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U.S., U.K. Seek G-8 Assistance to Redirect Former Iraqi, Libyan WMD Scientists
The United States and the United Kingdom want to use a Group of Eight effort intended to finance nonproliferation projects to help redirect Iraqi and Libyan WMD scientists to peaceful activities, the Financial Times reported today (see GSN, April 27). The United States and the United Kingdom are working on an announcement to be made at the June G-8 summit that the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction would be used to help provide peaceful jobs for Iraqi and Libyan WMD scientists, according to a senior Bush administration official. Under the Global Partnership, launched in 2002, the G-8 nations agreed to pledge $20 billion over 10 years for nonproliferation projects, primarily in Russia. “It’s not so much a question of (giving them) money as it is about what to do with the scientists,” said the U.S. official, referring to Libya. “There are enough of them on the nuclear side to worry about: would Iran or another country try to lure them? So it’s important to provide them with some activity,” the official said (Fidler/Khalaf, Financial Times, April 30). Meanwhile, U.S. efforts to redirect former Iraqi and Libyan WMD scientists need a better understanding of the number and types of scientists targeted and an improved effort to avoid organizing duplicating programs, according to a paper released yesterday by the Russian-American Nuclear Safety Advisory Council (RANSAC release, April 29).
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