Acting U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester Crawford has warned of potential terrorist threats to the U.S. drug supply (FDA photo). U.S. Warns of Terrorist Threat to Drug Supply, but Warning Not Based on Specific Information By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — A day after the acting commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned of potential terrorist threats to the medicine supply, his top adviser for counterterrorism today said she knows of no specific information about such a danger (see GSN, Oct. 21, 2003)...Full Story

North Korea Should Be Main Nonproliferation Priority of Next U.S. President, Lugar Says By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — North Korea’s suspected nuclear weapons efforts will be the “No. 1 nonproliferation priority” facing the victor of the November U.S. presidential election, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) said yesterday (see related GSN story, today)...Full Story

Bush Nuclear Policies Undermine Nonproliferation, Republican Congressman Says By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The Bush administration’s nuclear weapons research and development programs are inconsistent with and undermine U.S. efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation, a powerful senior Republican legislator said at a conference here yesterday (see GSN, June 28)...Full Story

	Thursday, August 12, 2004

New National Intelligence Director May Hinder Military Efforts, U.S. Defense Officials Say By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — U.S. defense officials warned yesterday of the possible negative impacts of the creation of a national director of intelligence, saying that changes to the current relationship between the intelligence community and the Defense Department could damage the ability of military commanders to receive information (see GSN, Aug. 11). In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, defense officials praised the “partnership” that exists between the director of central intelligence and the defense secretary. The Pentagon controls a number of intelligence agencies also used by the director of central intelligence, including the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and the National Geospatial Agency. The Sept. 11 commission has recommended that a director of national intelligence be created to oversee all U.S. national intelligence agencies, including those controlled by the Pentagon. To aid the national director, a deputy intelligence director would be created that would also serve as defense undersecretary for intelligence.  Defense Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Stephen Cambone told the committee yesterday that if a national intelligence director was created as recommended by the Sept. 11 commission, the Pentagon would “salute smartly and make it happen.” He also said, though, that the department would need to know that the new director would not adversely effect military operations. “If it is decided that there is a better way to arrange ourselves, overall, then we will do so. But, we will have to come back and reconfigure that relationship, so that there is an assurance that the support that's going to be needed for the warfighter will be there when he picks up the phone and seeks it,” Cambone said. One concern, according to defense officials, is that the new national intelligence director would hinder the ability of battlefield commanders to quickly receive intelligence. “There is always a concern that we add bureaucracy that does not allow us to get immediate information,” said Army Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, former commander of the 4th Infantry Division. “The bottom line is, at the tactical level, you’ve got to have immediate access,” he added. In a separate hearing of the House intelligence committee yesterday, Sept. 11 commission Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton reiterated that the panel’s recommendations did not include changes to tactical intelligence. As envisioned by the commission, agencies responsible for such information would remains solely under the defense secretary. “Now let me be clear, the warfighter must have tactical intelligence support. Our report takes no issue with tactical support,” Hamilton said. “We want to protect that war-maker, but we also want to protect the American citizen. And that’s the problem that we’re addressing here, where you have to balance the needs here of the warfighter and the national policy-maker. And it’s not an easy thing to do,” he added. Odierno told the Armed Services Committee, though, that the line between “strategic” and “tactical” intelligence has become increasingly blurred. “Something that might be up here in Washington, D.C., and information might not be important could be extremely important on the ground to those soldiers. And so we’ve got to have a system where people can interact and that all of that data is available to us,” he said. Several committee members echoed the defense officials’ concerns. “Transferring DOD national intelligence capabilities to an outside entity could end up dulling our military edge, which would ultimately make us less secure,” committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) said. “I think it’s important to make sure … as we put together legislation we don’t inadvertently put together a package that goes against those good intentions of keeping the warfighter as effective as possible,” he said. Back to top

