U.S. Representative Curt Weldon (shown in a Jan. 14 photo) spoke with reporters today in Washington on the prospects of additional talks to resolve the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang will be closely watching U.S. President George W. Bush's upcoming State of the Union address in deciding whether to resume negotiations, Weldon said (AFP photo/Jung Yeon-je). North Korea to Watch Bush Speech for Possible Inflammatory Language, U.S Lawmaker Says By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — A group of U.S. lawmakers who recently traveled to North Korea have called on President George W. Bush to take a “positive approach” to solving the nuclear crisis there in this year’s State of the Union address, Representative Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) said today (see related GSN story, today). Weldon, who led the six-person delegation that visited North Korea earlier this month, said Pyongyang would intently monitor the president’s address, set for next week. While North Korea has expressed a willingness to resume the stalled multilateral talks on its nuclear program, it could use the State of the Union address as an excuse to continue to delay negotiations if it views the language used as inflammatory, Weldon said. The Feb. 2 presidential address is “the key speech,” Weldon said. ‘They’re watching the State of the Union very carefully.”..Full Story

Iran Denies EU Negotiations Stalled Iran today denied reports that negotiations with France, Germany and the United Kingdom over its nuclear program have stalled due to Tehran’s unwillingness to permanently relinquish uranium enrichment, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 26)...Full Story

U.S. Senate Confirms Leavitt as Health Secretary By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate yesterday confirmed Michael Leavitt as the new secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, clearing the way for the outgoing Environmental Protection Agency chief to guide the mammoth health agency’s deepening involvement in bioterrorism defense (see GSN, Dec. 14, 2004)...Full Story

	Thursday, January 27, 2005

British Officials Seek Wider Powers to Fight Terror Terror suspects in the United Kingdom could be forced to obey a curfew and be kept under house arrest without trial through new government antiterrorism powers proposed yesterday by British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s administration, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Oct. 4, 2004). Legislation for the new “control orders” are to be introduced as soon as possible, according to Home Secretary Charles Clarke, who said the laws would apply to British citizens and noncitizens alike. “There remains a public emergency threatening the life of the nation,” Clarke said before the House of Commons. “The threat is real, and I believe that the steps I am announcing today will enable us more effectively to meet that threat.” Other proposed measures under the plan include electronic tagging, restricted access to telecommunications devices and prohibitions against meeting certain people, AP reported. The new powers could be invoked if there were “reasonable grounds” to believe a person was involved in terrorist activity, a lower standard of proof than is required in trials, according to AP. “The government wants draconian new powers,” Human Rights Watch said. “House arrest on the say-so of the home secretary has no place in a democracy” (Ed Johnson, Associated Press/Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan. 27). Back to top

Undersecretary of Defense Feith to Resign U.S. Defense Undersecretary for Policy Douglas Feith said yesterday that he plans to step down this summer, according to the New York Times (see GSN, Oct. 22, 2004). Feith told the Times that after last year’s elections, he told Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that he wanted to leave the Pentagon to spend more time with his family. Feith’s responsibilities have included developing policy for arms control and the war on terrorism. He came under fire last year for allegedly exaggerating ties between prewar Iraq and al-Qaeda, the Times reported (Eric Schmitt, New York Times, Jan. 27). “Doug Feith has contributed to the security of the country.  He is creative, well organized, and energetic, and he has earned the respect of civilian and military leaders across the government.  Regrettably, he has decided to depart, and he will be missed,” Rumsfeld said yesterday in a statement (U.S. Defense Department release, Jan. 26). Back to top       Pentagon to Emphasize Unconventional Threat The U.S. Defense Department is preparing to place greater emphasis on unconventional threats such as bioterrorism in its four-year strategy review, a senior Pentagon official said yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 7). “We are recognizing that there are some things that in the past didn’t get as much attention relative to the more traditional kinds of military problems that need greater emphasis,” said Defense Undersecretary for Policy Douglas Feith, according to Agence France-Presse. (see related GSN story, today). Feith noted the potential for a bioterror attack and “possible disruptive capabilities — things that could be developed which would have a major disruptive effect on our military capabilities and society more generally” as areas that would become higher priorities. “We are using all kinds of technologies, even something as basic as electricity, in a way that there could be major disruptions if somebody were in a position to interfere with some of the technologies that we have become very dependent upon,” he said. “We need to put more emphasis on things that in the past were not high on the list, or not high enough on the list” (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Jan. 26). Back to top

