With California Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger at his side, U.S. President George W. Bush spoke yesterday on the war on terrorism (AFP/Getty). Bush Reaffirms Pre-Emptive Doctrine By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday reaffirmed his administration’s doctrine of pre-emptive military action against terrorist organizations and those states that support them, calling the war on terrorism a “new kind of war” (see GSN, Oct. 9)...Full Story

New Plan Would Trade Nuclear Technology for Iranian Transparency France, Germany and the United Kingdom could help Iran develop civilian nuclear technology if Tehran proves to the international community that it is not developing nuclear weapons, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, Oct. 16)...Full Story

Experts Question Threat Posed by Recovered Iraqi Botulinum Sample Experts have said that a sample of botulinum recently discovered in Iraq was purchased legally from a U.S. center in the 1980s and consisted of a material that has never been successfully weaponized, the Los Angeles Times reported today (see GSN, Oct. 16)...Full Story

International Agreement to Aid Russian Nuclear Cleanup Could Compound U.S.-Russian Liability Dispute By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The Russian Duma’s apparently imminent ratification of a new agreement could further complicate an ongoing U.S.-Russian legal dispute, potentially damaging international efforts to secure dangerous Russian nuclear weapons materials, according to officials and experts interviewed in recent weeks (see GSN, Sept. 22)...Full Story

	Friday, October 17, 2003

Al-Qaeda Could Attack British Chemical Industry, Food Supply The head of the British MI5 intelligence service said yesterday that al-Qaeda could be planning to conduct attacks against the British food supply or chemical industry, according to the London Independent (see GSN, Aug. 12). New targets for possible al-Qaeda attacks in the United Kingdom include “the chemical and food industry,” MI5 Director General Eliza Manningham-Buller said. Supermarkets and food manufacturers are considered to be “soft” targets for possible attacks using toxins to contaminate products because they are almost impossible to guard all the time, according to the Independent. Chemical manufacturers are also believed to be potential targets because of the large amount of available information on how to make bombs and poisons from basic ingredients. Manningham-Buller warned that the United Kingdom will be at risk of future al-Qaeda attacks for at least the next five years. “I see no prospect of a significant reduction in the threat posed to the U.K. and its interests from Islamist terrorism over the next five years, and I fear for a considerable number of years thereafter,” she said (Jason Bennetto, London Independent, Oct. 17). Back to top       Canada Creates New Intelligence Center Canada has created a new intelligence center to help improve defenses against terrorist attacks, Canadian Solicitor-General Wayne Easter said yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 9). The Integrated National Security Assessment Center (INSAC) will involve officials from a number of agencies, including foreign affairs, defense and law enforcement, according to the Toronto Star. The purpose of the center is to provide “timely” intelligence reports to federal, provincial and local agencies to “improve warning, response and incident mitigation capabilities,” according to a government document.  “This new center brings an integrated approach to intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination. And this of course permits us to improve our level of readiness,” Easter said (Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, Oct. 17). Back to top