North Korea Should Be Main Nonproliferation Priority of Next U.S. President, Lugar Says By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — North Korea’s suspected nuclear weapons efforts will be the “No. 1 nonproliferation priority” facing the victor of the November U.S. presidential election, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) said yesterday (see related GSN story, today). Noting North Korea’s possible possession of up to six nuclear weapons and its long history as an international arms dealer, Lugar said that the next president must work to obtain a “phased, verifiable agreement” under which the communist nation would end its suspected nuclear weapons program and lucrative exports of ballistic missile technology. The end result would be the “complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement” of Pyongyang’s nuclear program, including the destruction of its atomic weapons and related facilities and an agreement to place all fissile materials under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, he said.  During a speech at the National Press Club, Lugar outlined a 12-point nonproliferation agenda for the next U.S. leader following the November election, be it incumbent President George W. Bush or Democratic challenger Senator John Kerry (Mass.). Lugar, along with former Senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), is the architect of the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, which seeks to secure and dispose of former Soviet weapons of mass destruction.  Along with addressing the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, Lugar said the next U.S. president would need to “establish international will” to end Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons efforts. “Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program, no matter how loudly they may deny it. Our challenge is to rally the international community, which largely shares our views on that fact, to apply significant pressure on Tehran to verifiably abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions,” he said. If Iran does not end its suspected weapons efforts, Lugar said, then the International Atomic Energy Agency should refer the issue to the U.N. Security Council for further action, including possible sanctions. Bush and Kerry have offered differing approaches on resolving both the North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues.  The White House has sought to end North Korea’s nuclear program through a series of six-party talks also involving China, Japan, Russia and South Korea, and has ruled out bilateral talks with Pyongyang (see related GSN story, today). Kerry has said he would be willing to hold direct talks with Pyongyang. The Bush administration has also taken a harder stance regarding Iran, calling for the issue of Tehran’s nuclear efforts to be put before the U.N. Security Council. Kerry, though, has said he would test Iran’s claims of seeking nuclear power for civilian purposes by offering fuel for Iranian nuclear plants in exchange for Tehran returning the material once spent. Increased Nonproliferation Efforts in Russia Lugar also said yesterday that the next president would need to do more to increase nonproliferation efforts in Russia conducted through the CTR program, by working to include Russian tactical nuclear weapons in the program, to obtain increased access to Russian biological weapons facilities and to gather complete information on Russia’s chemical weapons stockpile. The next U.S. president should also seek to resolve outstanding disputes over liability protections for U.S. contractors involved in nonproliferation projects in Russia, he said (see GSN, June 16). Kerry has said that he would place a high priority on nonproliferation efforts in Russia if elected, pledging to use his first summit with President Vladimir Putin to obtain an agreement to eliminate lingering bureaucratic obstacles. Kerry’s stance, however, has been criticized by some Bush supporters, who have said that it would “embarrass” Russia and potentially backfire (see GSN, June 2). In addition, the next president will need to work to control all weapon-grade nuclear material outside the former Soviet Union that could be used by terrorists seeking to develop a crude nuclear weapon, to engage U.S. and European companies to employ former WMD scientists, and to aid nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan in developing nuclear confidence building measures, Lugar said. He also called on the next president to ensure that the Group of Eight global economic powers fully fund the G-8 Global Partnership, which was launched in 2002 to provide $20 billion over 10 years to fund nonproliferation efforts, primarily in Russia. To date, about $17 billion has been pledged and only a small amount of the funding has been spent on actual projects, according to Lugar (see GSN, June 10). Lugar acknowledged the challenges his nonproliferation agenda posed to the next president. “Admittedly, this is a daunting list. No president will achieve every objective enumerated here. He will have influence over all of them, but he will have absolute power over none of them,” Lugar said. “I am confident that whoever is elected in November would find substantial public support for this set of initiatives. The American public wants the president to engage in foreign affairs to improve the security of the United States,” he added. In his remarks, Lugar noted the increased attention nonproliferation issues have received from both the public and the media since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. As an example of the low attention paid beforehand, he cited the emphasis he placed on the issue during his failed 1996 Republican presidential campaign, which included a four-part series of television ads highlighting the dangers of nuclear terrorism. “Some observers denounced the ads as fear-mongering. More charitable commentators described my focus on nonproliferation issues as an eccentric preoccupation of a candidate too interested in foreign affairs,” he said. Since Sept. 11, “we have turned a corner. The public, the media, the candidates all are paying more attention now,” Lugar added. