digs Into Past Of Iranian Program Probe Traces How Materials Were Obtained By Dafna Linzer, Washington Post Staff Writer VIENNA, Feb. 16 -- Despite a lack of fresh leads, U.N. inspectors continue to probe how Iran's nuclear program obtained equipment, material and know-how from abroad, questions that raise suspicions in Washington and Europe, diplomats with detailed knowledge of the investigation said Wednesday. None of these lines of inquiry addresses whether Iran is currently working on nuclear weapons. Rather, diplomats say, the International Atomic Energy Agency hopes to obtain greater insight into the international black market that supplied Iran and get a more definitive account of the country's past programs. Under arrangements still being worked out, Pakistan has agreed to lend the IAEA equipment from its nuclear weapons program that could help clear up one of the largest mysteries surrounding the two-year investigation of Iran -- why certain equipment in Iran has been found to contain traces of enriched uranium. Western governments have suggested that the uranium's presence could indicate that Iran was manufacturing a key ingredient for nuclear weapons. But Iranian officials are hoping that test results will show that equipment it bought from Pakistan years ago arrived contaminated with the uranium from that country's nuclear program. Iran denies that it intends to make bomb-grade uranium and says its enrichment programs are designed for producing nuclear energy. CIA Director Porter J. Goss, reporting to Congress on Wednesday on global threats, said the Iranian energy program could be diverted for weapons development. "We are more concerned about the dual-use nature of the technology," Goss said. Intelligence agencies are conducting a review of their assessments of Iran's nuclear program. A similar assessment before the Iraq war became a centerpiece of the Bush administration's claims that Iraq was advancing in its nuclear weapons program. But that intelligence, which the IAEA challenged before the U.S. invasion in March 2003, turned out to be wrong. [In a sign of continuing concern over Iran's nuclear program, oil prices spiked Wednesday after an explosion was reported in southern Iran near the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the Associated Press reported. State-run media offered conflicting explanations, including blasting for dam construction, a fuel tank dropping from an Iranian plane and friendly fire.] In a two-year investigation, the U.N. agency uncovered an 18-year-old nuclear program that the Iranians began in secret and in violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The discovery helped unravel a nuclear black-market operated by Pakistan's former chief nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, who sold Iran spare parts from his weapons program. The agency is looking into other dual-use equipment that Iran purchased for a facility in Lavasan. It is also studying experiments that Iran conducted with nuclear designs obtained from Pakistan years ago. Inspectors are awaiting results from soil samples taken at an Iranian military facility last month, but diplomats in Vienna, where the IAEA is based, expressed doubt that the results would yield any breakthroughs. The diplomats would discuss details of the sensitive investigation only on condition of anonymity. The IAEA's director, Mohamed ElBaradei, said in an interview Tuesday that six months have passed since the IAEA obtained any new information on Iran and that the agency hasn't found evidence to substantiate claims that Tehran is working on a weapons program, as the Bush administration has alleged. The IAEA board is to meet in Vienna in two weeks to discuss the latest developments on the Iran case. For the first time in two years, ElBaradei will not present a written report to his board on Iran's programs and is instead preparing a brief statement on grounds of lack of new information. One diplomat said ElBaradei's briefing will focus on Iran's suspension of nuclear-related work and its cooperation with inspectors, which ElBaradei has described as good, as well as the status of the agency's investigation. One of his deputies, Pierre Goldschmidt, will follow his presentation with a separate briefing on technical issues. Goldschmidt will likely discuss two recent issues that inspectors have had with Iran, including a tunnel that the Iranians are building at a nuclear site in Isfahan to store nuclear materials in case of an attack. The construction was first noticed by inspectors on satellite photos, and the Iranians then provided diagrams of the site. Inspectors do not consider the site to be relevant to the weapons investigations due to its defensive nature. Iran has also conducted maintenance work on some centrifuge components that the agency deems "nonsensitive" items and has conducted quality-control tests on other equipment. Neither of those activities violates a recent deal that Iran reached with three European countries to suspend certain nuclear-related operations while talks on a long- term halt continue. But the IAEA asked that the activities stop, and Iran complied, diplomats said. The briefings will also report that Iran has completed converting 37 tons of raw uranium into a solid state that makes it easier to be enriched. The conversion was allowed under the Iran-Europe deal and has been carried out under IAEA supervision. The agency is monitoring the rest of Iran's known nuclear-related sites and equipment, in most cases with 24-hour surveillance cameras. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30726-2005Feb16.html