Bush Reaffirms Pre-Emptive Doctrine By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday reaffirmed his administration’s doctrine of pre-emptive military action against terrorist organizations and those states that support them, calling the war on terrorism a “new kind of war” (see GSN, Oct. 9). “In this new kind of war, America is following a new strategy. We are not waiting for further attacks.  We are striking our enemies before they can strike us again,” Bush said during a California speech with Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger at his side. “Wars are won on the offensive, and America and our friends are staying on the offensive. We’re rolling back the terrorist threat — not on the fringes of its influence, but at the heart of its power,” he said. During his speech, Bush cited the threat posed by former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein as one that required such pre-emptive action. “I acted because I was not about to leave the security of the American people in the hands of a madman. I was not about to stand by and wait and trust in the sanity and restraint of Saddam Hussein,” Bush said. As evidence of that threat, Bush noted the progress made so far in the search for alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Since the end of Hussein’s regime, U.S. forces in Iraq “have found evidence of a clandestine network of biological laboratories, advanced design work on prohibited longer-range missiles and an elaborate campaign to hide illegal programs,” Bush said (see related GSN story, today). “It is undeniable that Saddam Hussein was a deceiver and a danger. The Security Council was right to demand that Saddam Hussein disarm, and America was right to enforce that demand,” Bush said. Bush also seemed to criticize those who opposed the war against Iraq, noting Hussein’s past use of chemical weapons against the Iraqi population and the grotesque human rights violations of his regime. “There is only one decent and humane reaction to the fall of Saddam Hussein — good riddance,” he said. Last week, Bush made similar remarks on Operation Iraqi Freedom during a speech at the 2003 Republican National Committee presidential gala in Washington as part of White House efforts to counter criticism of the war and of efforts to rebuild Iraq. Over the past two weeks, similar speeches have also been given by a number of senior Bush administration officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. In his remarks yesterday, Bush linked the U.S. military successes in Iraq and in Afghanistan to progress in the greater war on terrorism. He also warned, however, that terrorist groups still threaten the United States. “America must never forget the lessons of September the 11th. America cannot retreat from our responsibilities and hope for the best,” Bush said. “Our security will not be gained by timid measures. Our security requires constant vigilance and decisive action. I believe America has only one option — we will fight this war against terror until it is won,” he said. Back to top       International Agreement to Aid Russian Nuclear Cleanup Could Compound U.S.-Russian Liability Dispute By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The Russian Duma’s apparently imminent ratification of a new agreement could further complicate an ongoing U.S.-Russian legal dispute, potentially damaging international efforts to secure dangerous Russian nuclear weapons materials, according to officials and experts interviewed in recent weeks (see GSN, Sept. 22). Amid U.S.-Russian disagreement over liability protections in nuclear threat reduction measures, Russian ratification of the Framework Agreement on a Multilateral Nuclear Environmental Program in the Russian Federation (MNEPR) could presage a renegotiation of the 1992 Cooperative Threat Reduction umbrella agreement, a process that would be characterized by an “intense debate” over liability issues, Duma Defense Committee adviser Alexander Pikayev said. The disagreement, which centers on how to assign legal liability for injuries and damages arising from activities carried out under threat reduction agreements, has led to the termination of two U.S.-Russian programs ― the Plutonium Science and Technology agreement (see GSN, July 25) and the Nuclear Cities Initiative agreement (see GSN, Sept. 19) ― in the past three months. The United States has been seeking to establish liability provisions such as those contained in the 1992 umbrella agreement as a standard for all such programs. Unlike under several related agreements, Russia could be liable under the umbrella agreement for damages or injuries resulting from planned attacks. Washington says it is seeking to protect its officials and contractors against court claims, while Russian officials have called the U.S.-favored language unreasonable. In a telephone interview earlier this month from Moscow, Pikayev stressed that, in any case, Russia lacks the financial wherewithal to meaningfully accept broad liability. “If Russia could pay for the liability in full, what is the reason to accept international assistance?” asked the Duma adviser, who also leads nonproliferation studies at Russia’s Institute of World Economy and International Relations and at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Carnegie Moscow Center. In May, as the dispute came to a head, Russia, the United States, nine European Union countries and Norway, as well as the European Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, signed the MNEPR agreement in Stockholm. The program is expected to focus on cleaning up nuclear material in northwestern Russia, including spent fuel from 109 decommissioned nuclear submarines (see GSN, May 22). Then-Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh called the signing “an historic event for our children and our grandchildren,” but the parties left the sticky question of liability out of the framework agreement, drawing up a separate Protocol on Claims, Legal Proceedings and Indemnification, which was signed by all parties except the United States, with the expectation that a separate U.S.-Russian deal would be reached later. U.S., European and Russian sources generally agreed that the Duma is likely to ratify MNEPR during its current session, despite a tight schedule leading up to legislative elections slated for December. Under the terms of the agreement, MNEPR will enter into force when Russia and one other signatory deposit instruments of ratification at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or with the Russian government; since Sweden has already deposited its ratification, Duma ratification would pave the way for a quick entry into force. Opinions varied about whether the move could make it more difficult to garner support later for U.S.