A North Korean Scud ballistic missile on display in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea is suspected of developing two new advanced ballistic missile systems (AFP photo/Choi Jae-ku). N. Korea Reportedly Developing Missiles Able to Reach Continental United States North Korea is developing at least two new ballistic missile systems that could enable it to threaten the continental United States, according to a report today in a leading military publication (see GSN, July 7). “Both these new land and sea-based systems appreciably expand the ballistic missile threat presented by the D.P.R.K.,” says a report in Jane’s Defense Weekly, with the sea-based version being “potentially the most threatening.” A missile launched from ships or submarines “would fundamentally alter the missile threat posed by the D.P.R.K. and could finally provide its leadership with something that it has long sought to obtain — the ability to directly threaten the continental U.S.,” the report adds, according to Agence France-Presse...Full Story

Concerns Raised About Buildings’ Readiness for Biological, Chemical Attack Following Weekend Warning By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Sunday’s warning of a terrorist threat to financial institutions in the eastern United States has prompted new scrutiny of buildings’ ventilation-based defenses against biological and chemical agents...Full Story

White House, Sept. 11 Panel Seemingly Differ on Powers For New Intelligence Director By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — While the White House yesterday came out in favor of the Sept. 11 commission’s recommendation to create a national director of intelligence, the Bush administration and the panel have differing views over what authority that position should possess (see GSN, Aug. 2)...Full Story

