International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei (shown in an October photo) yesterday issued a report on the agency’s findings concerning past South Korean nuclear experiments (AFP photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno). South Korea Produced Near Weapon-Grade Uranium, IAEA Says By Greg Webb Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Calling it “a matter of serious concern,” the International Atomic Energy Agency yesterday reported that South Korea produced small amounts of nearly weapon-grade uranium in experiments less than five years ago that were not reported to the agency at the time (see GSN, Nov. 5). South Korean scientists also conducted unreported plutonium separation experiments in 1982, the agency said in an eight-page report to its Board of Governors. Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei is scheduled to present the report at the board’s quarterly meeting beginning Nov. 25 in Vienna...Full Story

Iran Presents Response to European Nuclear Deal Iran last night submitted its response to a European package of incentives aimed at persuading Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment work, a French Foreign Ministry official said today without offering details, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Nov. 11)...Full Story

U.S. Adviser to Iraq Proposes Converting Former Nuclear Weapons Plant to Civilian Complex By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — A U.S. adviser to the Iraqi National Academy of Science has proposed converting the al-Tuwaitha complex, the main site in Iraq’s former nuclear weapons efforts, into a civilian scientific research site (see GSN, Oct. 18)...Full Story

	Friday, November 12, 2004

Lack of White House Pressure Could Doom Effort to Reach Final Intelligence Reform Bill This Year A lack of support from U.S. President George W. Bush has jeopardized chances for approval of a final intelligence reform bill to create a national intelligence director when Congress reconvenes for a “lame duck” session next week, to end its 2004 session the Los Angeles Times reported today (see GSN, Nov. 9). Furthermore, that legislation is not expected to survive if it comes before a new Congress next year, according to the Times. Bush’s press secretary has said that completion of an intelligence reform bill remains a priority for the president, according to the Times. Supporters of the legislation in both houses of Congress have said, though, that they have not seen high-level White House involvement in the efforts to reach a compromise between differing bills approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate. “It would take (Chief of Staff) Andy Card or Bush making phone calls to get this done,” a Senate aide said. According to the Times, the White House does not appear to not want to challenge the Defense Department and its allies in Congress, who have said that some of the proposed reforms would hinder the military’s ability to use intelligence assets in wartime. For example, under the Senate bill, control over most intelligence funding would shift from the defense secretary to the national intelligence director. The House bill would transfer less control to the new director. Some House negotiators have said they see little incentive and feel no White House pressure to complete work on a final bill during the lame-duck session, the Times reported. “The speaker’s office just doesn’t want to give up,” a House aide said. “But so much of the urgency is gone with the elections over. Our hand only strengthens on a great many issues when we come back in January” (Mary Curtius, Los Angeles Times, Nov. 12). Back to top

Red Cross Promotes Principles to Strengthen Biological and Chemical Weapons Nonproliferation Regimes By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The International Committee of the Red Cross yesterday recommended to the life sciences community a set of principles to discourage the inadvertent creation of chemical and biological weapons threats (see GSN, April 29). “Advances in the life sciences hold great promise for humanity. There is also great risk if these same advances are put to hostile use,” it said, in a paper it distributed titled “Preventing Hostile Use of the Life Sciences: From Ethics and Law to Best Practices.” While laws have been created in most countries to uphold the 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibiting chemical and biological weapons use, the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, “a culture of responsibility is necessary among individual life scientists” if such measures are to work, the report states. The document recommends the following 11 principles: — Preventing advances in life sciences from being used for poisoning and deliberate spread of infectious disease must always take precedence over personal, commercial and security interests; — Research and its application must always be compatible with respect for, and promotion of, national and international laws; — Undertaking well-intentioned research does not justify neglect of possible hostile use of the outcome; — Knowledge gained from research must ultimately become universal for the progress of