U.S. President George W. Bush today nominated House intelligence committee Chairman Porter Goss (R-Fla.) as CIA director (AFP photo/Brendan Smialowski). Bush Nominates Representative Goss as CIA Chief By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — U.S. President George W. Bush today nominated Representative Porter Goss (R-Fla.), head of the House intelligence committee, as the next CIA director (see GSN, July 12)...Full Story

Iran Uranium Traces Probably Came From Pakistan, U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Inspectors Say Inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency believe that traces of highly enriched uranium found in Iran likely came from Pakistan, Jane’s Defense Weekly reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 9)...Full Story

Greenland Given No Veto in Missile Defense Deal By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — An agreement signed between the United States, Denmark and its territory Greenland last week to allow a radar upgrade for the U.S. national missile defense system gave Greenland no veto over future upgrades, such as installing a missile interceptor base on the island (see GSN, Aug. 9)...Full Story

	Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Bush Nominates Representative Goss as CIA Chief By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — U.S. President George W. Bush today nominated Representative Porter Goss (R-Fla.), head of the House intelligence committee, as the next CIA director (see GSN, July 12). “Porter Goss is a leader with strong experience in intelligence and in the fight against terrorism. He knows the CIA inside and out.  He’s the right man to lead this important agency at this critical moment in our nation’s history,” Bush said during a brief press conference in the White House Rose Garden. Appearing with Bush, Goss said that he was “obviously deeply honored and … extremely grateful.” Prior to his election to the House of Representatives in 1988, Goss was a former U.S. Army intelligence officer and served 10 years in the CIA Clandestine Service with postings in Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe. Goss was named chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in 1997. Other names that were publicly suggested as possible choices to head the CIA included Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and former Senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga.). Bush’s selection of Goss as the next head of the CIA comes as the White House and Congress move forward on intelligence reform measures prompted by the Sept. 11 commission. The intelligence reform debate has largely focused on two proposals put forth by the commission to change the structure of the U.S. intelligence community — the creation of a national director of intelligence to oversee the various intelligence agencies, including the CIA; and the creation of a national counterterrorism center (see GSN, Aug. 9). “In over 15 years of service, Porter Goss has built a reputation as a reformer. He’ll be a reformer at the Central Intelligence Agency,” Bush said. “I look forward to his counsel and his judgments as to how best to implement broader intel reform, including the recommendations of the 9/11 commission,” he added. Intelligence experts today praised the choice, noting Goss’s extensive intelligence background, qualifications and what one expert described as a “zeal” for reform. “It’s about damn time” that Bush named a replacement for former CIA Director George Tenet, who resigned in July, said James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation.  Steven Aftergood, director of the Federation of American Scientists’ Project on Government Secrecy, however, questioned the timing of the move, noting that a possible new administration following the November election could choose to install its own CIA chief.  Experts also agreed that Goss’s nomination would be welcomed by the CIA, noting both the congressman’s past with the agency and his record of having provided large funding increases to the CIA while in Congress.  If confirmed by the Senate, Goss would replace acting CIA Director John McLaughlin, who has headed the agency since Tenet’s exit.  McLaughlin may have been passed over as permanent CIA director, in part, because of his too vocal opposition to the creation of a national intelligence director, according to Aftergood. As deputy director, McLaughlin was not seen as a forceful leader — something he may have sought to change by taking on a “more combative” public persona after being named acting director, Aftergood said. He also said, though, that McLaughlin’s comments last month opposing the national intelligence director may have gotten him “too far ahead” of the White House, which later said that McLaughlin was not speaking for the administration. There have already been signs that Goss’ nomination could come under fire. The Senate intelligence committee would have to hold hearings on the nomination; Senator Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.), the committee’s top Democrat, said last month that Goss was too political of a choice for the job. “I … look forward to the confirmation process in the Senate. As a member right now on the Hill, I know the value of that and the importance of that,” Goss said today. In his remarks, Bush said that Goss was “respected on both sides of the aisle” in Congress. Experts were divided over how much of a fight Senate Democrats may put up against Goss’s confirmation. Carafano said that the increased public attention to issues related to terrorism and intelligence reform, combined with the presidential election, could reduce Democratic opposition. “I think they’re going to have a hard time shooting Goss down,” he said. While Rockefeller may decide that the “statesman-like thing” would be to allow Goss’s confirmation to go forward unimpeded, he may also see the nomination as “disrespect by the White House that must be resisted,” Aftergood said. Back to top       Al-Qaeda Could Disperse Chemical, Biological Agents by Helicopter, FBI Warns Al-Qaeda could launch chemical or biological attacks on U.S. cities using helicopters, according to an FBI intelligence bulletin obtained yesterday by the Associated Press (see GSN, Aug. 2). Helicopters might be used to spread chemical or biological agents in the ventilation systems of high-rise buildings, the bulletin states. “Terrorists may view helicopters as an attractive weapon due to their maneuverability and nonthreatening appearance when flying at low altitudes,” the FBI bulletin says. The FBI urged local law enforcement officials to closely observe commercial and private helicopter operations and schools. Those businesses should also be on the lookout for anyone with an undue interest in helicopter payloads and security procedures, according to the FBI. Screening and identification procedures for passengers and cargo were also recommended, according to the Associated Press (Curt Anderson, Associated Press/Washington Times, Aug. 9). Back to top