	Tuesday, August 3, 2004

Concerns Raised About Buildings’ Readiness for Biological, Chemical Attack Following Weekend Warning By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Sunday’s warning of a terrorist threat to financial institutions in the eastern United States has prompted new scrutiny of buildings’ ventilation-based defenses against biological and chemical agents. New York police instructed building managers to review their defenses, while a leader in the air-filter industry said most commercial buildings probably lack adequate protection. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Sunday that a car or truck bomb appears to be the “preferred method of attack” for those he said are seeking to attack the Prudential headquarters in Newark, N.J., the New York Stock Exchange and Citigroup buildings in New York and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank here. Although he did not mention a WMD threat in his announcement, Ridge highlighted recent steps the Homeland Security Department has taken to prepare for such an attack.  “This summer, given the volume of symbolic events and large gatherings,” Ridge said, “we have ramped up protective measures more than ever before. … Thousands of radiological pagers have been given to law enforcement around the country, and more are on their way. At work are more HAZMAT  [hazardous materials] technicians, undercover agents, and emergency-response teams and more K-9 units capable of detecting explosives and weapons of mass destruction. Advanced air-monitoring technologies that can check for biological pathogens are operating in key locations.” Following the announcement, the New York and Washington police departments both issued advice on measures building managers and emergency responders can take to defend against and respond to a biological or chemical attack. New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Sunday that buildings in the city should review protections in their heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems against biological and chemical agents (see GSN, March 4). The Washington Metropolitan Police Department posted a document yesterday on its Web site describing how police and other emergency responders are trained and equipped to respond to biological and chemical attacks. Asked yesterday whether the department and threatened institutions had discussed ventilation defenses, however, Chief Charles Ramsey said, “I doubt there’s a whole lot more that we could be doing than we are right now.” Ventilation-based defenses against a WMD attack typically involve heavy-duty air filters and can also include sensors to detect biological and chemical agents. Although facilities such as hospitals and government buildings often have filtering systems that can prevent the circulation of dangerous agents, most commercial buildings probably lack such equipment, according to National Air Filtration Association Executive Director Alan Veeck. “You would probably be pretty surprised about the institutions that are not protected. … There are certainly many buildings in New York City that are vulnerable and at risk,” Veeck said today in an interview. High-efficiency particulate air filters, the most effective filters widely available, cannot be installed in most buildings because of technical obstacles involving air pressure and energy requirements. Recent research demonstrates, though, that less effective and more easily installed filters ― those with a minimum efficiency reporting value as low as 11, compared with up to 17 for a high-efficiency particulate air filter ― can provide significant protection against a WMD attack. Veeck said that “probably not that many commercial buildings” have such filters in place. “A lot of times,” Veeck said, “the strike is made to a building where they know there’s probably not a great deal of filtration.” Veeck said warnings about ventilation systems such as the one issued in New York could be useful, given the scarcity of adequate systems in commercial facilities. “Any time one of these threats comes along,” he said, “people are jarred into remembering that that’s something that needs to be done, and it may well spur some of them into action.” Back to top       White House, Sept. 11 Panel Seemingly Differ on Powers For New Intelligence Director By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — While the White House yesterday came out in favor of the Sept. 11 commission’s recommendation to create a national director of intelligence, the Bush administration and the panel have differing views over what authority that position should possess (see GSN, Aug. 2). Less than two weeks after the Sept. 11 commission issued its report, President George W. Bush announced his support for two of the panel’s key intelligence reform recommendations — the creation of a national intelligence director and the development of a national counterterrorism center. As outlined by Bush, the new intelligence director would be separate from the head of the CIA, and would work to coordinate domestic and foreign intelligence operations, budgets and information-gathering priorities among the various intelligence agencies. In its report, though, the Sept. 11 panel recommended that the national intelligence director be given authority over the national intelligence budget, with the ability to apportion and reprogram funding to and among the various intelligence agencies. During a White House press conference following Bush’s announcement yesterday, senior administration officials seemingly rejected providing the new intelligence director with full budget authority. “I think that the national intelligence director will have tremendous clout in developing a budget,” said White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, who headed a Cabinet-level task force that reviewed the commission’s recommendations. “I do not think that this person should replace the budget director for the United States,” Card added. National security adviser Condoleezza Rice agreed, saying that she believed the new director would “strongly influence any final budget.” The White House and the Sept. 11 commission also appear to disagree on what personnel authority the new intelligence director should have. The commission recommended that the new director should “approve and submit nominations to the president” of individuals to head the various intelligence agencies, such as the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency. While agreeing that the new director should have a role in such a process, Card rejected the idea that the new director should approve the heads of agencies located within existing departments. “We do not want to do anything that would undermine the chain of command and the responsibilities that go with the Department of Defense, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the secretary of the Homeland Security Department and the other intelligence agencies,” Card said. Representative Jane Harman (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said yesterday that it is “crucial” to provide the new intelligence director with “real” budgetary and management authority. “We shouldn’t repeat the mistakes of the drug czar — who has no real authority — or the Department of Homeland Security — which is a huge new bureaucracy,” she said in a statement. Increased budgetary authority is the “main justification” for creating a national director of intelligence, said Steven Aftergood, director of the Federation of American Scientists’ Project on Government Secrecy. Without such authority, the new director would “replicate” some of the existing weaknesses of the director of central intelligence “at a higher level,” he said today. “It’s possible to make the status quo worse,” Aftergood added. Administration officials yesterday defended Bush’s stated position that the new intelligence director should not be located within the office of the president — contrary to the Sept. 11 commission’s recommendation.  “He [Bush] talked about how he wanted to continue to see the best unvarnished advice possible. And that’s why he thought this structure was the best way to set it up, where you would have the national intelligence director separate from the White House itself,” White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. According to Card, locating the new director outside of the executive office would help that person to resist “pressure” from the White House “staff” or “activity.” He also rejected suggestions that the new director would lose access to the president by being located outside of the White House. “The attorney general, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, the secretary of homeland security all have appropriate and important access to the president. And the national intelligence director should have important, regular, consistent and important access to the president,” Card said. Card also said that Congress, which would need to revise the 1947 National Security Act that established the CIA director as the principal intelligence adviser to the president, would largely develop the final shape of the new intelligence director position. Several committees in both houses of Congress are scheduled to hold hearings this month on the commission’s proposals, with the aim of producing legislation by the end of the year.  “I think the president has clearly made a decision that would allow for the national intelligence director to have an awful lot of clout, an awful lot of power, but it would require Congress to consider the president’s proposal and the 9/11 commission’s proposal in order for that position to live up to the expectations that they might have or we might have,” he said. Back to top       Sept. 11 Commission Proposals Raise Cost Concerns The wide array of proposals recommended last month by the Sept. 11 commission to help improve homeland security has begun to raise cost concerns, the Christian Science Monitor reported today (see GSN, July 23). While the commission did not provide cost estimates for its recommendations in its report, a number of federal reports help to estimate the potential costs for securing railroads, ports and borders, according to the Monitor. For example, the Coast Guard has estimated that it would cost more than $7 billion to comply with port security upgrades mandated by 2002 legislation, the Monitor reported. Commission Chairman Thomas Kean has warned that improving U.S. border security will be one of the most expensive measures, according to the Monitor. “Look, there’s no magic solution here, and every move you make has some advantages and has some disadvantages,” commission Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton said before a Senate hearing Friday on the commission’s recommendations (Gail Russell Chaddock, Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 3). Back to top