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International Herald Tribune Friday, February 18, 2005 Al Qaeda is still a threat, U.S. intelligence chiefs say By Douglas Jehl The New York Times WASHINGTON New intelligence information strongly suggests that Al Qaeda has considered infiltrating the United States through the Mexican border, top government officials have told Congress. In a wide-ranging assessment of threats to U.S. security, including those posed by Iran and North Korea, the officials also said intelligence indicated that terrorist organizations remained intent on obtaining and using devastating weapons against the United States. "It may only be a matter of time before Al Qaeda or another group attempts to use chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons," Porter Goss, the new director of central intelligence, told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. The warnings from Goss and the other officials came as part of a stark presentation that described terrorism as the top threat to the United States despite what they described as successes in the last year. Intelligence that "strongly suggests" that Qaeda operatives have considered using the Mexican border as an entry point was cited in written testimony by Admiral James Loy, the deputy secretary of homeland security. But he wrote that there was "currently no conclusive evidence" that this had succeeded. In the past, law enforcement officials have said Al Qaeda might try to use the Mexican border, but the testimony on Wednesday seemed to suggest increasing concern. In response to questions from the senators, Loy described it as a "very serious situation," while Robert Mueller, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, listed first among his current concerns what he said might already be "the threat from covert Al Qaeda operatives inside the United States." "Finding them is the top priority for the FBI, but it is also one of the most difficult challenges," Mueller said. In his written testimony, Loy cited recent information from investigations and detentions as the basis for his concern about the Mexican border. He added, "Several Al Qaeda leaders believe operatives can pay their way into the country through Mexico and also believe illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons." The appearance by Goss was his first in public since he took over as the head of the CIA more than four months ago. http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/02/17/news/mexico.html
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Los Angeles Times February 20, 2005 North Korea Urged To Resume Talks The U.S., Japan and China call on Pyongyang to rejoin nuclear arms negotiations. Its U.N. envoy reportedly cites deterrence against U.S. By Bob Drogin, Times Staff Writer WASHINGTON — Senior U.S. and Japanese officials urged North Korea on Saturday to resume negotiations aimed at eliminating its nuclear weapons program, while a top Chinese diplomat visited Pyongyang to push the same message. There were no immediate signs of progress. In Pyongyang, foreign ministry officials reportedly rejected a revival of the six-party disarmament talks. And North Korea's U.N. ambassador reportedly said the country needed nuclear weapons to deter a U.S. attack. The flurry of high-level diplomatic activity reflected concern over the Communist regime's Feb. 10 declaration that it had begun producing nuclear arms and U.S. allegations that Pyongyang may have provided nuclear material to Libya's now-defunct weapons program. Both claims remain unconfirmed, but according to U.S. intelligence, Kim Jong Il's regime had produced enough fissile material a few years ago to build several nuclear bombs. "We share a concern about events on the Korean peninsula," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said at a news conference in Washington after she and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met their Japanese counterparts. Japan's foreign minister, Nobutaka Machimura, called for an "early and unconditional resumption" of disarmament talks. "Should we let the time slip by, then I think it will only worsen the situation." White House officials tried to downplay Pyongyang's declaration that it is a nuclear power, saying North Korea has made similar claims in the past. But Machimura appeared to disagree. "Until now, until recently, they spoke more in vague terms and indirect terms," he said. "And this is the first time that they have declared openly." In a joint statement, the U.S. and Japanese officials said North Korea's nuclear program was a serious challenge to nonproliferation efforts and a threat to peace and stability in northeast Asia. They urged Pyongyang to return to the six-party talks and commit itself "to the complete dismantlement of all its nuclear programs, including its uranium enrichment program, under credible international verification." Rice said the negotiations could help North Korea change its relationship with the rest of the world and could produce "mutual security guarantees." She said Pyongyang must take the international community's concerns seriously. "They ought to return to those talks so that people don't have to contemplate other measures," she said. "They have a path ahead of them." China's government, North Korea's only major ally, also urged Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table. Wang Jiarui, head of the Chinese Communist Party's international department, met Saturday with North Korea's second- ranking leader, Kim Yong Nam, according to Chinese news reports. The six-party talks — which involve the United States, Russia, China, Japan and North and South Korea — have been in limbo since September, when North Korea refused to attend the fourth round of negotiations in China. Pyongyang later announced it would not participate because of what it called American aggression. White House officials say they have sought to lower tensions and are seeking a diplomatic