Iran Uranium Traces Probably Came From Pakistan, U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Inspectors Say Inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency believe that traces of highly enriched uranium found in Iran likely came from Pakistan, Jane’s Defense Weekly reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 9). “IAEA inspectors have reached a tentative conclusion that the contamination came from equipment provided by the nuclear smuggling network headed by Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan,” according to the magazine, which quoted “sources close to the agency,” Agence France-Presse reported. “The confirmation was only possible after Islamabad gave the IAEA data to verify the uranium source and the U.S. provided a simulation of the Pakistani nuclear program that matched the account,” the Jane’s report adds. Inspectors believe they can confirm that the sample of uranium, enriched to 54 percent and found at an Iranian site, came from Pakistani equipment, according to AFP. A separate sample of uranium, enriched to 36 percent and also found in Iran, originated from Russian equipment that Moscow had supplied to China, which in turn passed it on to Pakistan, the report in Jane’s says. Khan also provided this equipment to Iran, it added. “The sources note that the origins of several other contamination samples are difficult to trace and may never be known,” the report states (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Aug. 9). A Pakistani official yesterday said his country was cooperating with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, but that IAEA inspectors would not be allowed into Pakistan, AFP reported. “Pakistan is a responsible member of the international community. We have been cooperating with the IAEA and sharing information,” said Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri, on a two-day visit to Tehran. “But as far as inspections of Pakistan are concerned, that is out of the question. We are not a signatory of the NPT (Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty),” he added. The agency wants to take environmental samples from Pakistan, according to AFP, in order to compare them with the Iranian samples in order to verify Tehran’s claims that contamination originated in Pakistani equipment (Agence France-Presse/Daily Star, Aug. 9). Meanwhile, Iran is demanding that France, Germany and the United Kingdom support its right to nuclear technology that could be used to produce weapons, a European Union official and diplomats said yesterday. Iran presented a list of demands during recent talks in Paris with the three European powers, the Associated Press reported. The European countries had hoped to persuade Tehran to renounce its nuclear drive, but now are closer to backing the U.S. position to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for alleged violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the diplomats said. The Iranian list, obtained by the Associated Press yesterday, includes demands that the Europeans: support Iran’s access to “advanced technology” for its nuclear program, including equipment “with dual use”; “Remove impediments” preventing Iran’s access to such technology; promise to keep such commitments to Iran even if faced with “legal (or) political ... limitations,” such as potential Security Council sanctions; and commit to push “rigorously and systematically” for a nuclear-free Middle East and to “provide security assurances” against a nuclear attack on Iran, both seen as references to Israel. The demands stunned senior French, German and British negotiators, according to a European Union official familiar with the talks. The meeting concluded “with the two sides talking past each other,” said a diplomat familiar with the meeting. The United Kingdom is “not prepared to stand by and watch [the Iranians] collect the necessary technology to make a weapon,” the British Foreign Office said, but declined to comment on the negotiations. An Iranian official said on yesterday that there is no reason for suspicion about Iran’s nuclear work, despite U.S. allegations that the Islamic republic is trying to develop nuclear weapons. “Iran has not violated any of its commitments to international treaties in its nuclear program,” Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi told the Islamic Republic News Agency (George Jahn, Associated Press/Cape Cod Times, Aug. 9). Elsewhere, U.S. President George W. Bush said yesterday that the United States is working with other countries to maintain pressure on Iran to abandon what Washington believes is a nuclear weapons drive, the New York Times reported. “Iran must comply with the demands of the free world, and that’s where we sit right now,” Bush said. “And my attitude is that we’ve got to keep pressure on the government, and help others keep pressure on the government, so there’s kind of a universal condemnation of illegal weapons activities,” he added. “We’ve relied upon others to send the message for us,” he said. “And the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Great Britain have gone in as a group to send a message on behalf of the free world that Iran must comply with the demands of the free world,” Bush added. Iran’s robust international trade with other countries has made U.S. sanctions less than effective, Bush said. “We’ve totally sanctioned them,” he said. “In other words, there’s no sanctions — you can’t — we’re out of sanctions,” he added (Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times, Aug. 9). The Bush administration is expected to ask a meeting of the IAEA board on Sept. 13 to declare Iran in breach of the Nonproliferation Treaty, the first step in seeking U.N. sanctions, according to the London Guardian (Simon Tisdall, The Guardian, Aug. 10). Back to top       Russian Defense Ministry to Control Nuclear Complex As part of an ongoing governmental restructuring, the Russian Defense Ministry will now have full control over the country’s nuclear defense complex, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 4). The Russian Defense Ministry will be responsible for nuclear security issues, the development and manufacture of nuclear weapons and oversight of the Russian nuclear test site on the Novaya Zemlya islands, according to Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov (RTR Russia TV/BBC Monitoring, Aug. 9). Meanwhile, Ivanov said yesterday that NATO inspectors would not be allowed to visit Russian nuclear weapons sites. “We have never allowed them to inspect our nuclear sites or nuclear warheads, and we never will,” he was quoted by Interfax as saying (Agence France-Presse, Aug. 9). Back to top       Japanese Foreign Minister to Travel to Pakistan to Discuss Nonproliferation, Other Issues Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi is set to travel to Pakistan today to discuss nuclear nonproliferation and other issues, Pakistani officials said (see GSN, May 17). Kawaguchi will meet with a number of senior Pakistani officials, including President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat and Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri, a Pakistani Foreign Ministry official said. Japan has encouraged Pakistan and its neighboring rival India to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, according to Agence France-Presse. Pakistani officials are expected to tell Kawaguchi that they have taken measures to block future transfers of nuclear technology following the uncovering of the nuclear network led by Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, the Foreign Ministry official said (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Aug. 10). Back to top