Former U.S. General Says Egypt, Jordan Reported Prewar Iraq Had WMD; Countries Leaders’ Deny Claim Former U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Tommy Franks said yesterday that the leaders of Egypt and Jordan told him that prewar Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, according to the Chicago Tribune (see GSN, Aug. 2). In an interview to promote a new book, Franks said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah warned him before the invasion about Iraq’s WMD stockpiles. “General, from reliable intelligence sources, I believe the Iraqis are hiding chemical and biological weapons,” Abdullah is quoted as saying in Franks’ book, American Soldier.  Mubarak reportedly told Franks, “We have spoken with [former Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein. He is a madman.  He has WMD — biologicals, actually — and he will use them on your troops,” (Michael Kilian, Chicago Tribune, Aug. 3). Egypt and Jordan, however, denied Franks’ claims, according to the Associated Press. “Such a claim is void of truth,” an Egyptian presidential spokesman told the official Middle East News Agency. “His majesty did not have information that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction,” a Jordanian Royal Palace official said (Associated Press/Billings Gazette, Aug. 2). Back to top

N. Korea Invests Heavily in Nonconventional Weaponry to Gain Edge Over United States, U.S. General Says Despite its poor economy, North Korea is spending up to 40 percent of its gross domestic product on its self-described “military first” policy, with most of that money going toward nonconventional capabilities, the Washington Times reported today (see GSN, Aug. 2). While North Korea’s conventional forces include an army of 1.2 million, the largest special operations commando force in the world and 12,000 artillery pieces near its southern border, these forces are not in a position to compete with those of the United States and South Korea, said Army Gen. Leon LaPorte, commander of U.S. forces for Korea. That has prompted Pyongyang to invest heavily in nonconventional capabilities. “They are making, primarily, their investments in the asymmetrical arena,” LaPorte told the Times. “They realize that they can never invest enough money in their navy and air force to compete (with U.S. and South Korean forces). So they are investing in asymmetrical capabilities,” he added. Asymmetrical-warfare weapons are those that provide a military advantage over more advanced militaries, according to the Times. In North Korea, that includes nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them. North Korea’s continuing nuclear development could result in its ability to “weaponize their weapons-grade material on missiles,” said LaPorte, adding if that happened, “now you have a threat not just to South Korea, you have a threat to the region and the international community.” LaPorte said North Korea is investing heavily in missile production and deployment, possessing an arsenal of more than 800 missiles [see related GSN article, today]. “Their growing missile technology, their continued research and development and testing of missiles, that is a concern to all of us,” he said (Bill Gertz, Washington Times, Aug. 3). Meanwhile, Chinese and South Korean officials agreed yesterday that the U.S. allegation that North Korea is pursuing a highly enriched uranium program is an obstacle in resolving the nuclear standoff, China Daily cited the Yonhap News Agency as reporting. China’s ambassador on the North Korea nuclear issue, Ning Fukui, and his South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yong met yesterday to coordinate a schedule for upcoming talks (China Daily, Aug. 3). Elsewhere, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly and South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck met yesterday in Washington, as diplomacy continued to intensify ahead of the fourth round of six-party talks, Agence France-Presse reported. The United States had to consult with allies South Korea and Japan in making a potential disarmament counteroffer to North Korea during the talks, according to analysts familiar with the discussions. “The emphasis now is: keeping the United States, Japan and South Korea united in how they will respond,” said Jon Wolfsthal, deputy director for nonproliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He added that he believed the Bush administration was not eager to reach a settlement with Pyongyang, instead working to ensure that the talks would continue. “My sense is that while the Bush administration will be attacked from the left if they don’t reach an agreement, they will be attacked from the right if they do reach an agreement,” he said. “And it is more important for the Bush administration to secure the right in this election than it is to reach out to the left,” he added (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Aug. 3). Back to top       Iran Must Cooperate or Face Isolation, U.S. Officials Say; Iranian Leaders Say They are Ready for Attack Failure by Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency would result in international isolation for the Islamic republic, U.S. officials warned yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 2). U.S. President George W. Bush said the United States and the three most powerful countries of the European Union — France, Germany and the United Kingdom — “expect there to be full disclosure, full transparency of their nuclear weapons programs.” “We are working with our friends to keep the pressure on the mullahs to listen to the demands of the free world,” he added. White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said Iran’s behavior warranted international isolation. “This regime has to be isolated in its bad behavior, not ‘engaged,” she said, adding that the United States, the European countries and other IAEA members were preparing “a very tough set of resolutions” for consideration at the agency’s board of governors meeting, scheduled for September. “Iran is going to be confronted,” Rice told Fox News, adding that if the Islamic republic refuses to cooperate, “They’re going to be isolated.” Asked whether France would support U.S. plans to increase pressure on Tehran, Rice maintained that the European powers objected to Iran’s nuclear activities. “The French and the Germans and the British have been very clear to the Iranians that the activities that they’re currently engaged in, or say that they are going to resume, are unacceptable, and we just have to keep working with the French and the British and the Germans to make certain that they stick to that position,” Rice said. “It’s been our position all along that the Iranians are dangerous in this regard, and that the international community has got to be tough and steadfast here,” she added (Adam Entous, Reuters/Yahoo!News, August 2). Meanwhile, Sayed Hossein Mussavian, chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said yesterday that the United States and Israel would not “dare” attack Iran’s nuclear installations, the BBC reported. “These threats are part of a political and psychological warfare campaign and there is no truth to them at all. I don’t think that the Americans or the Israelis will dare to launch the slightest attack on Iranian nuclear installations,” Mussavian said in an interview with the official IRNA news agency. He added that Iran had taken measures to shore up its defenses against weapons of mass destruction since the use of chemical agent during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has been taking the necessary measures with regard to chemical, biological and nuclear defense since [former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein] committed aggression against Iranian territory,” he said. Back to top       Retired U.S. General Criticizes Administration Officials for Exaggerating Prewar Iraqi Nuclear Threat Retired U.S. Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni yesterday blamed Bush administration officials for a 2002 statement by President George W. Bush that proof of prewar Iraq’s alleged nuclear weapons efforts could come in the form of a “mushroom cloud” (see GSN, July 26). “When you hear things like, well, the smoking gun may be a mushroom cloud, what impression are you giving to the people?” Zinni said in an interview with the BBC television. “That [former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein] possesses a potential nuclear capability or a program, which clearly wasn’t in the intelligence?” he added. Zinni also said that he did not believe that Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney were responsible for exaggerating the threat posed by prewar Iraq’s alleged WMD efforts, adding that senior intelligence officials were responsible for properly assessing the threat (Associated Press, Aug. 2). Back to top       Russia to Hold Nuclear Weapons Security Exercises The Russian Defense Ministry is set to hold today training exercises on protecting nuclear weapons from terrorist attacks during transportation by vehicle or train, according to ITAR-Tass (see GSN, July 30). Avariya-2004, to be held on the eastern Kola Peninsula, is expected to involve about 1,000 personnel from various Russian governmental ministries and the military, ITAR-Tass reported. The training scenarios are expected to consist of a terrorist attack on a motorcade carrying nuclear weapons and the terrorist derailment of a train carrying nuclear weapons (ITAR-Tass/BBC Monitoring, Aug. 2). Back to top