-favored measures. “CTR is not dead,” said Pikayev, but “if MNEPR is ratified, a precedent would be established that liability would have to be shared … and it would be in conflict with the relevant provision of the CTR agreement.” The U.S. State Department Nonproliferation Bureau’s Jeff Miller, who will represent the United States at MNEPR talks next week in Moscow, took a different view. “We welcome ratification of the MNEPR,” Miller told Global Security Newswire yesterday, “because it would allow our European friends to begin to implement ratification of the agreement in earnest.” “We don’t consider it [MNEPR] to be a precedent for future agreements between Russia and the United States,” he added, acknowledging it is “certainly possible” Russia could view it as such. Carnegie Endowment Senior Associate Rose Gottemoeller concurred that Duma ratification of MNEPR will not necessarily bode ill for other measures. “It’s not an either-or, and that’s well-recognized within both the Russian government and in some parts of the Duma as well,” Gottemoeller said in an interview last week. Dispute Could Imperil Financing But May Not Impede U.S. Ratification The liability dispute appears to be hampering MNEPR financing mechanisms. The United States ― “primarily because of our liability concerns,” said Miller ― has not contributed to a narrowly targeted European Bank for Reconstruction and Development fund that has received more than $10 million each from European MNEPR parties. It is unclear whether the liability dispute will also affect progress toward a more broadly applicable MNEPR fund envisioned under the framework agreement, he added. “One of the reasons we’ve bifurcated the issue of liability is because we want our European allies to be able to move forward where we could not,” Miller said. At the same time, a relatively early U.S. ratification of MNEPR appears possible, despite the need for Washington to work out liability arrangements with Moscow in the context of the agreement. U.S. officials have said they consider CTR umbrella agreement liability language to apply to threat reduction activities in Russia that do not have specific liability provisions attached, and Miller said the United States could deposit its ratification even in the absence of U.S.-Russian agreement on liability under MNEPR. He added that, in a departure from the norm, the U.S. Senate does not have to approve MNEPR ratification. “It was determined a while ago that we don’t need to seek Senate advice and consent on the MNEPR. We only need to report to the Senate that we have signed the MNEPR” before depositing an instrument of ratification at the OECD, Miller said. Referring to the bureaucratic procedures required in such cases, Miller added, “We shouldn’t have difficulty getting the authority to deposit the instrument. It’s just that we haven’t done that yet. I can’t really give you a reason that we haven’t done it. … In terms of our relationships with our European allies, at least, on this issue, the most important thing was signing the agreement in May in Stockholm.” Back to top       Proliferation Security Initiative Holds Mediterranean Naval Exercise Military units from 11 countries are holding a three-day nonproliferation exercise in the western Mediterranean Sea this week, European Stars and Stripes reported (see GSN, Oct. 16). The Spanish-led exercise, named Sanso 2003, is part of the Proliferation Security Initiative — designed to intercept the transfer of WMD-related materials. Military personnel practiced boarding ships and searching for smuggled WMD stocks, according to Stars and Stripes. Spanish Capt. Ramon Marquez Montero said the exercise is designed to enhance the cooperation between allies. The United Kingdom, the United States, France, Portugal and Spain contributed ships and planes to the exercise. Japan, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Australia are also part of the PSI effort (Scott Schonauer, European Stars and Stripes, Oct. 16). Back to top       U.S. Attorney General Cites Progress in CIA Leak Investigation By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said yesterday that progress is being made in the investigation into the leak of the identity of a CIA operative (see GSN, Oct. 16). “I believe that we have been making progress that’s valuable in this matter. And we will devote every energy that’s available, and every resource that’s available at the highest level of intensity … and at the level most likely to serve the national interest to reach the bottom of this,” Ashcroft said during a press conference. The U.S. Justice Department is currently investigating the leak of the identity and CIA status of the wife of former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who this summer publicly criticized evidence offered by the White House to justify war with Iraq. While the White House has repeatedly pledged to fully cooperate with the investigation, Bush suggested last week that those responsible for the leak may never be found (see GSN, Oct. 8). “This town is a town full of people who like to leak information.  And I don’t know if we’re going to find out the ‘senior administration official.’ Now, this is a large administration, and there’s a lot of senior officials,” Bush said Oct. 7. Ashcroft’s role in the leak investigation has come under criticism by congressional Democrats, who have repeatedly called for the attorney general to recuse himself because of possible conflicts of interests and for the appointment of a special counsel. While defending Justice’s handling of the investigation yesterday, Ashcroft would not rule out that a special counsel might be appointed to oversee the investigation. “I have not foreclosed any options in this matter,” he said. Ashcroft also said yesterday that he has not ruled out issuing subpoenas to journalists in an effort to find out who the leakers were.  Wilson’s wife’s identity was made public in a column by Robert Novak — a column that appeared soon after Wilson made public his criticism of White House intelligence on Iraq’s nuclear efforts in a column in the New York Times. In late September, the Washington Post reported that shortly before Novak’s column was published, two senior White House officials called at least six reporters based in Washington and told them the name and occupation of Wilson’s wife. Ashcroft suggested that the media’s long-standing reluctance to identify sources might be hindering the leak investigation. “There are only two people who usually know … about a leak. That’s the person who leaks, and another class of individuals, the names of whom may not be specifically mentionable here … but their profession is well represented in this room,” Ashcroft said during the press conference. Last week, Bush also suggested that the media has a role to play in the success of the investigation. “I have no idea whether we’ll find out who the leaker is, partially because, in all due respect to your profession, you do a very good job of protecting the leakers,” Bush told assembled reporters during the Oct. 7 press conference. Back to top