Powder Scare Closes U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka closed today after receiving a letter containing a suspicious powder, diplomatic sources said (see GSN, June 25). Two upper floors of the building were closed, staff members were ordered to leave and the air-conditioning system was shut down in case of an anthrax-style attack, Agence France-Presse reported. “We are currently evaluating the situation, we can’t say when we will reopen,” said embassy spokesman Chris Long (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Aug. 10). Back to top

Anniston Incinerator Marks First Anniversary The U.S. Army’s Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Alabama has destroyed more than 34,000 rockets and nearly 343,000 pounds of sarin nerve agent in its first year of operation, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 4). “We’ve really met our goals,” said Bob Love, plant manager for Army contractor Westinghouse Anniston. The facility has had six mostly minor safety incidents involving leaks of trace amounts of chemicals or small fires, according to an independent study conducted by the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington The Anniston incinerator’s safety record means it could be seen as one of the safest chemical weapons disposal facilities, the study found. More than 4 million pounds of sarin, VX and blister agent remain to be destroyed at Anniston (Associated Press/Tuscaloosa News, Aug. 9). The Alabama Department of Environmental Management last week notified the Army facility that it could begin incineration of rockets filled with gelled or crystalline sarin, the depot announced. Disposal was expected to begin over the weekend (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency release, Aug. 6). Back to top