solution. "President Bush has repeated several times that the United States has no intention to attack North Korea nor invade it," Rice said. But North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Han Sung Ryol, said in an interview published Saturday that his government had built nuclear weapons to deter a U.S. attack. "We have no other option but to have nuclear weapons as long as the Americans try to topple our system," he told South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, according to Associated Press. "If the United States withdraws its hostile policy, we will drop our anti-Americanism and befriend it. Then why would we need nuclear weapons?" So far, Japan and the U.S. have left the heavy diplomatic lifting to China, hoping that Beijing's economic leverage as North Korea's largest trading partner can compel Pyongyang to restart negotiations. The Japanese and U.S. officials also addressed the issue of Taiwan. They warned China that Washington and Tokyo consider the need to defuse tensions over Taiwan, which Beijing says is a part of China, to be a "common strategic objective." It is the first time Japan has formally tied its position on Taiwan to Washington's tougher line, although it does not imply a shared military duty to protect the island. "Japan has been careful not to use language like that before," said Masashi Nishihara of Japan's National Defense Academy. "When it comes to the Korean peninsula issue, we need China's cooperation. But things are changing very fast in the security field." Times staff writer Bruce Wallace in Tokyo contributed to this report. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-norkor20feb20,1,1340886.story
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New York Times February 20, 2005 U.S. And Japan Declare Concern Over North Korea By Joel Brinkley WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 - Senior American and Japanese officials issued a joint declaration on Saturday expressing "deep concern" over North Korea's withdrawal from multilateral negotiations on its nuclear weapons program, while the North declared itself unwilling to participate in talks of any kind. The tough talk in Washington and Pyongyang stiffened even further their tense standoff over how to resolve the weapons dispute. The joint Japanese-American statement followed security talks on North Korea and other issues between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and their two Japanese counterparts. The annual talks carried unusual urgency, they said, following North Korea's statement on Feb. 10 that it would not participate in six-party disarmament talks and that it already possessed nuclear weapons. North Korea said Saturday that it would not even talk directly with the United States alone, something it has sought in the past and the Bush administration has refused. Ms. Rice said, "The ministers and I urge North Korea to return to the six-party talks as the best way to end nuclear programs and the only way for North Korea to achieve better relations." Underlining Japan's deepening concern, Yoshinori Ohno, the director general of the Defense Agency, made a point of noting that a bill had recently been submitted to Parliament calling for starting a missile-defense program for Japan. In a news conference at the State Department, Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said that Japan and the United States had agreed that "especially China will play an important role" in persuading North Korea to return to the disarmament talks. China is North Korea's only close ally. The other participants in the talks, which stalled in June, have been Russia and South Korea. Wang Jiarui, a senior Chinese Communist Party official, traveled to Pyongyang on Saturday to urge North Korea to rejoin the talks. But Wu Dawei, the Chinese vice foreign minister, told state television, "It is unlikely the six-party talks will be resumed in the near future" even though "all parties concerned, including China, are conducting consultations with each other positively." Coincident with the Chinese visit and security talks in Washington, the North Korean Foreign Ministry, using the initials of its country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, issued a statement Saturday saying: "Because the United States insists on its hostile policy toward the D.P.R.K. and refused to co-exist with the D.P.R.K., the D.P.R.K. has no justification to take bilateral, one-to-one talks on the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula with the United States now." Asked about that during a joint news conference with the Japanese on Saturday, Secretary Rice's response was tart. "I don't think we offered one-on-one talks to the North Koreans," she said. "What is there, is a forum called the six- party talks." The joint declaration ratcheted up the tone of statements directed at North Korean, accusing it of posing "a direct threat to the peace and stability of the Northeast Asia region, including Japan." It added that the Japanese and American ministers agreed to continue sharing intelligence information on North Korea "with a view to maintaining preparedness for any situation." But the Japanese foreign minister, Mr. Machimura, seemed to be agreeing with Mr. Wu, the Chinese official, when Mr. Machimura said he saw "no prospects as to when" the North Koreans will return to the talks. Ms. Rice, asked if she thought the Chinese had been ineffective in their dealings with North Korea, said: "This is obviously a difficult matter. It would have been resolved before had it not been difficult." She noted her hope that the Chinese official, in meetings in Pyongyang, would carry the message "that it is the collective view" that "there can be no nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula." She