science; however, the potential for hostile use of some advances in life science and biotechnology may pose a fundamental dilemma about how and when knowledge is made accessible to others; — Transparency and a culture of dialogue together constitute the most important element in minimizing the risk that advances in life sciences will be turned to hostile use; — The increasing power and variety of advances in life sciences must be matched by commensurate objective assessments of risk and closer vigilance; — Minimizing the risk of poisoning and deliberate spread of infectious disease requires a range of synergistic measures and so is, by necessity, a multidisciplinary endeavor; — Those working in life sciences who voice concern and take responsible action require and deserve political and professional support and protection; — Because of their particular characteristics, preventing the development, proliferation and use of biological weapons requires a very different approach to preventing the development, proliferation and use of chemical weapons; — Some materials and technologies more than others lend themselves to poisoning and deliberate spread of infectious disease; and — Materials and technologies associated with the life sciences can diffuse rapidly. The principles were developed in consultation with experts in science and policy matters, according to the document, and are intended to serve as a framework for decisions and discussions related to scientific research, safety and security. The International Committee of the Red Cross plays a unique role in the international community, as a guardian of international humanitarian law, acting among other ways as a monitor, promoter and watchdog. Back to top

South Korea Produced Near Weapon-Grade Uranium, IAEA Says By Greg Webb Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Calling it “a matter of serious concern,” the International Atomic Energy Agency yesterday reported that South Korea produced small amounts of nearly weapon-grade uranium in experiments less than five years ago that were not reported to the agency at the time (see GSN, Nov. 5). South Korean scientists also conducted unreported plutonium separation experiments in 1982, the agency said in an eight-page report to its Board of Governors. Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei is scheduled to present the report at the board’s quarterly meeting beginning Nov. 25 in Vienna. “On a number of occasions, starting in 1982 and continuing until 2000, [South Korea] conducted experiments and activities involving uranium conversion, uranium enrichment and plutonium separation, which it failed to report to the agency,” the report says. The findings provided more details about South Korean declarations made earlier this year as part of Seoul’s cooperation with the Additional Protocol to its IAEA nuclear safeguards agreement. The protocol, which entered into force in February, allows the agency to conduct more intrusive monitoring of South Korean nuclear activities. The report outlines a history of South Korean nuclear activities starting with the 1980s conversion of uranium ore into 154 kilograms of natural uranium metal. Some of the uranium ore was acquired domestically from a former coal mine, but the bulk was “imported from abroad,” the agency report says without naming possible sources. In early 2000, scientists at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute then used some of the uranium metal to conduct tests of laser isotope separation technology — also developed with unidentified “foreign assistance,” according to the report.  The experiments resulted in the production of 200 milligrams of uranium enriched to contain an average of 10.2 percent of the uranium 235 isotope, the report says.  Some of the uranium, however, was enriched to 77 percent, according to the report. Weapon-grade uranium is generally considered to contain 80 percent or more of uranium 235. In addition, the report details South Korean efforts to produce a small amount of plutonium in a U.S.-supplied research reactor in 1982. South Korean officials told agency inspectors that 0.7 grams of plutonium 239 were produced in the reactor and agency estimates roughly confirmed that amount. The plutonium was then separated from the reactor fuel, yielding less than 40 milligrams, according to South Korean estimates. Although South Korea’s nuclear safeguards agreement requires it to report all these activities to the U.N. nuclear watchdog, none were reported at the times they were conducted, the report says. However, since the activities were disclosed this year, South Korean has cooperated well with the agency, the report says, although inspectors will continue to seek additional details. South Korean leaders have said they never intended to deceive the agency, and that scientists conducted the uranium and plutonium experiments without official approval or knowledge. Some experts, however, suggested that the scientists should have known better. “They must have known their work was relevant to a nuclear weapons program,” said Gerald Epstein, a WMD nonproliferation specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Nevertheless, Epstein said it was possible they did not know