Greenland Given No Veto in Missile Defense Deal By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — An agreement signed between the United States, Denmark and its territory Greenland last week to allow a radar upgrade for the U.S. national missile defense system gave Greenland no veto over future upgrades, such as installing a missile interceptor base on the island (see GSN, Aug. 9). The modified agreement says the United States must only “consult with and inform” Greenland and Denmark prior to future significant changes at the Thule Air Base.  That was noted by a Greenlandic reporter interviewing Secretary of State Colin Powell last Friday. “The word I think in the treaty, as you say, is ‘consult,’ and that’s what we would do,” Powell responded. “The United States and Greenland and the Home Rule government, we are friends and partners and what we want to do is consult. We don’t want to do anything that would put at risk a very strong relationship that we’ve had for these many, many years,” he said. “But consult also means that, in fact, you don’t have to ask,” said Greenland TV reporter Jens Moeller. “Consult means consult,” Powell said. Deputy Premier of the Greenland’s home rule government Josef Motzfeldt nevertheless praised the deal for including Greenland as a partner to a 1951 agreement between the United States and Denmark governing U.S. use of the base, saying the signing marked a major step toward Greenland’s independent management of its foreign affairs. “Future historians will undoubtedly see this day — the 6th of August 2004 – as a crucial date, not only in the history of Greenland but also in that of Denmark and of the United States of America,” he said in a statement. “And for us living in this country this will represent the day when Greenland took a decisive step forward towards equality and co-responsibility in line with that experienced by other countries in the world, as well as a step away from the inferiority and indifference of the colonial times,” he said. Motzfeldt said Greenlandic considerations about the environment and transparency of U.S. military activities there would now be formally taken into account. No Current Plans U.S. officials have not said they seek to put anti-missile missiles in Greenland. They reportedly are negotiating with several countries to place an interceptor base in continental Europe and are seeking initial funding for that effort from Congress for fiscal 2005. Missiles are being placed in Alaska this year for a Pacific area defense. Missiles in Europe and the upgraded radar at Thule in northwestern Greenland would be part of a future system for defense against potential ICBM challenges from Southwest Asia. U.S. officials have refused to publicly describe the future architecture of the system and Powell did not rule out the possibility of seeking to put missiles at Thule. “Well, there are no plans right now to go to that level. Right now, we are just interested in the software and minor hardware improvements to the system that Greenland is aware of and that Denmark is aware of,” he said. “Right now, we’re some distance away from determining where we might need interceptors,” Powell also said. Reluctance Overcome Many Greenlanders were reluctant to allow the United States to use the base for the missile defense system, and some apparently still oppose further expansion to include a missile site.  The reluctance apparently stems in part from concern it would make Greenland a bigger a target for U.S. adversaries. It also results, Greenlandic officials have said, from the history of U.S. activities there, including the forced removal of local Eskimos from their hunting and burial grounds in 1953, the secret Cold War presence of nuclear weapons there, one of which was lost to the sea in an aircraft accident, and environmental degradation. “The Inuits said that the noise and smells from the planes and ships frightened away the walruses, seals, polar bears, and birds essential to their cultural survival,” according to an Air Force history. With its location midway between Washington and Moscow, Thule became a key operating base for nuclear-armed aircraft during the Cold War, housing at its high point about 10,000 service members, according to the history. It is now an Air Force Space Command base with a population of less than 1,000 U.S. and non-U.S. personnel. In addition to the modified 1951 agreement, Powell also signed agreements to work to pursue areas of economic cooperation with Greenland and to uphold at a minimum Greenland’s environmental standards. While Greenland sought to negotiate a United States cleanup at other former U.S. bases on the island, Powell said the responsibility previously was transferred to Greenland and would remain there. Greenland Deputy Foreign Minister Michaela Engel, who in May told Global Security Newswire that the agreement would give Greenland the explicit right to veto further upgrades to the base if it chose, conceded now that is not the case (see GSN, May 27). “It would have been fine if we could have squeezed a little more out of the United States but we were not in a position to do that and I think we need to be content with what we’ve got here. And I think there’s a broad agreement in Greenland and Denmark that we’ve gotten the best that we could get,” she said. Motzfeldt said it is time for Greenland to move beyond its past grievances over the base in the interest of new opportunities. “The future of a country depends on its ability to leave behind the past without forgetting it — and to look forward without being na‹ve,” he said. He said his government is not opposed to the idea of basing the missiles on Greenland. “We have never been against to the idea of defending yourself against missiles. Why should we be against defending ourselves against missiles?” he said. Back to top       Rumsfeld to Discuss Missile Defense in Russia U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is set to travel to Russia soon to discuss increased missile defense cooperation, a high-ranking U.S. official said yesterday (see GSN, July 13). Rumsfeld is expected to meet with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov in St. Petersburg, the U.S. official said. The official also said that the United States and Russia have so far failed to establish sufficient missile defense cooperation (Dmitry Kirsanov, ITAR-Tass, Aug. 10). Back to top

Missing Nuclear Measuring Devices in Peru Do Not Pose Radiological Threat, Official Says Two nuclear measuring devices stolen late last month in Peru do not contain enough radioactive material to produce a radiological weapon, Peruvian Institute of Nuclear Energy President Modesto Montoya said yesterday (see GSN, May 7). The two devices used by miners each contain about 1 gram of removable cesium 137, Montoya said, adding that the devices were likely stolen and sold for scrap. While the amount of material within the devices is too small to build a “dirty bomb,” which combines conventional explosives and radioactive material, the cesium 137 could cause severe burns if handled for several days, he said (Associated Press/San Diego Union Tribune, Aug. 9).   Back to top

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