NEWS BRIEFS

Funds Ok'd for Shchuch'ye Destruction Facility

Blix to Head New Nonproliferation Commission

Nuclear Material Removed From Bulgaria

Australia Volunteers for Missile Defense

Naval Missile Defense Test Succeeds

U.S. Circulates Draft UN Resolution to Prevent Proliferation

Last Nuclear Artillery Shell in U.S. Stockpile Dismantled

Putin Says Russian Export Controls Must be Improved

Tensions Between India and Pakistan Ease

Funds OK'd for Shchuch'ye Destruction Facility

President George W. Bush waived conditions that prevented U.S. funding from reaching the former Soviet republic of Russia for construction of the Shchuch’ye chemical weapons destruction facility. In a memorandum to Secretary of State Colin Powell Dec. 9, Bush said waiving the chemical weapons certification requirements “is important to the national security interests of the United States.” In the fiscal year 2004 energy and water appropriations bill, Congress approved $200.3 million—the Bush administration’s request—for construction of the Shchuch’ye facility.

The requirements for Russian chemical weapons programs are stricter than those for other Comprehensive Threat Reduction programs. Such rules generally require the administration to certify that states receiving assistance are making progress in getting rid of the arsenals they inherited. For Russia’s chemical weapons program funding, however, Moscow is also required to provide a detailed inventory of its chemical weapons and heightened verification plans for destroying them. There is disagreement over whether the Russian declaration under the Chemical Weapons Convention is complete.

Blix to Head New Nonproliferation Commission

Sweden’s foreign ministry announced Dec. 11 that Hans Blix, the recently retired head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) will chair a Stockholm-funded, independent commission on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

The commission is to “present realistic proposals aimed at the greatest possible reduction of the dangers of weapons of mass destruction, including both short-term and long-term approaches and both non-proliferation and disarmament aspects,” according to a Dec. 16 foreign ministry fact sheet. Sweden agreed to set up the commission after UN Undersecretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala proposed the idea in 2002.

Explaining the commission’s raison d’etre, Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds said that “new initiatives are needed in the efforts for disarmament and non-proliferation.” The fact sheet pointed out that, despite the work of past nonproliferation commissions, new efforts are needed because “the international situation has changed considerably, not least through the increased risk of mass destruction terrorism.”

Although the commission must still decide on a specific work plan, Blix identified several possible subjects for inquiry during a Dec. 16 press conference. These include the risk of WMD terrorism and concerns over Iran’s and North Korea’s nuclear programs, as well as India’s and Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals.

The Dec. 16 fact sheet gave additional details about the commission: 15 international experts serving “in their personal capacity” will make up the “fully independent” commission, which is to present its final report to the UN secretary-general and all member states near the end of 2005.

Nuclear Material Removed From Bulgaria

Seventeen kilograms of Russian-origin highly enriched uranium (HEU) were returned from Bulgaria to the Russian Federation Dec. 23. The fresh HEU was airlifted from Gorna Oryahovista airport in Bulgaria to Dmitrovgrad, Russia, where Russian officials say it will be refabricated into low-enriched uranium (LEU).

The highly enriched nuclear fuel assemblies were originally supplied to Bulgaria by the Soviet Union for the Russian-designed two-megawatt research reactor, located in Sofia. The reactor was shut down in 1989 and is going to be reconstructed as a low-power, LEU research reactor.

The nuclear fuel was loaded into four transportation canisters provided by the Russian Federation. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards inspectors and technical experts from the U.S. Department of Energy monitored the process.

The shipment of HEU from Bulgaria is the second shipment conducted under a tripartite initiative, comprised of the United States, Russian Federation, and IAEA, to return Russian-supplied HEU research reactor fuel for long-term management and disposition. The first shipment of fresh Russian-origin HEU fuel, from Romania to the Russian Federation, was carried out Sept. 21, 2003. (See ACT, October 2003.)

Australia Volunteers for Missile Defense

Australia announced Dec. 4 that it would like to take part in the evolving U.S. missile defense system, although it has yet to determine exactly what it can contribute or what role it could play.

Both Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill and Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer issued statements saying Australian participation benefited its strategic interests because of the growing proliferation of ballistic missiles. They also pointed out that participation in the proposed U.S. defense could be a boon to Australian industry. The Bush administration has allocated approximately $25 billion to missile defense since taking office three years ago.

Australian participation could include detecting ballistic missile launches, developing ship- and ground-based sensors, or participating in other research and development work, according to Hill. Downer stated, “The nature of our participation will depend on many factors including our own strategic defense needs, regional considerations, industry capabilities and financial considerations.”

The opposition Australian Labor Party did not immediately object to the government’s announcement despite speaking out earlier this year against such a possibility. Bob Brown, leader of Australia’s Greens Party, urged the Labor Party to find its voice and oppose the government’s move to join “George W. Bush’s dangerous adventure,” which he warned could spark an Asian arms race involving China and others. Beijing issued no formal statement on Australia’s announcement.