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Richard Lugar serves on the Nuclear Threat Initiative board.  NTI is the sole sponsor of Global Security Newswire, which is published independently by National Journal Group.] Back to top       Iraq Possessed No Banned Weapons When United States Invaded, Former Nuclear Scientist Says Iraq had no WMD stockpiles when the United States invaded last year, Jafar Dhia Jafar, known as the “father” of Iraq’s past nuclear weapons program, said in a television interview aired yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 11). Iraq destroyed its weapons of mass destruction following the 1991 Gulf War and never resumed programs to rebuild them, Jafar said during an appearance on the BBC program Newsnight. The country’s nuclear program was also abandoned that year, he said. “They were not available in 2003 because they had been destroyed and the program was never reconstituted or reactivated, none of the programs,” he said (Reuters/Washington Post, Aug. 12). Back to top       U.S. Lifts Some Air Service Sanctions From Libya The U.S. Transportation Department this week lifted some air service sanctions imposed against Libya — the latest in a series of rewards provided by the United States in exchange for Tripoli’s dismantlement of its WMD programs (see GSN, July 30). U.S. airlines may now conduct all-cargo operations to Libya. Other air services, including direct passenger and cargo flights between the United States and Libya and flights to the United States by Libyan air carriers and registered aircraft, remain prohibited (U.S. Treasury Department release, Aug. 10). Back to top

Bush Nuclear Policies Undermine Nonproliferation, Republican Congressman Says By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The Bush administration’s nuclear weapons research and development programs are inconsistent with and undermine U.S. efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation, a powerful senior Republican legislator said at a conference here yesterday (see GSN, June 28). Efforts that could lead to new nuclear weapons capabilities and the program to shorten the preparation time for resuming underground testing appear to be “very provocative and overly aggressive policies that undermine our moral authority to argue that other nations should forgo nuclear weapons,” said House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Chairman David Hobson (R-Ohio). The U.S. nuclear weapons complex, furthermore, needs serious managerial reform to remedy problems that may undermine the quality of U.S. nuclear deterrence, Hobson added, in an unusually strong intraparty criticism during an election year. He called the U.S. nuclear weapons complex a “national treasure,” but said its $6 billion complex looks like a “jobs program for Ph.D.s.” Guiding legislation through the House over the past two years, Hobson has aggressively tried to set things right as he sees them, and in doing so has become perhaps the most forceful critic of the Bush administration’s nuclear weapons plans. Bucking the House’s traditional deference to Senate appropriators on nuclear weapons issues, Hobson portrayed himself as a “little old country lawyer” trying to bring some common sense to the programs and expressed confidence in his ability to push changes through this year despite some administration opposition. ‘Sized to Fight the Soviet Union’ Speaking at a conference hosted by the National Academy of Sciences, Hobson said the nuclear weapons stockpile, estimated by nongovernmental experts at about 10,000 active and reserve bombs, is “sized to fight the Soviet Union” and is unnecessarily large with respect to future U.S. adversaries. “Other than a Cold War ‘Russia gone bad,’ scenario, I don’t believe that our nuclear stockpile is useful against our new foes,” he said, adding that the stockpile at its current size has failed to dissuade Iran and North Korea from pursuing nuclear weapons. Hobson faulted the Bush administration for not presenting to Congress a plan for reducing the nuclear stockpile until June of this year, even though President George W. Bush signed an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin in May 2002 to take thousands of warheads out of operational deployment by 2012 (see GSN, June 22). “Subsequent to the president’s decision, there was no evidence that the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense were serious about reducing the stockpile,” he said. However, he praised the administration’s plan in the June report to reduce the stockpile to “roughly half of its current size,” which he called a “more realistic and responsible level.” Following his initiative, Congress had frozen some Energy Department expenditures for advanced concepts nuclear work this fiscal year until the plan was delivered. ‘Very Limited’ Role Advocated Hobson noted that this year his committee blocked all appropriations for administration nuclear weapons research and development programs — the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator study and other nuclear weapons concepts work — and for constructing a new nuclear weapons pit production facility. The House approved the cuts with its June vote on the overall fiscal 2005 energy and water appropriations bill. Hobson argued the pursuit of new nuclear weapons capabilities undermines the U.S. ability to persuade other countries to forgo such weapons. “We cannot advocate for nuclear weapons proliferation around the globe and pursue more usable nuclear weapons options here at home. That inconsistency is not lost on anyone in the international community,” he said. He added that nuclear weapons should have “very, very limited” role in U.S. post-Cold War national security strategy, arguing that having earth-penetrating nuclear weapons would not deter terrorists and using them against rogue regimes would be unwise. “Some think that, if we had low-yield nuclear weapons in our arsenal, we should have used them on some of [former Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein’s bunkers that we assumed to be holding weapons of mass destruction,” he said, in an apparent indirect criticism of a comment made by a fellow Republican legislator last year.  