added, "The North Koreans are continuing to bring about their own isolation by not dealing with this problem." China has been the host for three rounds of six-nation talks since 2003, with no apparent results. North Korea refused to attend a fourth session, which was to have been held in September, saying the United States was trying to overthrow the North Korean government. The security talks on Saturday morning were centered around the North Korean problem, but they also ranged over other mutual issues, including Chinese threats against Taiwan. On Friday, senior American officials said the Japanese intended to assure Washington for the first time that their government shared concern about the security of Taiwan. The ministers made no direct reference to that during their news conference. But a joint statement described "encouraging the peaceful resolution of issues concerning the Taiwan Strait" as a "common strategic objective." An American official said that was the first time the Japanese government had publicly stated its concern about tensions between Taiwan and China. Both the Japanese and American officials did express concern about the expansion and modernization of the Chinese military. "The People's Republic of China has been increasing its military capabilities fairly significantly," Mr. Rumsfeld said, echoing remarks he made before Congress this week. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/20/politics/20japan.html
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Washington Times February 20, 2005 Pyongyang Rebuffs Calls To Resume Nuclear Talks By Barry Schweid, Associated Press The United States and Japan yesterday urged North Korea to resume international talks about its nuclear weapons program, and North Korea said it no longer wanted to talk to either country. "We share a concern about events on the Korean Peninsula," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said at a press conference at the State Department following talks with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and their Japanese counterparts. "The ministers and I urge North Korea to return to the six-party talks as the best way to end nuclear programs and the only way for North Korea to achieve better relations," Miss Rice said. But North Korea said it is not ready to resume those talks and that it is no longer seeking direct meetings with Washington, according to a report carried by China's official news agency, Xinhua, which cited an unidentified North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman. Japan's foreign minister, Nobutaka Machimura, joined Miss Rice in calling for an "early and unconditional resumption" of talks with North Korea. He said there were "no prospects as to when they will return, but time is slipping by and this only worsens the situation." The Bush administration has demanded that North Korea halt development of nuclear weapons and wants the communist country to drop its opposition to resuming negotiations with China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and the United States. China has hosted three inconclusive rounds of six-nation talks since 2003. Reviving the stalled talks has taken on greater urgency since North Korea's unconfirmed declaration this month that it has successfully manufactured nuclear weapons. In a joint statement, the four officials yesterday said North Korean's nuclear program "poses a serious challenge" to international nonproliferation efforts and "represents a direct threat to the peace and stability" in Asia. Regarding China's threat to use force against Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province that must be reabsorbed by the mainland, Miss Rice said the four officials talked about their "desire for cooperative relations with China, our desire to ensure that the cross-[Taiwan] Strait issues can be resolved peacefully." In the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, a top Chinese Communist Party official met with North Korea's No. 2 leader yesterday, seeking a change of heart after Pyongyang reportedly rejected any further negotiations over its nuclear weapons program. The head of the Chinese Communist Party's international department, Wang Jiarui, who flew to Pyongyang yesterday, had a "friendly conversation" with Kim Yong Nam, the North's No. 2 official, the Korean Central News Agency said. The North Korean ambassador to the United Nations said in an interview published yesterday that his government had "burned its bridges" in the escalating nuclear standoff. Ambassador Han Sung-ryol told South Korea's JoongAng newspaper: "We have no other option but to have nuclear weapons as long as the Americans try to topple our system." http://www.washtimes.com/world/20050219-115742-4983r.htm
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New York Times February 22, 2005 North Korean Said To Be Willing To Resume Talks By Jim Yardley BEIJING, Tuesday, Feb. 22 - North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il, has told a Chinese envoy that he would be willing to resume diplomatic negotiations over his country's nuclear program, but only when "conditions are ripe," according to state media reports in China and North Korea. Mr. Kim also said North Korea would return to the talks only if the United States showed "sincerity." Mr. Kim's seemingly softer stance, if characteristically vague and open ended, was taken after North Korea jolted diplomatic efforts this month by announcing for the first time that it already possessed nuclear weapons and would not return to disarmament talks. In a meeting on Monday with a senior Chinese official dispatched to Pyongyang, Mr. Kim reportedly said North Korea remained committed to the continuing six-nation negotiations organized by China to defuse the nuclear