A B-2 bomber drops an inert B61-11 earth penetrating bomb in 1998. The Bush administration is seeking funds to study additional types of such nuclear weapons (U.S. Air Force photo). Republican Lawmaker Slams Bush Nuclear Plans By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The Bush administration’s plans for the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal appear suited to fighting the wrong war — the Cold War, a key Republican lawmaker said in a scathing speech yesterday...Full Story

U.S. Will Not Join Iran Nuclear Talks, Rice Says The United States has no plans to participate in nuclear negotiations with Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday while traveling to Europe, the Washington Post reported (see GSN, Feb. 3)...Full Story

Chinese Envoy to Attempt to Persuade North Korea to Resume Nuclear Talks, Seoul Says A senior Chinese official is scheduled to travel to North Korea sometime after Wednesday in an attempt to persuade Pyongyang to resume negotiations on its nuclear program, a South Korean official said today (see GSN, Feb. 3)...Full Story

	Friday, February 4, 2005

U.S. Warns Europe of Potential Terrorist Attacks Europe should expect more terrorist attacks, a top U.S. antiterrorism official said yesterday, warning that some groups are looking to strike with chemical, biological or radioactive weapons (see GSN, Oct. 28, 2004). Europe remains a staging ground for terrorist cells linked to al-Qaeda, said William Pope, acting antiterrorism coordinator at the U.S. State Department. He added, however, that the greatest danger comes from decentralized extremist groups embedded in countries with weak antiterrorism policies. Pope said the United States and the European Union must cooperate to overcome terrorists. “We must all face the fact that we all now find ourselves at risk,” Pope said (Constant Brand, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Feb. 4). Back to top       FBI Computer Upgrade Hampers Antiterrorism Efforts, Justice Department Report States A so-far unsuccessful $170 million effort to upgrade the FBI’s outdated computer system is damaging the agency’s antiterrorism efforts, according to a report issued yesterday by the U.S. Justice Department’s inspector general (see GSN, Nov. 5, 2003). The continued inability of FBI agents and analysts to share and search for information raises “national security implications,” wrote Inspector General Glenn Fine. “The FBI’s operations remain significantly hampered due to the poor functionality and lack of information-sharing capabilities of its current (information technology) systems,” the report says. FBI Director Robert Mueller disputed the report’s conclusions during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing yesterday.  While acknowledging that he is “frustrated and disappointed” by the delays, the absence of the new computerized case-file system “does not prevent us from fulfilling our counterterrorism, intelligence and law enforcement missions,” he said (Dan Eggen, Washington Post, Feb. 4). Back to top

