~N~A_T~U_R=E_v_o~L_._3_37_2_6_J_A_N~U_A_R_Y_I_9_89______NEVVS------2_99 West Germany admits it knew Another blow of Libyan chemical plant for creationism Paris factory. But he defended the govern in California MoRE evidence emerged last week that ment's silence, saying that customs invest West German companies have been invol igations of one company, Imhausen Berkeley ved in the construction of an alleged Chemie GmbH, had failed to produce THE California Board of Education has chemical arms plant at Rabta, Libya, sufficient evidence for a prosecution. passed a policy statement on the teaching bringing a vigorous attack in the West Last July, West German customs offi of science aimed at strengthening the German Bundestag (parliament) on 18 cials were warned by foreign intelligence message that evolution, not creationism, January of the federal government's agencies that a Frankfurt-based company, belongs in the science classroom. The handling of the affair. Ihsan Barbouti International (IBI), was statement supersedes a vague "antidog Chancellor Helmut Kohl was accused of suspected of engineering an illegal supply matism policy" which often left teachers damaging West Germany's relationship route to divert construction materials and uncertain about how strongly they should with the United States, bringing shame chemicals to Libya. But it is only this year stress evolution. upon the Bundestag, prolonging the that documents seized from IBI offices The antidogmatism statement, adopted threat of chemical arms and covering up have confirmed the clandestine opera in 1972 when Ronald Reagan was gov the involvement of West German com- tions. The company is now in liquidation. ernor, was a brief directive oli the discus IBI, set up by Iraqi businessman Ihsan sion of "origins of life and earth", that Barbouti, used a Hong Kong company required that "dogmatism be changed to that was also linked with Imhausen conditional statements where speculation Chemie to obtain legitimate export licen is offered as explanation for origins". Cali ces. But cargoes that included architectural fornia creationists, including members of plans from Imhausen-Chemie and venti the Institute for Creation Research in San lation equipment and dichloroethane Diego, have used the statement in their from two other German suppliers were efforts to water down the teaching of diverted to Libya. evolution in California classrooms. panies in their manufacture. Legal action is now being taken against In 1981, a Superior Court judge decided For seven months, Kohl's government IBI for falsification of export documents. against creationists in a case challenging had shrugged off increasingly noisy US But it is still uncertain whether the sup the teaching of evolution as dogmatic. His claims that Libya was building a chemical pliers, including Imhausen-Chemie, decision affirmed that teaching of the arms factory, and that West German Merck and Alfred Tewes GmbH, actually scientific method is by definition not dog companies were involved (see Nature 337, broke the law. matic, and that teaching of creation in 199; 19 January 1989). But last week Despite tighter controls, the volume of public schools constitutes religious instruc Chancellery chief Wolfgang Schauble export trade - about 2.5 million ship tion, and is therefore constitutional. admitted to the Bundestag that both alle ments a month from West Germany But he upheld the antidogmatism policy gations were justified. makes it impossible to halt illegal trading as the ruler against which science educa Schauble confirmed that the govern completely. Now other governments are tion was to be measured. Scientists and ment had been aware since May 1988 of looking to see if they can point an teachers complained that the policy singled the possible involvement of West German untainted finger at West Germany. out the theory of evolution as somehow companies in building and supplying the Peter Coles little more than conjecture, ignoring the true definition of a scientific theory and the fact that all science is based on theories that Japan denies involvement in Libya have stood the test of time. Many teachers, Tokyo on chemical warfare. The Ministry of they said, felt compelled by the policy to JAPAN's Foreign Ministry has firmly International Trade and Industry (MITI) couch their discussions of evolution in denied a US claim that two Japanese has since had time to investigate the speculative terms. companies provided Libya with equip allegations and found them to be untrue. The new policy statement carefully ment for a chemical weapons plant. According to a MITI spokesman, a defines theories as tools of science, differ According to the spokesman, Yoshifumi close watch is kept on products that might ent from beliefs because they are logical Matsuda, the disputed "metallurgical be used to build chemical weapons, and constructs based on evidence, and subject complex" built in Libya by Japan Steel the export of nine key chemicals from to testing, modification and refutation. Works was designed to produce parts for a Japan is prohibited without special licence. Beliefs, it implies, are closer to dogma, as water purification plant, not shells for Alun Anderson they are based on ideology and not subject chemical weapons as had been claimed. to test. A spokesman for the education Allegations about Japan Steel Works board says that by requiring science and another company, Marubeni, hit the AIDS test law teachers to teach only what falls within the Japanese headlines last week after US BuLGARIA has introduced tough new definition of science, and directing Senator Jesse Helms included their names legislation aimed at halting the spread of administrators to support teachers in their in a list of 36 companies, most of them AIDS. Unlike other socialist countries, resistance against pressure to do otherwise, West German, which he submitted to the where anti-AIDS legislation concentrates the statement's drafters hope that it will Senate Foreign Relations Committee. All on curbing the sexual activity of people provide firm support for science teachers were alleged to have had links to the known to be HIV-positive, the Bulgarian who are put under pressure to teach crea Libyan plant. law concentrates on compulsory testing tion in their classes. But Matsuda says that Senator Helms's and treatment. Heavy fines will be imposed The board is also planning to reject list is based only on newspaper articles. In on those who refuse tests, and also "persons for use in California classrooms textbooks December, the Christian Science Monitor who do not fulfil their official duties in the that do not deal adequately with evolution. mentioned Japan Steel Works in an article fight against AIDS". V.R. Marcia Barinaga