crisis. "The D.P.R.K. has never opposed the six-party talks, nor will it withdraw from the talks," Mr. Kim said, referring to the acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. His comments, reported Tuesday morning in China's and North Korea's official media, were made in discussions with Wang Jiarui, a senior Chinese envoy. Mr. Wang also brought a personal message from President Hu Jintao emphasizing the need for a peaceful solution to the nuclear problem and a resumption of talks. The unpredictable behavior of the North has put China in a difficult position, as it remains North Korea's principal ally and economic sponsor yet also wants a nuclear-free and stable Korean peninsula. The previous rounds of the six-nation talks, for which China has been the host, have brought little tangible progress. Earlier this month, North Korea's announcement that it would not return to the talks surprised American officials. Two delegations of American lawmakers visited North Korea in January and said they believed that the country was ready to resume negotiations. Perhaps signaling that North Korea was now more amenable to returning to the table, Mr. Kim reportedly told Mr. Wang that he favored a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. "He said that the D.P.R.K. would as ever stand for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and its position to seek a peaceful solution to the issue through dialogue remains unchanged," Mr. Kim said, according to the North's official Korea Central News Agency. The official report added that North Korea "has never opposed" the six-nation talks organized by China. "We will go to the negotiating table anytime if there are mature conditions for the six-party talks," he said, adding that he hoped "the United States would show trustworthy sincerity," according to a text released by the North Korean news agency. Left unclear is what North Korea considers to be evidence of American sincerity. North Korea has repeatedly accused the United States of hostile behavior, even as the Bush administration has softened its language in recent months. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/international/asia/22talks.html?pagewanted=all
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USA Today February 22, 2005 Pg. 8 Natanz Plant In Iran Is Focus Of Nuclear Concerns U.N. team says facility is frozen, but U.S., others aren't reassured By Barbara Slavin, USA Today NATANZ URANIUM ENRICHMENT PLANT, Iran — Buried under brown mounds that blend perfectly into the craggy desert landscape, Iran's largest known nuclear facility is recognizable from the road only because it is surrounded by watchtowers and anti-aircraft batteries. Its existence was revealed to outsiders three years ago by an Iranian opposition group. The Natanz facility, about 160 miles south of Tehran, is big enough to hold 50,000 centrifuges and could produce enough uranium for 25 10- kiloton nuclear bombs a year, according to David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington think tank specializing in nuclear issues. Last year, Iran suspended construction of centrifuges under terms of an agreement with three European nations. But Natanz remains a focus of suspicion and concern because of its size and military potential. In a speech Monday in Brussels, President Bush warned Iran that it “must not develop nuclear weapons.” He said the United States would continue to favor a diplomatic approach to the issue but “no option can be taken permanently off the table” to prevent Iran from becoming the world's 10th nuclear weapons state. Iran, a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, denies any intention to make weapons and says its program is designed to make enriched uranium to fuel nuclear power plants. “We will never use such weapons; therefore, they have no utility for us,” says Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was Iran's president from 1989 to 1997 and is a favorite to get the job again in elections in June. Iran has agreed to a temporary suspension of enrichment efforts while it negotiates with three European nations — Britain, France and Germany — for increased trade ties and other concessions. Those talks, which began in December, are unlikely to make much progress before the elections. A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, conducted a routine inspection of Natanz this month. The IAEA says it has no evidence that Iran is conducting weapons work at the site. “Natanz is a frozen facility,” said Mark Gwozdecky, an IAEA spokesman in Vienna. “The inspectors' job is to ensure that the suspension is in force.” The United States and other Western governments aren't so sure about Natanz. One reason is that Iran has refused to give IAEA inspectors visas that would allow them to come and go for frequent checks on the facility. Delays in providing visas to IAEA inspectors could give Iran time to scrub facilities suspected of carrying on nuclear work. Western officials worry that Iran can continue to perfect its centrifuge technology even under the eye of the inspectors. “Even with intrusive IAEA inspections at Natanz, there is a serious risk that Iran could use its enrichment technology in covert activities,” George Tenet, then-CIA director, told Congress in March. Iran failed last year to get European agreement to be able to continue work on a project for 20 centrifuges at Natanz. In addition, IAEA officials say Iran recently upgraded 164 centrifuges at Natanz and described the operation as routine maintenance, according to the Associated Press. Albright says it is possible Iran has other facilities where it continues centrifuge work. There is broad public discontent with Iran's Islamic government, but little or no popular sentiment against the country's nuclear development