New Plan Would Trade Nuclear Technology for Iranian Transparency France, Germany and the United Kingdom could help Iran develop civilian nuclear technology if Tehran proves to the international community that it is not developing nuclear weapons, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, Oct. 16). Diplomats from the three nations met with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei during his visit this week to Tehran, according to a Western diplomatic source. If Tehran accepts IAEA demands for nuclear transparency, the three countries “may favorably consider the possibility of supplying (Iran) with technology, even nuclear technology, as well as nuclear fuel,” the source said (Agence France-Presse, Oct. 17). ElBaradei confirmed yesterday that Iran was talking over the potential deal with European envoys. The three European countries reportedly designed the proposal to defuse the current nuclear standoff. “There are discussions between Iran and some of the European countries to try to see whether, to defuse the security concern, Iran might get assurance of supply, might get nuclear technology for electricity generation without having to do the fuel cycle itself,” ElBaradei said. He described the proposal as a “win-win situation.” Iranian officials reportedly told ElBaradei that they will answer all questions about their nuclear development, reveal where they had bought nuclear equipment, and sign the Additional Protocol to Iran’s nuclear safeguards agreement to allow unannounced inspections of nuclear activities (Dan De Luce, London Guardian, Oct. 17). Iranian President Mohammad Khatami reaffirmed today that Iran will not build a nuclear weapon (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Oct. 17). Back to top       South Korea Not Worried by North’s Nuclear Test Threat South Korea today brushed off suggestions that North Korea might test a nuclear weapon, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 17). “This is another bargaining chip for negotiations to get the upper hand at the next round of six-way talks,” said South Korean National Security Adviser Ra Jong-yil. North Korea yesterday said that “when an appropriate time comes, the D.P.R.K. will take a measure to open its nuclear deterrent to the public as a physical force and then there will be no need to have any more argument.” Another member of South Korea’s National Security Council called for restraint. “If we overreact, we will be playing into their hands,” the official said. Talks in Pyongyang between North and South Korean diplomats have been stalled since Wednesday over differences on a final statement, according to AFP. The two countries have reportedly agreed to meet early next year. During a Thursday dinner, South Korean Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun repeated his call for a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear crisis. “Hand-shaking is impossible with a clenched fist,” Jeong said (Charles Whelan, Agence France-Presse, Oct. 17). The North-South talks concluded today without progress on the nuclear issue. The two sides issued a brief statement that said the negotiations had included “sincere discussion” (Agence France-Presse I, Oct. 17). U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell also reacted cautiously to the North Korean nuclear announcement. “They have said things like this before,” Powell said. “I just don’t know if they mean it,” he added (Sang-hun Choe, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Oct. 17). A senior Russian official called on North Korea to avoid inflammatory language. “The continuation of six-way talks is the best way to seek a peaceful resolution through negotiations and we expect the interested parties, including the United States and North Korea, to take additional steps towards each other,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yury Fedotov said. “In this situation, it is very important to desist from statements and actions which would complicate the negotiated resolution of the problem,” he added (Agence France-Presse II, Oct. 17). Back to top       IAEA Director General Calls for New Nuclear Nonproliferation Effort International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei yesterday called for a new approach toward preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons (see GSN, Oct. 7). In a commentary published in The Economist, ElBaradei warned that the present nuclear nonproliferation regime, based on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, “is looking battered.” For example, in 1970 when the treaty took effect, relatively few countries possessed the necessary knowledge to develop nuclear weapons, he said. Currently, however, as many as 40 countries may possess such knowledge, resulting in the “margin of security” provided by the current regime “becoming too slim for comfort.” The increased threat posed by terrorism has helped to remove a key argument in favor of developing nuclear weapons — their deterrence value, according to ElBaradei. “A nuclear deterrent is clearly ineffective against such groups; they have no cities that can be bombed in reply, nor are they focused on self-preservation,” ElBaradei wrote. ElBaradei proposed a three-part approach toward developing a new and more effective nuclear nonproliferation regime. One component would be to limit the production weapons-usable nuclear materials in civilian nuclear programs by restricting such activities to facilities under multinational control, he said. ElBaradei also called for deploying proliferation-resistant nuclear technologies in civilian nuclear programs and for converting facilities that now use highly enriched uranium in applications such as the production of medical isotopes to the use of low enriched uranium (see GSN, Oct. 6). In addition, ElBaradei also proposed the development of multinational approaches to the management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes. “These initiatives would not simply add more nonproliferation controls, to limit access to weapon-usable nuclear material; they would also provide access to the benefits of nuclear technology for more people in more countries,” he wrote. ElBaradei said the efforts to develop a new nuclear nonproliferation regime should be “inclusive,” involving nuclear weapons states, non-nuclear weapons states and those outside the current regime. Such discussions should also “naturally” include agreement on a program and timetable for nuclear disarmament, he said. Any new regime should also be considered as “a peremptory norm” of international law, with countries unable to withdraw, according to ElBaradei. “In short, it should be enduring,” he wrote (International Atomic Energy Agency release, Oct. 16). Back to top