they were required to report activities involving such small amounts of material. “It’s not clear that they knew they were breaking international law,” he said. A Western diplomat in Vienna told the Los Angeles Times that the IAEA Board of Governors might refer the South Korean issue to the U.N. Security Council, identifying the matter as a violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Such a move could set a precedent for similar action regarding Iran’s nuclear program, which is also under debate by the board (see related GSN story, today). South Korean officials said the agency report demonstrates that they had honestly reported the activity once they learned of it. “The report does not talk about violations, it talks about reporting failures,” said Song Young-wan, a senior Foreign Ministry official quoted by Agence France-Presse. “Our initial response is that all-in-all we are satisfied with an impartial and objective report.” Back to top       Iran Presents Response to European Nuclear Deal Iran last night submitted its response to a European package of incentives aimed at persuading Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment work, a French Foreign Ministry official said today without offering details, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Nov. 11). “We are in the process of analyzing the elements of the response,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous said (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Nov. 12). Iranian negotiators Thursday had sought “clarifications” on the offer from France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the Washington Post reported. The economic and political offers are believed to include a light-water nuclear reactor. The Iranian questions were “highly technical,” a European envoy said. Officials from the three EU nations told the Post they hoped an agreement could come during the weekend (Robin Wright, Washington Post, Nov. 12). The International Atomic Energy Agency is delaying submitting a report on Iran’s nuclear work to its Board of Governors in hopes that an agreement would be confirmed that it could note in the document. The agency previously hoped to distribute the report today, Reuters reported.  “I know for a fact that the people responsible for the report had all they have to say (ready) a few days ago,” a Western diplomat said. A more positive report is expected to aid Iran’s efforts to avoid being referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions (Louis Charbonneau, Reuters, Nov. 12). Iran would “resist” unfair demands and inadequate incentives, an adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today, according to AFP. The European powers “have told us to stop our nuclear program and in return they will sell us commercial jets and trains,” said Ali Akbar Nateq Nuri. “This is an idiotic and childish thing. “Fortunately, the opinion polls show that 75 to 80 percent of Iranians want to resist, and that we continue our program and reject humiliation,” Nateq Nuri added (Siavosh Ghazi, Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Nov. 12). Meanwhile, a bill has reportedly been presented in Iran’s parliament to ban the manufacture of nuclear weapons. One Iranian member of parliament called the proposal by several of his colleagues “naive,” according to the Iranian Jomhuri-ye Eslami newspaper. “In my opinion, presenting such a draft bill is neither necessary nor expedient,” said Hojjat ol-Eslam val Moslemin Mohammad Taqi Rahbar. “It is unnecessary because our problem with the world of arrogance is not in such issues. The hegemonistic powers and the veteran politicians of the world have … become emboldened because of our defensive attitude in some cases and want to deprive our great nation from a legitimate and legal right” to a peaceful nuclear program (Jomhuri-ye Eslami/BBC Monitoring). Elsewhere, British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Washington yesterday for talks with U.S. President George W. Bush that are expected to include Iran’s nuclear program, the Associated Press reported (Deb Riechmann, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Nov. 12). Back to top       U.S. Adviser to Iraq Proposes Converting Former Nuclear Weapons Plant to Civilian Complex By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — A U.S. adviser to the Iraqi National Academy of Science has proposed converting the al-Tuwaitha complex, the main site in Iraq’s former nuclear weapons efforts, into a civilian scientific research site (see GSN, Oct. 18). In an interview yesterday with Global Security Newswire, Stuart Schwartzstein described his proposal to convert the Tuwaitha complex into a science and technology park. Such a park would be used to help promote research and to serve as an “incubator” for the development of private companies. One of its main benefits, according to Schwartzstein, would be to “cluster” Iraqi scientists from different disciplines to aid in the “cross-pollination” of ideas. Schwartzstein said he envisioned that the park would focus less on costly basic research activities and more on “applications of technology” to help meet Iraq’s basic needs. As an example, he said that scientists could