Republican Lawmaker Slams Bush Nuclear Plans By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The Bush administration’s plans for the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal appear suited to fighting the wrong war — the Cold War, a key Republican lawmaker said in a scathing speech yesterday. “If the executive branch and the Congress really believe that a nuclear-armed terrorist group is the threat we are defending against — and I do — then we need to change our priorities to prevent such a devastating attack,” Representative Dave Hobson (R-Ohio) said, addressing an Arms Control Association luncheon. Hobson cited the size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and the proposed research of a new bunker-buster weapon in his criticism of White House policy, and called for “a real debate” on the issue. The lawmaker led a congressional effort last year that blocked funding requested by the Bush administration for this fiscal year to research the bunker buster, called the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator. Congress also blocked funding for other “Advanced Concepts” nuclear weapons research, for shortening the preparation time to conduct a nuclear test if ordered by the president, and for constructing a new facility to build plutonium pits (see GSN, Nov. 22, 2004). The administration reportedly will ask Congress next week to approve resumed funding for the earth penetrator study for fiscal 2006, which begins Oct. 1 (see GSN, Feb. 1). The program has been forecast by the administration to cost $485 million over the next five years. In a prepared copy of his speech, Hobson said no one at the Defense or Energy departments has “ever articulated to me a specific military requirement for a nuclear earth penetrator.” “The development of new weapons for ill-defined future requirements is not what the nation needs at this time. What is needed, and what is absent to date, is leadership and fresh thinking for the 21st century regarding nuclear security and the future of the U.S. stockpile,” he said, also in the prepared text. Oversized Arsenal Alleged Bush administration officials have insisted they are adapting the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal to deal with future threats. For instance, in leaked excerpts from its 2001 Nuclear Posture Review, the Defense Department argued that proliferation of deeply buried, hardened facilities worldwide has increased a need for a more effective penetrator. An existing nuclear bunker buster is inadequate, the review says. Administration officials also have pointed to an agreement with Russia in 2002 to remove from operation all but 2,200 strategic nuclear warheads by 2012 and to actually cut the total arsenal, estimated at about 10,000, nearly in half. While praising that plan, Hobson said the U.S. nuclear arsenal would remain unnecessarily high even with the administration’s planned cuts. The numbers are classified, but independent experts say about 6,000 nuclear warheads would remain in the arsenal (see GSN, Aug. 13, 2004). Maintaining such a sizable arsenal has costs, Hobson said. “We spend over $6.5 billion a year baby-sitting an arsenal of nuclear weapons, including over $700 million a year just for the newest super-computing technology for weapons work, and over $500 million a year developing the world’s biggest laser,” he said. The Energy Department spends, however, “less than $500 million a year helping to secure weapons grade nuclear material overseas to make sure it is not smuggled into our country,” he said. “Why are we still preparing to fight the last war? Should we still worry about massive retaliation and mutual assured destruction, or are there more likely scenarios with devastating unthinkable outcomes?” he said. Today’s Threat Neglected Hobson said the administration has not done enough to prevent what Bush and Hobson have called the greatest threat the United States: “a nuclear device in the hands of a terrorist enemy.” He said he supported the Bush administration’s major responses to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks — wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; creation of the Homeland Security Department; “enormous deficit spending to improve our domestic security”; and reorganization of the intelligence agencies — but, he said those efforts have done little to prevent the greatest threat. “If we really believe a nuclear 9/11 is the most serious thing facing us, then we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface,” he said. Back to top       U.S. Will Not Join Iran Nuclear Talks, Rice Says The United States has no plans to participate in nuclear negotiations with Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday while traveling to Europe, the Washington Post reported (see GSN, Feb. 3). “It’s not the absence of anybody’s involvement that’s keeping the Iranians from knowing what they need to do,” Rice said. “They need to live up to their obligations. They need to agree to verification and to stop trying to hide activities under cover of civilian nuclear power.” European officials have said U.S. involvement is needed to reach a permanent settlement with Iran to replace the temporary nuclear freeze agreement they forged in November, according to the Post (Robin Wright, Washington Post, Feb. 4). Rice also said a pre-emptive military strike against Iran was “not on the agenda at this point in time,” Agence France-Presse reported. “We have many diplomatic tools still at our disposal and we intend to pursue them fully,” she said today after meeting in London with British Foreign Minister Jack Straw (Agence France-Presse/Channel News Asia, Feb. 4). Meanwhile, Undersecretary of State John Bolton wrote last week to the foreign ministries of the three European powers about alleged “maintenance” operations by Iran on centrifuge components at its Natanz uranium enrichment facility, a Western diplomat told AFP. The letter also alleges that Iran performed uranium conversion work at a plant in Isfahan without alerting the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to AFP (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Feb. 3). European Union officials have expressed worries that Iran has exaggerated expectations regarding the economic incentives it was promised for temporarily halting its sensitive nuclear activities, the Financial Times reported. The union has also said, however, that it cannot deliver those rewards until it has secured guarantees that the program would not be used for weapons development, according to the Times. “The Europeans have a sense of urgency and absolute necessity to stop Iran from having nuclear arms,” said French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie (Daniel Dombey, Financial Times, Feb. 4). Nuclear talks between the European Union and Iran are expected to resume next week in Geneva, diplomats said today, AFP reported (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Feb. 4). Back to top       Chinese Envoy to Attempt to Persuade North Korea to Resume Nuclear Talks, Seoul Says A senior Chinese official is scheduled to travel to North Korea sometime after Wednesday in an attempt to persuade Pyongyang to resume negotiations on its nuclear program, a South Korean official said today (see GSN, Feb. 3). “The ball is now in North Korea’s court,” said Unification Minister Chung Dong-young. “It is time for the North to provide an answer.” South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to meet Feb. 14 in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss the nuclear standoff, the Associated Press reported (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Feb. 4). Meanwhile, Michael Green, senior director for Asia at the U.S. National Security Council, met with top South Korean officials yesterday after visiting Japan and China, the Korea Times reported. Seoul denied Green’s visit was scheduled solely to inform South Korea, Japan, and China of “the alarming intelligence” that U.S. tests on Libyan nuclear materials indicated a strong likelihood that North Korea provided nearly 2 tons of uranium hexafluoride to Libya in 2001. “The government is seeking the truth about the reports but is willing to discuss all related issues in the six-party talks,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lee Kyu-hyung (Joo Sang-min, Korea Herald, Feb. 4). Back to top       Niger Ratifies IAEA Additional Protocol Niger announced yesterday that it had ratified the Additional Protocol to its International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards agreement, according to Agence France-Presse (see GSN, Aug. 2, 2004). The move will allow the agency to conduct more intrusive monitoring of Niger’s nuclear activities. Niger is the world’s third-leading producer of uranium. In a statement, Niger said its decision to ratify that agreement demonstrated its commitment to the “ideology of the IAEA and the will of the international community to stem the proliferation of nuclear weapons” (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Feb. 3). Back to top       Guards at Nevada Test Site Facility Failed to Prevent Mock Terrorist Attack in August, Official Says Guards at a facility storing weapon-grade nuclear materials at the Nevada Test Site failed an exercise last summer to stop a mock terrorist attack, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 20). The exercise, held Aug. 12, revealed outdated training and tactics for defending the Device Assembly Facility, along with flaws in transfer-of-ownership paperwork for nuclear material, National Nuclear Security Administration spokesman Kevin Rohrer said yesterday. He refused to provide details on the exercise, such as the number of guards involved or whether the mock terrorists were able to enter the facility, AP reported. In response, the agency has sought to increase security at the site, Rohrer said. “We have changed procedures, added guards and augmented training,” he said. “We’ve taken corrective actions” (Ken Ritter, Associated Press, Feb. 3). Back to top       Experts Criticize U.S. Intelligence Capabilities Experts have said that U.S. intelligence is not prepared to address the threats posed by Iran and North Korea’s nuclear efforts, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, Jan. 18). Former Assistant Defense Secretary Richard Perle said U.S. intelligence has failed to understand the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions because of an emphasis on tradecraft rather than understanding the culture of various Middle Eastern nations. “The history of the intelligence community’s assessment — and for that matter, operations — in the Arab world, and in the Gulf, in particular, has been appallingly inadequate for many, many years,” he said Wednesday in testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Regarding North Korea, U.S. intelligence has been successful in learning about the bizarre habits of leader Kim Jong Il, but less so on its nuclear program and military decision-making process, said Kurt Campbell of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “On the critical issues that matter the most about North Korea, I’m afraid we know very little,” he said (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Feb. 4). Back to top