He said discussing using nuclear weapons in the way conventional weapons currently are used “just does not make sense” and “leads to policy outcomes that are irrational in today’s post-Cold War world,” he said. While the United States will in the future need a robust deterrent, he said, “The glory years for the nuclear weapon complex are over. Never again will the federal agencies and national labs have the discretion or the budget that was allowed during the Cold War to pursue any type of nuclear weapon research no matter what the cost.” Managerial Concerns Energy Department managerial problems, he said, include recurrent security failures, continued delays in achieving program milestones, construction project schedule delays, and cost overruns. “These are all problems resulting from a lack of realistic priority setting and oversight from the federal managers” he said and could be solved not with more funding but rather “by holding people and organizations accountable for their performance.” Such problems where they impact the safety, security and reliability of the nuclear arsenal, may pose “the greatest threat to our stockpile” and be “a more serious national security concern than the existence or nonexistence of a robust nuclear earth penetrator,” he said. After touring the national laboratories and production facilities over the past two years, Hobson said he found the nuclear weapon complex “could be viewed as a jobs program for Ph.D.s — the ultimate in white collar welfare — where the federal oversight organization did not demand accountability for performance and where business practices were two decades behind the times.” He said laboratory contracts “had not been competed in over 50 years, including the two weapons laboratories, Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore.” Last year, following his committee’s direction, Congress required the Energy Department to open its nuclear research laboratory contracts for competition (see GSN, Aug. 9). “Nothing ensures beneficial change as much as true competition,” he said. A national laboratory culture of “we know best” “threatens the reputation of the entire enterprise,” Hobson said. He advocated an independent commission to review the future requirements of the nuclear weapons complex. Little Administration Backlash The White House has criticized the House nuclear weapons program cuts, stating in June that the reductions “would diminish the nation’s ability to respond to future national security threats.” The Senate has not yet voted on a version of the bill. National laboratory officials also are not particularly pleased with Hobson. “I’m unfortunately not just a little old country lawyer from the Midwest. I’m one of those arrogant lab directors. I did get a Ph.D. in physics,” Sandia National Laboratories head Paul Robinson said, also speaking at the conference. He argued that the post-Cold War emergence of new types of security concerns from “rogue states” with unconventional weapons requires developing nuclear weapons capabilities (see GSN, Aug. 8, 2003). “The big question is, can we adapt [the U.S. nuclear deterrent] to the world ahead of us and how can it serve that world in the future,” he said. Hobson said the administration has not pressured him to abandon such measures, with the exception of one phone call to protest the cut for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator program. He said the administration has resisted pressure, “Because I’ll beat them, and they don’t want to go there. They don’t want a vote on it.  … I think they can count.” The administration is hoping for a congressional compromise deal on the funding, Hobson said, but added, “I’m not excited about doing that.” He said, though, he might be open to some kind of deal. “I think we can reach some accommodations that make the world a better place, and that’s what I’m going to try to do,” he said. Back to top       U.S., North Korean Nuclear Negotiators Meet Top North Korean and U.S. nuclear negotiators met informally on the sidelines of a two-day foreign policy conference this week in New York, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Aug. 11). Li Gun, deputy head of U.S. affairs at North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, said it was “obvious and natural” that he would speak with U.S. special envoy to North Korea Joseph DeTrani, since they were often in the same room Tuesday and yesterday at the conference. “We had very good meetings,” said DeTrani, refusing to elaborate. The two diplomats met over dinner Tuesday night, along with South Korean Ambassador to the United States Han Sung-Joo and U.S. State Department Director of Policy Planning Mitchell Reiss, according to an anonymous source. Li and Yang Xi Yu, director of the Korean Peninsula office in China’s Foreign Ministry, said the conference did not involve negotiations or decisions about the ongoing multilateral talks, which are expected to resume next month. “We talked about issues, but this is not negotiations, but only exchange of views,” Li said. “The opportunity has been useful and every party has explained their original positions. We ... introduced our original positions,” Li said. “It was cordial.  