examine the application of existing solar technology in Iraq, which would allow the country to increase its oil exports abroad and reduce domestic consumption. The park could also be home to a laboratory on international standards for research and industry — an area where Schwartzstein said Iraq needs an “immense” amount of work and one that affects international trade. Another advantage of converting to the Tuwaitha complex to a civilian scientific site would be its symbolic value, Schwartzstein said. Such a move would be akin to the “old biblical swords [being turned] into plowshares,” he said. One major drawback to the site, though, is that it is not located close to Baghdad or the major Iraqi universities, he said. Iraq is not the only country looking to direct past WMD-related sites to civilian purposes. For example, Kazakhstan is considering building a nuclear technology park at Semipalatisnk, the former Soviet nuclear weapons test site, and is working to build a biotechnology park at the former Soviet biological weapons site of Stepnogorsk (see GSN, Feb. 2). In addition, Libya plans to convert its former Rabta chemical weapons production site into a pharmaceutical facility (see GSN, Oct. 15). Describing Tuwaitha as “a bit like a college campus,” Schwartzstein said that renovations would be needed at many of its large number of unused buildings before a science park could be established. While some renovations could begin immediately, he said, the bulk of the work would have to wait until the internal security situation in Iraq has improved. In the aftermath of Operation Iraqi Freedom, looters stole radioactive materials from the Tuwaitha complex. In addition, there have been reports that the International Atomic Energy Agency is concerned about the looting there of nuclear weapon-related equipment. The costs of establishing a scientific park at Tuwaitha would depend on the scope of the renovations and the level of equipment it would contain, Schwartzstein said, adding that at least a few million dollars would be needed. “You could go first class all the way, you could go on the cheap,” said Schwartzstein, who also serves as an informal adviser to Iraqi Science and Technology Minister Rashad Mandan Omar. Schwartzstein also said that funding for the park would likely have to be provided through foreign assistance. Such aid could come from the International Association of Science and Parks, as well as the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which has already expressed interest, he said. The Iraqi science minister is “very much interested” in the Tuwaitha scientific park proposal, Schwartzstein said. While reactions from U.S. officials who have learned of the proposal have been “good,” the U.S. focus has been primarily on combating the current insurgency and on providing basic needs, with less emphasis on science and technology issues, he said. Back to top       United States Needs to Take Action to Ensure Lead in Supercomputing Technology, Report Warns By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — A new report released this week by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences warns that the United States could lose its advantage in supercomputing technology unless long-term and stable research funding is provided and multiple domestic suppliers of supercomputing technologies are ensured (see GSN, Nov. 5). “For the past decade, insufficient government funding for supercomputing, little long-term planning and inadequate coordination among relevant federal agencies have reduced opportunities to make the most of this technology to improve national security and promote scientific discovery,” Susan Graham, co-chair of the committee that prepared the report and a professor of computer science at the University of California-Berkeley, said in a statement. “U.S. leadership in supercomputing technologies is eroding, and with it the broader scientific and technological progress underlying a strong and robust U.S. economy,” she said. Supercomputers are used to help ensure the reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal without the need for actual testing, according to the Energy Department, which sponsored the study. According to the report, the development in 2002 of the Japanese Earth Simulator supercomputer, capable of performing more than 35 trillion calculations per second, should have served as a “wake-up call, reminding us that complacency can cause us to lose not only our competitive advantage but also, and more importantly, the national competence that we need to achieve our own goals.” Last week, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced that the BlueGene/L supercomputer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California had achieved a performance of more than 70 trillion calculations per second while running at one-quarter of its final size. The location of the most powerful supercomputer within or outside the United States, however, “does not indicate gain or leadership in supercomputing technology,” said the committee’s other co-chair, Marc Snir, a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “Our concern is that current investments and plans are not sufficient to provide the