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U.S.-U.K. Mutual Defense Agreement Extended By Chris Schneidmiller WASHINGTON — Congress took no action on the U.S.-British Mutual Defense Agreement this session, meaning the two nations will sustain their ability to share nuclear weapons knowledge and equipment for another decade (see GSN, Aug. 9). President George W. Bush submitted to Congress in June a proposal to extend Article 3 bis of the 1958 Mutual Defense Agreement through Dec. 31, 2014 rather than allow it to expire. The proposal was required by law to sit before the House and Senate for 60 session days for consideration, after which it would automatically go into effect. The 60-day period apparently ended on Nov. 16, said Matt Martin, deputy director for the British American Security Information Council (BASIC). “There were no hearings. As far as I know there was no discussion beyond a staff level between (the Department of Energy) and Congress,” Martin said. “As far as I know there weren’t any changes.” A spokesman for Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) confirmed that the agreement had been extended. The agreement was approved in the United Kingdom last summer after the British government rejected efforts by members of Parliament to open the matter for debate. A ceremonial exchange of messages finalizes the extension and other technical updates to the agreement , but Martin said he believes that could be handled by staff at the State, Energy or Defense departments. Martin said he was not surprised that little attention was given to the agreement, given the intense focus on the conflict in Iraq, efforts to derail Iran and North Korea’s suspected nuclear weapons programs, the war on terrorism and work on intelligence reform legislation. “It’s hard to make much of an issue of something that’s so far down in the weeds as the U.S.-U.K. MDA,” Martin said. Mark Hayes, Lugar’s spokesman, noted that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had taken no formal action during the prior two extension periods in past decades. In the Mutual Defense Agreement, the United States and United Kingdom pledge to “communicate to or exchange with the other party such classified information, sensitive nuclear technology, and controlled nuclear information” needed for the allies’ nuclear defense plans, delivery systems and military reactors. The agreement does not include transfer of actual nuclear weapons, but allows for exchange of enriched uranium. While details of the nuclear exchanges remain classified, experts believe the United States passed on warhead designs for its submarine-based Trident ballistic nuclear missiles. Opponents say the agreement undermines the two countries’ stances on nonproliferation, while representatives of both governments argue that it supports the safety, security and reliability of their respective nuclear arsenals. “It’s wholly consistent with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and both the U.S. and U.K. commitments under Article 6 of the treaty,” Hayes said. Article 6 requires member states to “pursue negotiations in good faith” toward nuclear disarmament. Martin said it is impossible for observers to say what information or technology might be shared over the next 10 years. Congress’ rejection this week of funding for research on the nuclear bunker buster and other projects could lead U.S. officials to encourage their British counterparts to take up that work, he said (see GSN, Nov. 22). Requests for comment from the State and Defense departments had not been returned by press time. “It’s a 10-year extension and we’ll just have to see what happens,” Martin said.
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