We exchanged (views) in a frank manner and it was businesslike,” he added (Edith Lederer, Associated Press/WCCO-4, Aug. 11). Back to top       Russia Has Conducted Subcritical Nuclear Tests This Year, Atomic Energy Official Says Russia has conducted a series of subcritical nuclear tests this year at its test range on Novaya Zemlya, Federal Atomic Energy Agency Director Alexander Rumyantsev said Monday (see GSN, Aug. 10). “Experiments of this kind are conducted every year for the purpose of securing the reliability, compatibility and safety of the nuclear ammunition,” he said (see GSN, May 28, 2002; ITAR-Tass, Aug. 9). News of the tests prompted criticism from the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — the only sites of nuclear attacks, MosNews.com reported. “It seems Russia is showing off its possession of nuclear weapons and this tramples down the wish for termination of nuclear arms of Nagasaki citizens as well as people around the world,” Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito said in a statement (MosNews.com, Aug. 11). Back to top       Lugar Defends Pakistani Nuclear Pardon By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) yesterday defended Pakistan’s decision to pardon top nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan for his transfers of nuclear technology abroad (see GSN, Aug. 9). It would have been difficult for President Pervez Musharraf to prosecute Khan, largely due to the high esteem in which the public holds the scientist for his role as the “father” of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, Lugar said. “Mr. Khan is a national hero, an icon, in part because he produced the nuclear weapons that would counter India,” he said, during remarks following a speech here at the National Press Club. Early this year, Khan reportedly told Pakistani authorities that he transferred nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea. Shortly after Khan confessed, he received a pardon for his activities from Musharraf in exchange for fully cooperating with the investigation into the international nuclear network used by the scientist to transfer materials.  While Pakistan has shared information on the network learned from Khan with the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has refused to provide either with direct access to the scientist. Late last month, a group of U.S. lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced legislation that would limit U.S aid to Pakistan if it did not increase its cooperation, including providing direct access to Khan and his associates. Describing Musharraf as a “stalwart friend” of the United States, Lugar yesterday praised Pakistan for the information it had already provided on the nuclear black market, saying it aided in the dismantlement of Libya’s WMD efforts. Information provided by Pakistan has also “pinned down” aspects of Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programs that were previously only suspected by U.S. intelligence, Lugar said. “Now at the end of the day, we’re expecting much more from the Pakistani government. This is not the end of the case.  And as a result, I think we will get more,” he said. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Richard Lugar serves on the Nuclear Threat Initiative board.  NTI is the sole sponsor of Global Security Newswire, which is published independently by National Journal Group.] Back to top       Russia Conducts SS-19 ICBM Test Russia yesterday conducted a successful test of its SS-19 ICBM to determine if the missile’s service life can be extended, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, June 29). The test was conducted from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and the missile hit a target in the Kamchatka Peninsula, according to AP. It was the fifth out of 10 launches planned this year by the Strategic Missile Forces. The SS-19 has been in service for 27 years, AP reported (Associated Press/Sydney Morning Herald, Aug. 12). Back to top       Los Alamos Kept Poor Record of Classified Computers, Energy Department Finds A U.S. Energy Department Inspector General’s Office report says that the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico has failed to keep track of computers used for working with classified information, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 11). Eight classified desktop computers were not listed in the Los Alamos property management system and three were not added to the system, the report states. Laboratory security officials were also not informed of a missing computer processing unit used in classified work, the report says. While the unit was set to be destroyed, there is no record of that having occurred, the AP reported. The Energy Department report was based on an investigation conducted prior to the reported disappearance last month of two classified computer disks at Los Alamos, according to AP. The laboratory has developed a plan to resolve the “accounting discrepancies” listed in the report, laboratory spokesman Kevin Roark said (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Aug. 11). Meanwhile, antinuclear activists have said that Los Alamos officials should use the facility’s work stoppage to address concerns about plutonium management systems, according to the Albuquerque Journal. For years, Energy Department officials have expressed concerns about two different databases used by the department and Los Alamos to keep track of plutonium, according to the Journal (see GSN, June 19, 2003). The two systems differ by as much as 1,700 pounds of the material, according to government records on Los Alamos. “We are satisfied with our accounting system,” Roark said. “We’re following the rules when it comes to accounting for materials that go into the waste stream,” he added (Adam Rankin, Albuquerque Journal, Aug. 11). Back to top