North Korea to Watch Bush Speech for Possible Inflammatory Language, U.S Lawmaker Says By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — A group of U.S. lawmakers who recently traveled to North Korea have called on President George W. Bush to take a “positive approach” to solving the nuclear crisis there in this year’s State of the Union address, Representative Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) said today (see related GSN story, today). Weldon, who led the six-person delegation that visited North Korea earlier this month, said Pyongyang would intently monitor the president’s address, set for next week. While North Korea has expressed a willingness to resume the stalled multilateral talks on its nuclear program, it could use the State of the Union address as an excuse to continue to delay negotiations if it views the language used as inflammatory, Weldon said. The Feb. 2 presidential address is “the key speech,” Weldon said. ‘They’re watching the State of the Union very carefully.” Recent remarks by Bush and other senior administration officials, however, could suggest a tough line toward Pyongyang in the State of the Union. One of the central themes of the president’s second inaugural speech last week was the need to spread freedom and democracy around the world. “So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world,” Bush said. In addition, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice specified North Korea as one of six “outposts of tyranny” in the world during her Senate confirmation hearings. While saying that he supports Bush and the administration’s foreign policy, Weldon today said that future references to North Korea should discuss “the need for dialogue.” “We don’t need to punch our chests,” Weldon said. “I don’t think harsh rhetoric helps.” Weldon said he believes discussions to finalize the details of the next round of six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program would likely begin in mid-February.  In addition to North Korea and the United States, the talks also involve China, Japan, Russia and South Korea. During a round-table with reporters at his Capitol Hill office, Weldon provided further details about his bipartisan delegation’s visit to North Korea. The trip included a rare meeting with North Korean President Kim Yong Nam, who stressed Pyongyang’s hopes of establishing positive relations with the United States, Weldon said. “Our goal is to be friends with the U.S.,” Weldon quoted Kim as saying. The U.S. delegation also met with North Korean Foreign Affairs Minister Paek Nam Sun, whom Weldon quoted as saying “denuclearization is our final goal” and “denuclearization would have full transparency.” Lack of transparency was one of the major flaws of the 1994 Agreed Framework, the last U.S. agreement that sought to resolve the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, Weldon said.  In exchange for giving up its nuclear program, Pyongyang is seeking a package of economic and energy aid, according to Weldon. He noted that during the U.S. lawmakers’ visit, many of the buildings lacked heat except for the rooms where meetings were held. “They’re a very hearty people … but there’s an obvious need for energy,” Weldon said.  Paek also told the delegation that North Korea did not possess an enriched uranium-based nuclear program, Weldon said. In addition, Paek said that North Korea was stable and that its economy would improve, according to Weldon. The congressman described a visit by the U.S. lawmakers to a marketplace in Pyongyang, which was filled with North Korean shoppers and “significant” amounts of food and consumer goods. North Korean officials did not allow the U.S. delegation to film the marketplace, however, saying they did not want to offend their people by allowing Westerners to photograph them, Weldon said.  Back to top       Iran Denies EU Negotiations Stalled Iran today denied reports that negotiations with France, Germany and the United Kingdom over its nuclear program have stalled due to Tehran’s unwillingness to permanently relinquish uranium enrichment, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 26). “The publication of such reports is aimed at overshadowing the constructive nature of the negotiations and demonstrates the discontent of those who are not satisfied with their progress and are trying to prevent their success,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi was quoted as saying by Iranian media (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Jan. 27). The three European powers told Iran it must dismantle its uranium enrichment program, according to a summary of this month’s negotiations, Reuters reported. The document says Tehran would only agree to additional inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency and “certain restrictions on the level and extent of the uranium enrichment program.” “EU3/EU made clear that the outlined approach was unacceptable and that Iran missed the point with this,” the document goes on to say. “Iran has to recognize that the fuel cycle program is the core of the problem.” “Cessation (and) dismantlement of the sensitive part of its nuclear program includes the fuel cycle,” it says (Louis Charbonneau, Reuters, Jan. 26). A senior Iranian official said today that Tehran would not eliminate its uranium enrichment program, Reuters reported. “Never,” said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Gholamali Khoshroo. “For what reason?  We are not terrified by the U.S. We have had this kind of relations with the U.S. for 25 years. We don’t want to upgrade tension with U.S. but we want to live as a sovereign country and nobody has the right to threaten others” (Reuters, Jan. 27). Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday he was not aware of any U.S. plan for a military strike on Iran, AFP reported. “I know of no such contemplation by the United States,” Blair said (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Jan. 26). Elsewhere, U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton is expected to leave today for Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to discuss Iran and its suspected nuclear weapons program, the Associated Press reported (Barry Schweid, Associated Press, Jan. 26). Back to top       U.S. State Department Doubts North Korean Intentions to Return to Nuclear Negotiations The Bush administration was not convinced of North Korea’s intent to return to negotiations on its nuclear program by statements made recently by Pyongyang to members of a visiting congressional delegation, a U.S. State Department spokesman said Tuesday (see GSN, Jan. 26). “Despite whatever hints or flavors or feelings that people got from them in the last few weeks, we haven’t seen them say yet we’re going to be there,” said spokesman Richard Boucher. “I think it’s time for North Korea to say they want to show up.” Boucher added that U.S. President George W. Bush earlier this week nominated Joseph DeTrani, U.S. deputy delegate to the last round of talks in Beijing, to assume ambassador status, according to the Korea Times. “I think that’s another sign of our determination to try to pursue this kind of diplomatic solution,” Boucher said (Reuben Staines, Korea Times, Jan. 27). Back to top       Pakistan Says No to Arms Race With India Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said yesterday that his country does not want to engage in an arms race with India, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 10). “Pakistan does not, and I repeat does not, wish to enter into an arms race with any country, including India, whether this is nuclear or conventional,” Aziz said. “We believe such a race is neither economically sustainable nor morally tenable, and would be destructive to the entire region. The two neighbors need to invest in the tools of development, not in tools of destruction,” he added. Aziz said Pakistan “will continue a policy of restraint and responsibility in nuclear matters. We hope that India will agree to the concept of strategic restraint in South Asia” (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Jan. 26). Back to top

