The United States yesterday charged several nations with violating the Biological Weapons Convention (see GSN, Nov.19). U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton charged Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria with pursuing biological weapons programs in a speech to the treaty’s fifth review conference in Geneva.  In addition, Bolton said the al-Qaeda terrorist network had tried to acquire biological weapons, possibly with state assistance.

“While the United States is not prepared, at this time, to comment on whether rogue states may have assisted a possible al-Qaeda biological weapons program, rest assured that the United States will not rely alone on treaties or international organizations to deal with such terrorist groups or the states that support them,” Bolton said.

After al-Qaeda, Iraq causes the most concern for the United States, Bolton said, adding that the country produced biological weapons after signing the treaty in 1972 and ratifying it in 1991.  Iraq has probably continued to improve its biological weapons program since U.N. on-site inspections ended three years ago, Bolton said.

The United States also believes North Korea and Iran have produced biological agents and may have weaponized the material in violation of the convention, Bolton said.  In addition, the United States believes Libya and Syria are conducting biological weapon research and development programs, Bolton said.  Libya is a party to the treaty, but Syria, while a treaty signatory, has not ratified the pact.  Bolton expressed concern that Sudan, which has not signed the treaty, has also shown interest in developing biological weapons.

The United States believes several other countries are also pursuing biological weapons programs and U.S. officials plan to contact them privately, Bolton said.

“The BWC has not succeeded in dissuading these states from pursuing [biological weapons] programs,” Bolton said, adding that the proposed protocol to the convention (see related GSN story, today)—which the United States rejected earlier this year—would also have failed. (U.S. State Department release, Nov. 19).

Kofi Annan Urges States to Fully Implement BWC

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan yesterday urged countries to implement the BWC to the fullest extent possible.

In remarks delivered by U.N. Undersecretary General for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala, Annan said that recent events such as the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States showed the importance of controlling the threat of biological weapons. He suggested that countries find ways to improve transparency and confidence-building measures and to promote the universality of the convention.

Annan also asked countries to work to tighten national legislation related to biological agents and to criminalize the use of biological weapons.  “The international community also has to be prepared to assist member states, should prevention fail,” he said. “The United Nations, for its part, stands ready to play a coordinating role in this regard” (U.N. release, Nov. 19).

South Korea Says North Korea Has Biological Weapons

“North Korea stockpiles between 2,500 and 5,000 tons of biochemical weapons in six different facilities and has the capability to wage germ warfare,” South Korean Defense Minister Kim Dong-shin said yesterday.  North Korea’s stockpiles include anthrax, smallpox and eight other types of diseases, he said. 

Kim added that no clear evidence existed to link North Korea with terrorist networks (Associated Press/South China Morning Post, Nov. 20).

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