The Bush administration has made a concerted effort to enlist foreign governments in its missile defense efforts, but few have made solid commitments. The United Kingdom has consented to upgrading a radar on its territory to track long-range ballistic missiles, and Canada agreed earlier this year to explore joint projects with the United States. (See ACT, July/August 2003.)

Naval Missile Defense Test Succeeds

Bouncing back from its first setback six months earlier, the Pentagon’s sea-based missile defense system scored a hit in a Dec. 11 intercept test.

Designed to counter short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system hit an Aries missile target as it descended toward Earth roughly four minutes after being launched from Kauai, Hawaii. The target missile was initially detected and tracked by one ship. A second ship then fired the Aegis system’s Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptor, and the interceptor’s kill vehicle collided with and destroyed the target at an altitude of 137 kilometers.

The test marked the fourth in a six-test series, which is to be completed in 2005. The two remaining tests in the series are unlikely to differ much from those that preceded them.

However, there will be additional rounds of testing that are intended to become more challenging. One possibility for these tests is the use of targets that separate rather than remaining in one large, easy-to-track piece.

To date, the Aegis system has an overall record of four hits and one miss. The failure took place on June 18, 2003, and was blamed by Pentagon and nonmilitary analysts on a mechanical mishap in the interceptor’s kill vehicle that caused it to maneuver incorrectly and lose sight of the target.

President George W. Bush’s missile defense deployment plans calls for fielding up to 20 SM-3 interceptors on three ships between 2004 and 2005. Another 15 ships are to be fitted with upgraded radars to help them perform ballistic missile tracking.

U.S. Circulates Draft UN Resolution to Prevent Proliferation

The United States is circulating a draft UN Security Council resolution that calls on UN member states to take domestic legal steps to prevent proliferation, particularly the acquisition of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons by terrorists. The resolution implements a call made by President George W. Bush in a speech to the UN General Assembly in September. (See ACT, October 2003.)

Expressing grave concern that “non-state actors are seeking to acquire, traffic in, or use nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons,” the draft resolution urges states to impose tighter export controls, stronger legislation, and better border security. It also calls for states to cut off support to any terrorist group involved with weapons of mass destruction. Additionally, it asks UN members to help implement efforts such as the Bush administration’s Proliferation Security Initiative, which seeks to interdict shipments of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.

The resolution, however, does not include any measures to require enforcement of its provisions. U.S. officials say little progress has been made in advancing the resolution since it was first circulated in December.

Last Nuclear Artillery Shell in U.S. Stockpile Dismantled

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has dismantled the last nuclear artillery shell in the U.S. nuclear stockpile, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced Dec.17. The dismantlement of the last W-79 warhead “marks the end of an era in U.S. defense policy that included ground-launched battlefield nuclear weapons,” according to NNSA Administrator Linton Brooks. The United States introduced artillery-fired nuclear weapons in its defense arsenal in 1957, and six types were deployed during the Cold War. In 1991, President George H. W. Bush announced his decision to retire artillery-fired atomic weapons in the U.S. stockpile. The weapons were returned to the Pantex facility in Amarillo, Texas, for dismantlement.

Putin Says Russian Export Controls Must be Improved

Speaking Dec. 3 to Russia’s top security officials, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is among the highest security priorities for Russia but that Moscow’s current approach to the problem needs to be reformed and strengthened.

Although Putin declared that Russia is “consistently fulfilling its international obligations in the field of nonproliferation,” he also contended that in Russia there is no “unity in understanding the very term ‘nonproliferation.’” He complained that a shortage of nonproliferation specialists exists and that, when it comes to certain areas, such as export controls, there is “no right to speak of a coherent system.”

Putin further declared that there needed to be an “in-depth and systemic analysis of all our state activities with respect to nonproliferation” and “more efficient coordination of the activities of bodies of power in this field.”

In a November 2003 unclassified report on global proliferation during the first half of last year, the CIA identified Russia as a key source of dual-use goods and technical knowledge for proliferators. The report stated that Russian entities “continued to be eager to raise funds via exports and transfers.” Of ongoing concern to Washington is Russia’s continued involvement in Iran’s nuclear reactor project at Bushehr, which does have the Kremlin’s official blessing.

Tensions Between India and Pakistan Ease

Relations on the subcontinent appeared to thaw some in December, with Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf suggesting early in the month that he would order Pakistani troops away from the line of control separating the disputed province of Kashmir if India were to do the same. Hopes were high at month’s end that Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee might meet on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in Islamabad during the first week of 2004. The offers came as two assassination attempts were made on Musharraf within 11 days. Pakistani authorities detained three men in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in connection with the second attempt, which occurred on Christmas Day.