U.S. Senate Confirms Leavitt as Health Secretary By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate yesterday confirmed Michael Leavitt as the new secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, clearing the way for the outgoing Environmental Protection Agency chief to guide the mammoth health agency’s deepening involvement in bioterrorism defense (see GSN, Dec. 14, 2004). The Senate confirmed Leavitt by voice vote after putting aside a dispute over drug imports that threatened to delay the action. President George W. Bush nominated the former Utah governor last month as his choice to replace Tommy Thompson atop the health department. At a Senate committee hearing Jan. 18 on the nomination, Leavitt placed Health and Human Services at the center of U.S. bioterrorism response. “If, God forbid, terrorists should ever unleash a biological agent on American soil, we would rely on the dedicated men and women of HHS and the plans they have developed already to stop the disease in its tracks and protect Americans,” Leavitt told the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Thompson used his resignation news conference last month to call attention to the risk of a biological attack on the United States. He said that although Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration had increased inspections of imports dramatically since the Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaeda attacks, the inspections still applied only to a “minute” proportion of food and drugs brought into the country (see GSN, Dec. 6, 2004). “I, for the life of me, cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply, because it is so easy to do,” Thompson said. Health and Human Services’ terrorism- and WMD-related responsibilities extend well beyond food and drug inspections but received little attention during confirmation hearings on Leavitt’s nomination, which focused heavily on subjects such as the Medicare and Medicaid government health-insurance programs. The new U.S. National Response Plan gives the department chief authority in coordinating the public health and medical response to attacks (see GSN, Jan. 6), and Health and Human Services’ major agencies are key to the new Bioshield program, which Bush signed into law last year (see GSN, July 21, 2004). Under Bioshield, the Food and Drug Administration would be central to coordinating vaccination and treatment efforts in a WMD emergency (see GSN, Aug. 19, 2004), while the National Institutes of Health are responsible for development of WMD countermeasures (see GSN, Aug. 6, 2004). The department also issues bioterrorism defense grants to state and local health agencies and is the lead federal agency in general for ensuring the adequacy of public health systems around the country, which could become crucial response entities in an attack. Among Leavitt’s few remarks on such programs during his confirmation hearings were his statement that the department “is better prepared than ever to respond to public health emergencies” and a vow to “press hard” to appoint a new permanent head for the Food and Drug Administration, now led by acting Commissioner Lester Crawford. Public health groups reacted favorably to the Senate’s action. American Public Health Association Executive Director Georges Benjamin issued a statement yesterday calling Leavitt’s accession “an opportunity to highlight public health issues of importance to Americans across the spectrum,” adding, “Secretary Leavitt carries a wealth of leadership skills that will enable him to tackle the myriad of obstacles facing our public health infrastructure.” Trust for America’s Health Executive Director Shelley Hearne yesterday praised Leavitt for his background and skills. “At a time when public health issues from bioterrorism to curbing obesity to natural disaster aftermath relief efforts are so high on the national agenda, it is reassuring to have someone with Secretary Leavitt’s experience and leadership abilities taking the helm at HHS,” Hearne said in a statement. Back to top

