IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei acknowledged today that his agency had improperly accused Iran of failing to declare certain nuclear equipment imports (AFP photo/Dieter Nagl). IAEA Resolution on Iran Completed After Agency Admits Error in Report on Country’s Nuclear Program A resolution criticizing Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency was formally introduced to the agency’s Board of Governors today after the final wording was negotiated among board members (see GSN, June 16). ..Full Story

Prewar Intelligence Efforts in Iraq Plagued With Mistakes, U.S. Intelligence Officials Say U.S. prewar intelligence efforts in Iraq suffered from a variety of problems, including unreliable human sources and ineffective analyzing of intercepted communications and satellite imagery, the Los Angeles Times reported today (see GSN, June 16)...Full Story

U.S House Appropriations Committee Eliminates Funding for New Nuclear Weapons Research The U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted yesterday to approve the fiscal 2005 energy and water development appropriations bill, which does not contain funding sought by the Bush administration for new nuclear weapons research (see GSN, June 10)...Full Story

	Thursday, June 17, 2004

Prewar Intelligence Efforts in Iraq Plagued With Mistakes, U.S. Intelligence Officials Say U.S. prewar intelligence efforts in Iraq suffered from a variety of problems, including unreliable human sources and ineffective analyzing of intercepted communications and satellite imagery, the Los Angeles Times reported today (see GSN, June 16). Two Iraqi informants recruited by British intelligence who provided information on Iraq’s alleged WMD efforts were never interviewed by the CIA and have now been deemed as unreliable, current and former U.S. intelligence officials said. Earlier this year, CIA Director George Tenet praised the two spies in a speech intended to defend the agency against criticisms over prewar Iraq intelligence. In his speech, Tenet noted the ties the two spies had “access” to the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and said that the spies had reported that Iraq was seeking to develop nuclear weapons, had stockpiled chemical weapons and had worked to mislead U.N. weapons inspectors, the Times reported. “Now, did this information make any difference in my thinking? You bet it did,” Tenet said in his February speech. Tenet did not say in his speech, however, that both British-recruited Iraqi spies have been deemed suspect and there is no evidence to support their claims, according to the Times. “It’s all fallen apart,” a former CIA official said. “Neither one had direct knowledge. They were describing what they had heard. They claimed to have knowledge, but they didn’t. They were hangers-on in the corridors of power, not insiders,” the official said. In addition, U.S. intelligence analysts made mistakes when examining satellite photos taken over Iraq, according to the Times. For example, analysts often misinterpreted images of small, half-cylindrical sheds used in Iraq to house chickens. The analysts identified the buildings as possible Scud ballistic missile storage sites, leading two groups of U.N. weapons inspectors to search chicken farms for suspected missiles. “We inspected a lot of chicken farms,” said a former U.N. inspector. In recognition of the failed searches, the former inspector’s U.N. team made T-shirts inscribed with “Ballistic Chicken Farm Inspection Team,” the Times reported (Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, June 17). No Iraq-Al-Qaeda Link, U.S. Commission Says Meanwhile, the U.S. commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks said yesterday that it had found no evidence of connections between prewar Iraq and al-Qaeda, counter to claims made as recently as earlier this week by the Bush administration officials, according to the Washington Post. While there had been contacts between Iraq and al-Qaeda, there is no evidence of a “collaborative relationship” between the two, according to the commission. During a hearing yesterday of the panel, a senior FBI official and a senior CIA official agreed with the finding, the Post reported. On Monday, however, Vice President Dick Cheney said that Hussein “had long-established ties with al-Qaeda” (Pincus/Milbank, Washington Post, June 17). Cheney aides said yesterday that the vice president has no plans to recant his allegations, despite the Sept. 11 commission’s findings, according to Reuters. “The administration’s statements rest on a solid foundation of history and facts. The record of links between Iraq and al-Qaeda is clear to anyone who has open eyes and an open mind,” a White House official said yesterday (Adam Entous, Reuters/Yahoo!News, June 16). Back to top       Survey Finds Research Areas for Iraqi Scientists A recent study of postwar Iraq’s scientific priorities has identified several “critical areas,” such as health, water resources, environment and energy, in which to employ Iraqi scientists and technicians, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced Tuesday (see GSN, Feb. 27). The agency, along with the Arab Science and Technology Foundation and the U.S. Sandia National Laboratories, operates a program to help employ and redirect Iraqi scientists, some of whom may have WMD- and ballistic missile-related experience. The survey, which was completed in April, involved interviews with 200 Iraqi scientists, who proposed more than 450 research project ideas in a variety of fields. More specific project proposals will next be sought from Iraqi scientists, with the intent of funding a small pilot project in the areas of water monitoring or epidemiology, according to the U.S. agency. Once the pilot project is completed, a workshop will be held in the Middle East to further prioritize other areas for technical cooperation and funding will be sought to begin work on several additional high-priority projects. “We are moving with all due speed to implement this program. This administration places a high emphasis on nonproliferation programs and the effort to engage Iraqi scientists is a very important one,” NNSA chief Linton Brooks said in a statement. “As we help rebuild Iraqi science and technology infrastructure we help reintegrate Iraq into the international science community while fulfilling important nonproliferation goals,” he added (NNSA release, June 15). Back to top       Israel Plans to Recall Civilian Gas Masks Israel plans to recall millions of gas masks, in part because the threat of a biological or chemical attack from Iraq has decreased with the fall of Saddam Hussein, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, March 20, 2003). The Israeli Security Cabinet made the decision yesterday to recall the gas masks from citizens, AP reported. The mask collection program would help to avoid the cost of resupplying mask components, a move that would have been necessary to maintain their effectiveness, officials said (Steve Weizman, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, June 16). Back to top       Turkey Ready to Deploy WMD Experts to Olympics Turkey said yesterday it is ready to send WMD experts to the Athens Olympics in August if more security support is needed, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, June 14). “It has been decided that two teams of nuclear, biological and chemical decontamination teams, one from the army and one from the Interior Ministry, be on standby in Turkey to be sent over to Greece if the need arises during the course of the Olympic Games,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, June 16). Back to top       Japan and Libya to Hold Nonproliferation Talks Japanese and Libyan officials are expected to meet by the end of this month to discuss nonproliferation, the Daily Yomiuri reported today (see GSN, March 12). The talks, which would be the first held by Japan and Libya, are expected to include discussions on measures to prevent nuclear technology from being transferred to countries such as North Korea, Japanese officials said. Japan would also be briefed on Libya’s progress in destroying its WMD programs, and would seek information on the international nuclear network, officials said (Daily Yomiuri, June 17). Back to top