Experts Question Threat Posed by Recovered Iraqi Botulinum Sample Experts have said that a sample of botulinum recently discovered in Iraq was purchased legally from a U.S. center in the 1980s and consisted of a material that has never been successfully weaponized, the Los Angeles Times reported today (see GSN, Oct. 16). Chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq David Kay listed the find of a vial of C. botulinum Okra B earlier this month in an interim report on the progress made in the search for alleged weapons of mass destruction in Iraq (see GSN, Oct. 3). Soon after Kay’s report, U.S. President George W. Bush and other senior administration officials highlighted the sample as proof that Iraq maintained a biological weapons program prior to the war, the Times reported. According to the Times, the botulinum sample appears to have been produced by the American Type Culture Collection, a nonprofit biological resource center. The center legally exported biological material to Iraq in the 1980s with U.S. Commerce Department approval, the Times reported.  Nancy Wysocki, a spokeswoman for the resource center, said it was unknown if the culture collection had exported the vial of botulinum found in Iraq. She said, however, that all biological exports to Iraq during the 1980s had been approved by Commerce. “Iraq was not an embargoed country in the 1980s,” Wysocki said. While Kay said in his report that a “biological agent” could be produced from the recovered sample, experts have disputed that claim, according to the Times. Former chief U.N. biological weapons inspector David Franz said there is no evidence that Iraq, or any other country, had successfully weaponized botulinum B. “The Soviets dropped it (as a goal) and so did we, because we couldn’t get it working as a weapon,” Franz said. Former U.N. weapons inspector Raymond Zilinskas said that botulinum B dispersed quickly in the air, making it ineffective for use as an airborne agent for weapons purposes. “From the weapons side, it’s not something to be concerned about,” said Zilinskas, now director of the Monterey Institute’s chemical and biological weapons nonproliferation program. A U.S. official who has consulted with government experts said Kay “didn’t oversell” the significance of the recovered sample. “He stated a simple fact. What Dr. Kay said was botulinum B can be used to produce a biological agent,” the official said. “Can that agent be used to produce a biological weapon? You bet,” the official added (Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 17). Back to top