U.S. Warns of Terrorist Threat to Drug Supply, but Warning Not Based on Specific Information By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — A day after the acting commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned of potential terrorist threats to the medicine supply, his top adviser for counterterrorism today said she knows of no specific information about such a danger (see GSN, Oct. 21, 2003). Acting FDA head Lester Crawford’s warning that terrorists could attack the United States using imported drugs also prompted a rebuttal by a Vermont official, who today called terrorism and drug imports “totally unrelated” subjects. The state plans to sue the agency after failing to obtain approval to import drugs from Canada. Citing a recent briefing he has received on al-Qaeda’s activities, Crawford yesterday told the Associated Press that “cues from chatter” were cause for concern about a food- or drug-borne attack. He said terrorists could try an attack similar to the 1982 Tylenol tampering case, in which seven people died after ingesting cyanide that had been placed in painkiller containers at Chicago stores. Clarifying the warning, Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse told AP the department “must assume that such a threat exists generally” but has “no specific information now about any al-Qaeda threats to our food or drug supply.” In an interview this morning with Global Security Newswire, FDA Assistant Commissioner for Counterrorism Margaret Glavin said she was not present at the briefing cited by Crawford but believed no specific information indicated a threat to the drug supply. “There is not a contradiction” between Crawford’s and Roehrkasse’s appraisals, she said. “I do not believe that Dr. Crawford referred to any specific or immediate threats,” said Glavin, who heads the FDA Counterterrorism Office. “Certainly,” she said, “we have always had concerns that the products that we regulate — the food supply and the medicine supply — are potential targets, and we have made an effort to ensure that those are safe.” “It has always been seen that there is a possibility that these products could be vulnerable. We have for years dealt with tampering incidents, so they are certainly a potential problem,” Glavin said. Crawford’s agency is at the center of an election-year controversy over whether to allow prescription-drug imports, primarily from Canada, in an attempt to give cash-strapped U.S. residents an alternative to high-priced domestic drugs. Vermont announced yesterday that it plans to file a suit next week in a federal court over the agency’s denial of the state’s bid to start a pilot drug-import program. Crawford yesterday called illegally imported prescription drugs especially worrying. Last year, he told GSN he was specifically concerned about U.S. drugs sold to Canadian firms and reimported into the United States. Ottawa’s ability to regulate such drugs, according to Crawford, is limited. In an interview today, Vermont Deputy Attorney General Wallace Malley said that, although he was not privy to the terrorism information Crawford cited, “To my knowledge, this issue is totally unrelated.” “There is not a terrorism aspect. One of the problems that we’re facing is that we don’t believe that the FDA gave us any cogent reason ð— security, safety or otherwise — for denying this. … The FDA has abused its discretion in denying our petition for this pilot project,” Malley said. The liberal American Progress Action Fund today alleged Crawford’s warning was a way for President George W. Bush’s administration to use “the fear of terrorism” to justify opposition to Vermont’s plan and to beat back presidential challenger John Kerry’s call on Bush to approve drug imports for senior citizens. The center called the warning a “cynical, baseless and transparent” tactic. “The move appears specifically designed to hide the Bush administration's adamant desire to protect the same pharmaceutical industry profits that fund its campaign,” the center said. Back to top       Nebraska Proposes Regional Bioterrorism Support The governor of Nebraska yesterday announced plans to create a 10-state alliance to respond to potential bioterrorism attacks or other public health emergences (see GSN, March 10). Gov. Mike Johanns put forward the recommendation at a bioterrorism conference attended by officials from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Montana were also mentioned as potential partners in the alliance, the Associated Press reported. The alliance would allow for sharing workers, laboratory space, communications ability and epidemiological capacity, according to Johanns’ office. It could develop laws and support agreements to serve as a model nationwide, said Dr. Richard Raymond, Nebraska’s chief medical officer. The governor allocated $200,000 of Nebraska’s federal bioterrorism funding for the initiative. The University of Nebraska Medical Center plans to contribute an additional $50,000, and would house a center to promote creation of mutual-aid agreements and to develop a prototype public-health response system (Scott Bauer, Associated Press/Aberdeen News, Aug. 11). Back to top       U.S. Military Personnel to Donate Plasma in CDC Anthrax Medication Research U.S. military personnel who have received anthrax vaccinations are being invited to donate blood plasma to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for research and development of anthrax medication, the Defense Department announced yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 6). The plasma is to be used to create anthrax immune globulin, an antibody-based medication that could be used to treat people suffering from severe anthrax infection, according to the department. Only individuals who have received four or more doses of anthrax vaccine may donate plasma for the project. Most donations would occur 10 to 21 days after vaccination. The Department of Health and Human Services requested military assistance because most people vaccinated against anthrax in the United States are military personnel. Anthrax immune globulin must undergo several tests. If successful, it would be stored for emergency use (U.S. Defense Department release, Aug. 11). Back to top