IAEA Resolution on Iran Completed After Agency Admits Error in Report on Country’s Nuclear Program A resolution criticizing Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency was formally introduced to the agency’s Board of Governors today after the final wording was negotiated among board members (see GSN, June 16).  The move followed an agency acknowledgement that a recent report on Iran’s nuclear program contained a factual error. Still, the resolution tabled today “deplores” Iran’s level of transparency with the agency, Reuters reported. Formal approval of the resolution by the board is now expected soon, according to diplomats (Reuters, June 17). Prior to the resolution’s tabling, the agency agreed today that it had wrongly accused Iran of failing to declare its imports of some nuclear components. The agency alleged earlier this month that Iran did not declare having imported the P-2 uranium enrichment centrifuge parts until April. However, Iran this week produced a tape recording of a January statement provided to the agency by an Iranian businessman who conducted the deal. “This was made in an oral statement at the end of a particular meeting with one individual whose English was not very clear to us. ... It’s a fault that we did not pick it up, it was not fed to our system,” IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said. The allegation in the June 1 report that Iran had provided changing and contradictory information, a senior Iranian official said, was therefore “completely wrong.” “This has been a big mistake,” said Hossein Mousavian, secretary of the foreign policy committee of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. “It shows Iranian cooperation, Iranian information has been full and precise, on time, with no contradictions and no changes,” he added. Mousavian went on to say the error seemed an “innocent mistake” and that Iran was pleased that the agency had corrected itself. However, he added that the clarification should have been made sooner. “Unfortunately, this is late,” Mousavian said (Charbonneau/Trevelyan, Reuters/Yahoo!News, June 17). The agency said that, as a result of the error, it would change wording in its report on Iran to state that the information the country provided on its nuclear program “continues to lack the necessary clarity” instead of being “changing or contradictory” (Mark Landler, New York Times, June 17). Back to top       U.S House Appropriations Committee Eliminates Funding for New Nuclear Weapons Research The U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted yesterday to approve the fiscal 2005 energy and water development appropriations bill, which does not contain funding sought by the Bush administration for new nuclear weapons research (see GSN, June 10). The bill contains $9 billion for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, an increase of more than $370 million from fiscal 2004, but $21.5 million less than the White House’s request. The $9 billion includes $6.5 billion for weapons activities, $1.35 billion for defense nuclear nonproliferation programs, $807.9 million for naval reactors and $356.2 million for the Office of the Administrator, according to a committee press release.  The NNSA weapons activities account, however, does not contain funding for new nuclear weapons efforts such as advanced concepts research, research into the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, development of a new facility to produce plutonium triggers, or “pits,” and enhanced nuclear weapons test readiness, the committee announced (House Appropriations Committee release, June 16). Back to top       United States Renews Decree Protecting Russian Accounts Used in Highly Enriched Uranium Deal U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday renewed for one year a 2000 decree protecting Russian accounts in the United States used to implement the Megatons to Megawatts program from court prosecution, according to ITAR-Tass (see GSN, May 14). The Megatons to Megawatts program seeks to eliminate 500 metric tons of Russian highly enriched uranium removed from nuclear weapons by blending down the material for eventual use as civilian nuclear power plant fuel. In June 2000, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton signed the four-year decree to protect payments to Russia made through the program from court action. That year, concerns were raised that payments to Russia could be blocked after a Swiss company filed a lawsuit in the United States seeking payment of an alleged debt still owned by Russia, ITAR-Tass reported (Ivan Lebedev, ITAR-Tass, June 17) Back to top       Ukraine to Continue Fuel Disposal Without U.S. Aid Ukraine plans to move ahead next year with the construction of a facility to destroy SS-24 ICBM fuel, despite a lack of U.S. funding for the project, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday (see GSN, Dec. 30, 2003). About 5,000 metric tons of the missile fuel, now stored at a chemical plant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pavlhograd, is set to be destroyed as part of Ukraine’s efforts to eliminate its Soviet-era ballistic missile arsenal. While a plant to dispose of the fuel was supposed to be completed by the end of this year, the Bush administration last year suspended U.S. aid for the project because of cost and environmental concerns, AFP reported. Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma recently ordered the Pavlhograd plant to resume work next year to dispose of the SS-24 fuel and complete the job by the end of 2011, four years behind previous estimates, according to AFP (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, June 16). Back to top