Anniston Army Depot Plans Daytime Chemical Weapons Burns The U.S. Army received permission from the Defense Department Wednesday to begin daytime incineration of its chemical weapons stockpile at the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama (see GSN, Oct. 15). Depot officials had been slowing chemical destruction operations during school hours, but schools in surrounding communities have now been fitted with special filters and pressurized rooms in case of an emergency, Alabama’s Birmingham News reported. “We feel comfortable with what’s been done by the Army, and they have met their commitment,” said Jacky Sparks, superintendent of the Calhoun County School System. Schools have also been holding drills on how to react in the case of a chemical release. The daytime burns had been delayed at the request of Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). Until now, the Army had drained chemical munitions during the day and incinerated material at night and on weekends. The Army wants to burn on an accelerated schedule to prove to regulators that the depot can safely handle a full-load of weapons. “We can’t deliver as many rockets as we need — safely and efficiently — with just an hour or two of daylight in the afternoon,” said Army spokesman Mike Abrams. “We can’t demonstrate the capacity of the system burning just at night, delivering on weekends,” he added (Katherine Bouma, Alabama’s Birmingham News, Oct. 16). A recently released National Research Council report — sponsored by the Army — supported Army plans to speed the destruction of chemical-filled M55 rockets. “Because there is a small chance that stored sarin- and VX-filled rockets might self-ignite at any time and release toxic agents and metals, these rockets need to be destroyed as soon as possible,” said James Mathis, a retired Exxon engineer and the chairman of the committee that wrote the report. The report said the Anniston facility should be able to destroy the chemical weapons faster than the 1.6 per hour rate at a military incinerator in Tooele, Utah. The committee warned of destroying 34 per hour, which the Army accomplished while burning non-lethal agents. Depot officials said they are hoping to destroy about 14 per hour. “There are concerns and sensitivities and we are aware of those, and we believe the schedule we have can accommodate that,” Abrams said (Mary Orndorff, Birmingham News, Oct. 16). Back to top       U.S. Army Considering Alternatives for Treating VX Neutralization Byproduct The U.S. Army is considering alternative disposal methods for a major byproduct of chemical weapons destruction at the Newport Chemical Depot in Indiana, the Indianapolis Tribune-Star reported yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 14). A Dayton, Ohio, waste treatment facility had originally been selected to dispose of the hydrolysate byproduct, but that plan was dropped this week in the face of local opposition. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of hydrolysate are expected to be created when the Army begins neutralizing its VX nerve agent stocks at Newport. The Army still supports treating the hydrolysate off-site, said Col. Jesse Barber, a project manager at the Army Chemical Materials Agency. The Army is examining shipping the byproduct to other waste treatment facilities, he said. One option being considered if the hydrolysate cannot be immediately removed off-site for treatment is the construction of a tank farm at the depot, said Army site project manager Jeff Brubaker. Contractors are expected to send proposals for installing such equipment to Parsons Engineering, the Newport depot’s lead contractor, by Oct. 24, Brubaker said. Another option is on-site treatment of the hydrolysate by “supercritical water oxidation,” he said. A plan of action for the neutralization of VX stockpiles at the Newport depot is expected to be announced before the end of next month, the Tribune-Star reported (Patricia Pastore, Indianapolis Tribune-Star, Oct. 16). Back to top       Czech Republic to Help Fund Russian Chemical Weapons Disposal Facility Project The Czech Republic has agreed to help fund a British Defense Ministry-led project to construct an electricity substation at the Russian Shchuchye chemical weapons disposal facility, 4NI.com reported yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 19). According to 4NI.com, the Czech Republic has agreed to provide more than $75,000 to help construct the substation. The United Kingdom completed a project earlier this year to build a water supply for the Russian facility. British Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram praised the Czech contribution, calling on other countries to follow suit. “Such arrangements with other donors are already in place and we would welcome further commitments to help bring the chemical weapons destruction facility at Shchuchye into operation at an early date,” Ingram said (4NI.com, Oct. 16). Back to top