program. “Iran should have nuclear knowledge but not the bomb,” says Hossein Ibrahim, a clerk in a hardware store in Tehran. He, like many other Iranians interviewed here, says Iran needs the capability for nuclear energy andto deter enemies from attacking. Hossein Moussavian, a top negotiator with the Europeans on the nuclear issue, says Iran “already has achieved the capability and know-how for all enrichment processes.” It needs enrichment capability to ensure it can supply fuel for a power reactor nearing completion at Bushehr and 20 others it would like to construct, he says. After Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979, Germany halted work on the Bushehr reactor, despite the fact Iran had paid billions for it. As a result, “we have to diversify (uranium) sources,” Moussavian says. “We have had a very bad experience with Europe. … No one can guarantee this would not happen again.” Moussavian says Iran will guarantee it is not making weapons. It is willing to remain a member of the non- proliferation treaty and give the IAEA access to all nuclear sites, he says. In return, he says, Iran wants an end to its isolation by Europe and “full engagement” in political, security, economic and technological fields. “If we have 100 billion euros in European investment in Iran, and if we have Iranian investment in Europe, Iran would never even think to divert the nuclear enrichment because the damage would be huge for Iran,” he says. The Bush administration has supported the European efforts but refuses to take part directly. Philip Gordon, an expert on Europe at the Brookings Institution in Washington, describes the U.S. policy as one of “malevolent neglect.” By not joining the talks, he says, the administration can say “I told you so” if they fail. The Europeans, he says, will say “the reason they failed is because the United States did not join us.” Geoffrey Kemp, an Iran specialist at the Nixon Center, a foreign policy think tank, says U.S. ambivalence will be exploited by the Iranians. Unless the United States and Europe work together, Iran will be able to wring concessions from the Europeans — and continue developing nuclear arms, he says. “Without a combined approach with the Europeans, the Iranians will drive a truck between the two sides and come out a winner.” Kemp says the United States should make clear what it is prepared to give Iran in return for indefinite suspension of Iran's enrichment program. Possible carrots for Iran from the United States: help joining the World Trade Organization; the sale of spare parts for Iran's decrepit fleet of Boeing airliners; and the unfreezing of Iranian assets held in the USA. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02-21-natanz-iran_x.htm?csp=34
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Jane’s Terrorism & Security Monitor 22 February 2005 G7 to establish germ warfare crisis centre Thomas Ország-Land The governments of the world's richest countries have agreed to establish an international germ warfare crisis centre and vaccine bank as a matter of top priority. The centre, which will be set up in Ottawa, Canada, will collaborate closely with the United Nations' World Health Organization (WHO) in efforts to ward off the threat of mass infections. Whether they occur naturally or are introduced deliberately by bio-terrorists, they could spread very fast in unprepared populations and claim millions of victims. In Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, some of the world's most advanced germ warfare establishments, which were built by the Soviets, are also collaborating with Western scientists in a widening programme to defuse the threat of bio- terror attacks. The Soviets are believed to have utilised as many as 50 biological agents in their weapons programme, genetically engineering some of them to be resistant to antibiotics. Soviet Cold War secrets are now being used in the development of defences against biological weapons of mass destruction. Nevertheless, Tommy Thompson, the United States Secretary of Health, admits that "despite our best efforts, we must concede that the terrorists can still hit any of us at any time". He said the decision to establish the germ warfare crisis centre was made after a recent Paris conference of the health ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized countries (G7). Philippe Douste-Blazy, the French Minister of Health, said: "A biological terror attack is not a virtual threat. It is a real threat." British Health Secretary John Reid added: "The price of security is eternal vigilance, intelligence, surveillance, awareness and preparations to respond to such attacks." The ministers previously met in London and Ottawa since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington to consider joint defences against bio-terror attacks on major population centres. The countries involved in the programme are the G7 (Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US) plus the European Union as a whole and Mexico. Russia - whose participation would make the group the G8 - has expressed no interest in the programme, perhaps because of the vast Cold War germ warfare facilities and expertise that it has inherited from the Soviets. By contrast, the US Homeland Security Department decided on 26 January to go ahead with the creation of its long proposed $130-million National Bio-defence Analysis and Counter-measures Centre in Maryland to deal with current and future germ warfare threats. 400 of 1,531 words [End of non-subscriber extract.] The full version of this article is accessible through our subscription services. Please refer to the box below for details. http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jtsm/jtsm050222_1_n.shtml
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