Proposed Biodefense Center Poses Little Health Risk to Frederick, Md.-Area Residents, Study Finds By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — A recently completed environmental review conducted by the U.S. Homeland Security Department found that a proposed biological defense center to be built in Maryland would pose “negligible to minor risks” to the health of workers and local residents, according to a notice published today in the Federal Register (see GSN, Dec. 17, 2004). As a result, the department has decided to move forward with construction of the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) at the U.S. Army’s Fort Detrick in Frederick. Construction is set to begin in summer 2006 and is expected to be completed in 2008. The facility is expected to cost about $130 million, according to reports. “The NBACC facility will provide the nation with a much needed biocontainment laboratory space for biological threat characterization and bioforensic research,” the Homeland Security Department said in a fact sheet separately released this week. The planned facility would house the National Bioforensic Analysis Center, which is intended to help authorities identify the perpetrators of biological attacks, and the Biological Threat Characterization Center, which would conduct research to guide the development of countermeasures against current and future biological threats, according to the departmental fact sheet. The new center is expected to be about 160,000 square feet in size, consisting in part of Biosafety Level-2, -3 and -4 laboratory spaces. About 120 researchers and support staff are expected to work at the center. The Homeland Security Department decided to proceed with the new facility on Jan. 26, following an eight-month review of potential environmental impacts and public comment periods.  In the record of decision issued today, the department said the center would pose little negative impact on the surrounding environment and the health of workers and area residents, and would “allow DHS to address a critical national shortage in BSL-4 [Biosafety Level 4] facilities.” What little health risk exists can be mitigated through application of existing safety guidelines, the notice says.  Several alternatives, such as constructing the facility on either private- or government-owned land outside of Fort Detrick, were rejected as “unreasonable,” the notice says. Back to top       National Institutes of Health to Revise Environmental Impact Statement on Proposed Boston Hot Lab The National Institutes of Health is expected to revise its environmental impact report within a month on a proposed Biosafety Level 4 laboratory at Boston University due to concerns from local residents, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Jan. 25). The agency has received nearly 35 letters questioning the project, said Valerie Nottingham, chief of the NIH environmental quality branch. The initial NIH review found that the laboratory would not be a danger to nearby residents. The Conservation Law Foundation argued, however, that the agency had not fairly considered whether it would be better to locate the lab in a less populated area, AP reported. While revisions of environmental impact statements are rare, according to Nottingham, they usually are made in response to concerns from the public. “When you put out a draft and you receive a lot of comment from the public, it’s better to put out another draft,” Nottingham said. The revision is expected to provide additional information about why the Boston site was chosen and to further address concerns about airborne emissions, Nottingham said. The agency plans to schedule a public hearing when the new statement is complete, she added. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts secretary of environmental affairs this week requested that Boston University submit a report on three lab workers who were exposed to tularemia last year (Associated Press/Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Feb. 4). Back to top