North Korea Has 800 Midrange Ballistic Missiles, U.S. General Says The head of U.S. forces in South Korea yesterday warned that North Korea has hundreds of missiles capable of hitting targets beyond South Korea, expanding the threat posed by Pyongyang’s nuclear program (see GSN, Oct. 14). “A nuclear-capable North Korea is a threat to not only Korea but also neighbors. (It has) 800 missiles that can reach many places outside Korea,” U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Leon LaPorte said. “North Korea is a very, very credible threat,” he said (Korea Herald, Oct. 17). Back to top

Army Activates Missile Defense Control Brigade The U.S. Army yesterday activated the 90-soldier Ground-based Midcourse Defense Brigade to provide command and control for the national missile defense system that is scheduled to debut in September 2004 (see GSN, Oct. 10). The soldiers — a mix of active-duty and National Guard personnel — will operate out of Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado and sites in Colorado Springs, the Denver Post reported today. “What happens in Colorado, this is the command and control hub, working with Northern Command and Strategic Command in Omaha. This is the central nerve center for the midcourse defense system,” said Lt. Gen. Joseph Cosumano, commander of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command. In the event of an attack, the soldiers in Colorado would relay information on incoming threats to missile operators in Alaska and California. Despite numerous technological setbacks and intense criticism, missile defense officials were optimistic on the future of the program. “It will work,” said Missile Defense Agency spokesman Rick Lehner. “There’s no doubt about that, it will work. We know from the successful intercepts we have that it can be done. It’s more a matter of engineering now than it is of science,” he added (Erin Emery, Denver Post, Oct. 17). Back to top

Suspected Al-Qaeda Operative Tried to Obtain Radioactive Material A suspected al-Qaeda operative tried to acquire radioactive materials in Canada last year for use in a “dirty bomb,” the Washington Times reported today (see GSN, June 3). The CIA and FBI are currently searching for Adnan El Shukrijumah in connection with the suspected dirty bomb plot, according to the Times. El Shukrijumah was detected last year in Hamilton, Ontario, posing as a student at McMaster University, according to an FBI informant. The university is home to a five-megawatt nuclear research reactor and U.S. officials believe that El Shukrijumah was in Hamilton to obtain radioactive material, the Times reported. El Shukrijumah is a key North American al-Qaeda operative because of his knowledge of the United States and his ability to speak English, a U.S. official said (Bill Gertz, Washington Times, Oct. 17).   Back to top

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