capabilities that our country needs,” he said in a statement. The report recommends that the various U.S. agencies that use supercomputing technology, such as the Defense Department, Energy Department and the National Security Agency, develop an integrated plan to manage future research and development efforts, identify common needs and reduce duplicate efforts. In addition, each relevant government agency should provide increased and stable funding for basic research activities, the report says, adding that research is needed in all “key technologies” used in supercomputers. The United States now spends about $42 million per year on supercomputing efforts, according to a federal working group. The report, however, calls for budget of $140 million annually for supercomputer technology research. Graham told Global Security Newswire today, though, that the lack of an integrated plan makes it difficult to determine how much overall should be spent on supercomputing research.  The report also calls for greater governmental involvement in ensuring that there are multiple domestic suppliers of supercomputing hardware and software to “maintain competition” and “prevent technical stagnation.” To increase the number of domestic suppliers, the report notes two approaches that have been previously successful. In one, government agencies provide an “implicit guarantee” for steady purchases of supercomputing technologies, thus providing suppliers with funding for research efforts. The second approach involves “explicit funding” of research programs.  “Stability is a key issue,” the report says, noting the suppliers of supercomputing technologies are often small companies more at risk for going out of business. “The chosen funding model must ensure stable funding.” In addition, the report recommends that barriers to international cooperation, such as limited access to supercomputers by non-U.S. citizens and export controls on supercomputing technologies, be reduced. Of all the report’s recommendations, focus should be placed on increased research funding “because of the long time lag from research to products,” Snir said in a written response this week to GSN.  Back to top       North Korea Willing to Solve Nuclear Issue Through Six-Party Talks, China Says North Korea has said that it still hopes to use the six-party talks to end the crisis over its nuclear program, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 11). North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il expressed Pyongyang’s position during a visit this week to Beijing, during which Kim met with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and other officials, according to Zhang. “All parties involved agree that the six-party talks provide a most practical and best way and means to resolve this issue,” Zhang said. “But as to the exact timing of that, there still needs to be further visitations and coordination.” The talks involve North Korea, South Korea, the United States, Japan, China and Russia (Audra Ang, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Nov. 11). Meanwhile, Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization Executive Director Charles Kartman is scheduled to travel to Pyongyang this weekend to review a suspended project to provide North Korea with two light-water nuclear reactors, according to the Yonhap news agency. During his trip, Kartman will discuss removing construction equipment intended for the reactor project from North Korea, a KEDO spokesman said. Kartman’s trip comes two weeks before the end of the one-year suspension of the project. Countries involved in the organization are discussing extending the suspension, or even ending the project altogether. The light-water reactor project was part of a 1994 deal in which Pyongyang agreed to abandon its nuclear program. The project was suspended in December 2003 due to the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula (Yonhap/BBC Monitoring, Nov. 12). Back to top       Israeli Court Places Vanunu Under House Arrest Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu has been placed under house arrest, suspected again of leaking secret information to foreigners, an Israeli judicial source said today (see GSN, Nov. 11). Vanunu was taken into custody yesterday in Jerusalem, police said. He has been placed under house arrest for seven days, during which he is prohibited from talking to the media and from describing the exact charges against him, according to Agence France-Presse. Vanunu was released from prison in April after serving 18 years for releasing information on Israel’s nuclear program (Agence France-Presse, Nov. 12). Vanunu was eating breakfast at St. George’s Anglican church when he was detained by 20 police commandos wearing bulletproof vests and armed with machine guns, according to the Associated Press. Police searched his room at the church and confiscated his computer and papers. As he was led into court yesterday, Vanunu shouted “This is a disgrace to Israeli democracy! … They want to punish me again. They cannot punish me twice.  I suffered 18 years in prison. I have the right to be free,” the Associated Press reported (Associated Press/Baltimore Sun, Nov. 12). Back to top