Oregon to Consider Umatilla Incinerators Tomorrow Oregon environmental regulators are expected to decide tomorrow whether the U.S. Army may begin chemical weapons incineration at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, the Oregonian reported (see GSN, July 13). Observers, including the Army, expect the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission to allow the plan to go forward, according to the Oregonian. “All indications point in that direction,” said depot spokeswoman Mary Binder. Burning could begin next week with state approval, but some incinerator opponents said they would file an injunction to block the move as early as today. “We’re not ready to give up,” said Karyn Jones, who leads Gasp, an activist group that has fought the incinerator for more than eight years. “And even if they start, we’re not giving up,” she added. Opposition, construction delays and environmental regulations have delayed incineration for years, according to the Oregonian. The depot stores about 12 percent of the U.S chemical weapons stockpile, nearly two-thirds of which is distilled sulfur mustard, a blistering agent, according to the Oregonian. The remainder consists of sarin and VX nerve agents. The disposal project is expected to take at least six years, at a cost of more than $2 billion (Andy Dworkin, The Oregonian/Oregon Live, Aug. 12). Back to top

Israel Plans Next Missile Interceptor Test Just a day after Iran tested its updated Shahab 3 missile, Israeli defense sources said today their country is preparing for a new test of its Arrow 2 missile interceptor (see GSN, Aug. 11). “We will put the Arrow through another live run in the near future, pushing the envelope on all its capabilities,” a senior defense source said. The next test of the $2.2 billion U.S.-Israeli Arrow 2 system would again take place in California, according to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. Israel plans to test the Arrow against a missile closely resembling the upgraded Shahab 3 medium-range missile, Reuters reported. The Israeli system is designed to detect incoming threats and to destroy them at altitudes of more than 50 kilometers within three minutes, according to Reuters. Despite a successful test against a Scud missile last month, the Arrow 2 might not be ready to destroy faster missiles such as the Shahab 3, according to independent analysts. The upcoming test is planned to help boost the Arrow’s speed and accuracy (Dan Williams, Reuters/Yahoo!News, Aug. 12).  Meanwhile, Iranian officials said today that the Shahab 3 is meant only for defensive purposes, the Associated Press reported. Supreme National Security Council Secretary Hassan Rohani, traveling in Australia, said the missile had been upgraded in response to Israeli threats. “It is very natural that when our country is being threatened by a foreign country, we have to prepare ourselves,” Rohani said. “Basically, the military doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a defensive doctrine,” he added (Rod McGuirk, Associated Press, Aug. 12). Elsewhere, the United States renewed its allegation that Iran possessed a clandestine nuclear weapons program which, coupled with its missile capability, poses a threat to regional and world security, Agence France-Presse reported. “The United States has serious concerns about Iran’s missile programs and views Iran’s efforts to further develop its missile capabilities as a threat to the region and to United States interests,” State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said yesterday in a prepared statement (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Aug. 12). Back to top       U.S. Plans Missile Interceptor Flight Test A flight test for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense system is expected to take place later this month, but the test is not intended to attempt an intercept, Defense Daily reported (see GSN, July 2). Test plans call for integrating a number of components for the first time, including the Orbital Sciences booster vehicle and the operational version of the exo-atmospheric kill vehicle. In addition, the test calls for using the final version of the interceptor’s software. Integrated Flight Test-13C is “primarily a system test of command and control, battle management and communication elements,” according to a defense official (Ann Roosevelt, Defense Daily, Aug. 12). Back to top

FDA Approves Two Antiradiation Injections The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved two drugs that facilitate the elimination of radiation from the body, both designed as antidotes for use following a potential radiological bomb attack (see GSN, July 23). The two drugs, administered via injection and available only by prescription, are safe and effective for treating contamination from the elements plutonium, americium or curium, according to officials. No drugs for treatment of internal contamination by the three elements have previously been approved in the United States, they added (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Aug. 11).   Back to top

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