Japanese Experts Investigate Latest World War II-Era Chemical Weapons Find in China A seven-member team of Japanese experts arrived in northeast China yesterday to investigate the latest find of World War II-era chemical munitions, according to the Xinhua News Agency (see GSN, July 29). Thirty chemical weapons have been found at Lianhuapao Village in Dunhua, Jilin Province, since two children were injured last month after they pried open a weapon and were splashed by the liquid it carried. Chinese experts have said that the munitions contain mustard gas (Xinhua News Agency, Aug. 3). Back to top

N. Korea Reportedly Developing Missiles Able to Reach Continental United States North Korea is developing at least two new ballistic missile systems that could enable it to threaten the continental United States, according to a report today in a leading military publication (see GSN, July 7). “Both these new land and sea-based systems appreciably expand the ballistic missile threat presented by the D.P.R.K.,” says a report in Jane’s Defense Weekly, with the sea-based version being “potentially the most threatening.” A missile launched from ships or submarines “would fundamentally alter the missile threat posed by the D.P.R.K. and could finally provide its leadership with something that it has long sought to obtain — the ability to directly threaten the continental U.S.,” the report adds, according to Agence France-Presse. The land-based system has an estimated range of 2,500 to 4,000 kilometers, which means it could reach Hawaii and U.S. military bases on Okinawa and Guam, while the sea-launched model could be fired at least 2,500 kilometers, according to AFP. The systems are based on the Russian R-27 submarine-launched ballistic missile, also known as the SS-N-6, according to Jane’s. The report cites a 1992 incident, in which 20 missile specialists from the Makeyev Design Bureau in Chelyabinsk, Russia, which developed the R-27, were detained as they attempted to leave for North Korea. “Reports indicate that other groups of missile specialists successfully traveled to the D.P.R.K.,” Jane’s added. In 1993, North Korea bought 12 decommissioned Russian submarines, supposedly for scrap metal, and although all missiles and firing systems had been removed, the submarines still had “significant elements” of launch systems, according to AFP. “This technology, in combination with the R-27 design, provided the Korean People’s Navy with elements crucial to the subsequent development of a submarine or ship-mounted ballistic missile system,” the report says. It remains unknown if Pyongyang has attempted to sell this system abroad, Jane's added. However, Iran “would appear to be the ideal customer for both the land and sea-based versions, given its requirement for a system capable of striking Israel from the security of its own territory,” according to the report (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Aug. 3).   Back to top

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