WHO Panel Backs Smallpox Gene Manipulation to Improve Development of Treatment for Virus A World Health Organization committee declared unanimously last week that U.S. and Russian scientists should be given authority to manipulate a smallpox virus gene to support their efforts to develop treatments for the disease, the New York Times reported today (see GSN, Oct. 13). To be enacted, the decision by the WHO international advisory committee needs approval from agency Director General Jong Wook-lee, the WHO executive board and from representatives of the body’s member countries who are next set to meet in May 2005. The only known stocks of the smallpox virus remain at Russian and U.S. laboratories. Fears have grown in recent years that terrorists might divert the virus from Russia for possible biological attacks, or that other countries might have maintained smallpox samples without informing the United Nations, the Times reported. If the experiments are approved, scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a Russian laboratory would be allowed to insert a marker gene into the virus that glows when placed under a fluorescent light. That would enable them to screen for possible antiviral drugs, according to the Times. Only one drug to date has been identified as a candidate for treating smallpox after infection. It would take “a few years” to identify additional potential treatments, said Daniel Lavanchy, a WHO smallpox expert (Lawrence Altman, New York Times, Nov. 12). Back to top

Scientists to Seek Smell at Umatilla The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency is sending scientists to Oregon to search for the source of an unidentified smell at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 22). Four depot workers in two separate incidents in recent weeks reported suffering runny noses and watery eyes after coming into contact with an odd odor. The sites of the incidents were a mile apart, AP reported. There has been no indication of a chemical agent release and all four employees tested negative for exposure to the blister and nerve agents contained in weapons at the depot. Scientists next week are set to search the facility in search of the smell’s origin (Associated Press/Corvallis Gazette-Times, Nov. 11). Back to top       Russia Reducing Foreign Inspections at Chemical Sites, Increasing Technical Monitoring, Official Says Russia is reducing the number of foreign inspectors used to monitor chemical weapons storage sites in exchange for a greater reliance on technical monitoring systems, a senior Russian disarmament official said yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 11). As an example, Aleksandr Gorbovskiy said that technical monitoring systems installed at the chemical weapons disposal facility in Gorny had allowed the number of foreign inspectors to be reduced there from eight to five, according to ITAR-Tass (ITAR-Tass/BBC Monitoring, Nov. 11). Back to top       Tooele Workers Cleared of VX Exposure Further testing has determined that eight workers at the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Utah were not exposed to chemical weapons agents earlier this month, Deseret Chemical Depot officials said yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 3). The workers were tested for exposure to VX nerve agent after a contaminated breathing air supply line used by workers was discovered, according to the Associated Press. Workers were allowed to go into the toxic areas of the facility beginning yesterday, and destruction operations could resume this weekend, AP reported (Associated Press, Nov. 11). Back to top

Airborne Laser Test Succeeds A U.S. defense contractor activated a chemical laser for the first time Wednesday that is intended to serve as component in U.S. missile defenses. The test was a significant step in developing the Airborne Laser that the Bush administration hopes someday could be used to shoot down enemy missiles soon after they are launched (see GSN, Nov. 4). “It lasted only a fraction of a second, but the important thing is we got the photons, which proves the laser works,” Ken Englade, an official with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency ABL program, told the Los Angeles Times. “It came at a very good time, because people were saying it wasn’t going to work.” Engineers with Northrop Grumman Corp. in coming months hope to increase the laser’s intensity and firing time to the point where it could hit a ballistic missile at a distance of more than 200 miles, the Times reported today. Wednesday’s ground-based test involved producing a laser burst from chemicals in six large modules placed in a 747-jet fuselage at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The laser will later be moved to a 747 that has a laser-firing turret. Continued obstacles to the program include the potential for bad weather to impair the laser’s accuracy and the vulnerability of the laser-carrying jets to attack, critics say. “They still have a long way to go, but this is a big milestone,” said Philip Coyle, a former Pentagon official who has been critical of the missile defense program (Peter Pae, Los Angeles Times, Nov. 12).   Back to top

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