Dutch Businessman Accused of Providing Chemicals to Prewar Iraq to Remain in Custody Reversing an earlier ruling, a Dutch court Wednesday ordered that businessman Frans van Anraat should remain in custody pending trial on charges that he provided chemical weapons precursors to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, according to the Associated Press (see GSN, Jan. 28). Anraat is charged with aiding genocide by selling chemicals that were used in the 1988 chemical attack on Halabja that killed more than 5,000 people. He has acknowledged being involved in the sale, but argued it was not wrong or illegal, AP reported. A preliminary hearing on the case has been scheduled for March 18 (Associated Press, Feb. 3). Back to top

Ukraine Prosecuting Former Secret Police Officer for Alleged Missile Sales, Lawmaker Says Ukrainian lawmaker Grigory Omelchenko has said that the country’s SBU secret police agency is prosecuting one of its former officers for allegedly selling 12 nuclear-capable Kh-55 cruise missiles to Iran and China, the Financial Times reported today (see GSN, Feb. 2). The former officer, identified as V.V. Yevdokimov, is being prosecuted for transferring six missiles each to China and Iran between 1999 and 2001, as well as for attempting to sell an additional 14 last year, Omelchenko said. He has claimed that former Ukrainian officials were also involved in the missile sales and has demanded that the police agency release details on its investigation. The department would only say that Yevdokimov was arrested last April for allegedly “smuggling military goods outside Ukraine in 2001 and other crimes,” the Times reported (Dinmore/Warner, Financial Times, Feb. 4).    Back to top

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