Oregon Governor Kulongoski Opposes Moving Chemical Weapons to Umatilla Depot Oregon’s governor yesterday joined the growing legion of lawmakers, officials and citizens seeking to end the U.S. Defense Department’s consideration of shipping chemical weapons across state lines (see GSN, Jan. 26). The Umatilla Chemical Depot theoretically could become home to additional weapons if the Army chose to relocate weapons to operating incinerators from stockpiles in Colorado and Kentucky. Transporting the armaments would “increase the likelihood of accidents and terrorist attacks” and “threaten the health and safety of Americans nationwide,” Governor Ted Kulongoski wrote in a letter to Army Secretary Francis Harvey, the Associated Press reported. “I cannot support a proposal that would put our citizens at risk,” the letter goes on to say. “I urge you to reconsider any proposal that would change federal laws or policies to allow either the interstate transportation of chemical weapons or increase the stockpile of weapons in Oregon” (Niki Sullivan, Associated Press/Corvallis Gazette-Times, Jan. 26). Meanwhile, U.S. Representative John Salazar (D-Colo.) yesterday submitted legislation that would prevent the Defense Department from funding any study of moving the weapons. A bill with the same goal was also introduced yesterday in the Senate (Chris Schneidmiller, GSN, Jan. 27). Back to top

U.S. Energy Department Plans to File Yucca Mountain Licensing Application by End of Year U.S. Energy Secretary nominee Samuel Bodman told lawmakers that the department plans to submit a licensing application for the planned high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada by the end of the year, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Jan. 20). The department failed to meet a self-imposed deadline to file its licensing application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the end of the last month because it has not yet made available millions of pages of supporting documents on a commission online database, AP reported. The Energy Department plans to have the Yucca Mountain repository in operation by 2010 (Associated Press/Los Angeles Times, Jan. 27).   Back to top

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