Leaking Chemical Weapons Found at Anniston Depot Twenty rockets have been found in recent weeks leaking GB nerve agent vapor at the U.S. Army depot in Anniston, Ala., the U.S. Army reported this week (see GSN, May 28). The vapor was detected during routine daily monitoring of a storage igloo, and filters were placed on the structure to prevent GB agent from escaping, the Army said Monday. There was no danger to the community or workers at the facility as a result of the incident, the Army added. The leaking rockets were from the same lot that produced most of the 778 GB rockets previously identified as leakers at the chemical weapons incinerator.   The storage igloo containing the M55 rockets is monitored each workday, the Army said (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency release, June 14). Back to top       Bangladesh Readies Chemical Weapons Law Bangladesh is set to implement a national law prohibiting the spread of chemical weapons, the New Nation reported yesterday. As a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, Bangladesh is required to enact legislation implementing the treaty. Sources said the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act-2004 would include regulations on chemical usage, a requirement to list chemical importers and users, and a response policy if another nation accuses Bangladesh of producing chemical weapons (Syful Islam, New Nation, June 16). Back to top       Umatilla Chemical Weapons Incineration Plans Delayed The destruction of 7.4 million pounds of chemical weapons at an Oregon facility is expected to begin at least one month later than currently planned, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, May 19). Disposal work at the Umatilla Chemical Depot was expected to begin in mid-July. However, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission is set to meet in early August to reschedule the start date, possibly to Aug. 14, said U.S. Army spokeswoman Mary Binder. The commission said it has not yet received readiness reports from the Army and its contractor, and that additional incinerator tests are necessary (Associated Press/KGW.com, June 16).   Back to top

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