APEC leaders gathered in Chile in November, when U.S. President George W. Bush expressed a willingness to visit North Korea with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun (AFP photo/Omar Torres). Roh, Bush Discuss Possible Trip to North Korea U.S. President George W. Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun held an informal conversation in November about a possible joint visit to North Korea, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Dec. 22, 2004)...Full Story

Vaccine Treatment Center Funding in Question Again By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Funding for a much-praised network that treats military personnel for rare but severe side-effects of anthrax and other vaccines remains uncertain this year, according to a U.S. senator, who has drafted a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld asking for an explanation...Full Story

U.S. Lawmakers Call for Changes to House Committees to Improve Intelligence, Homeland Security Oversight By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — In an effort to improve congressional oversight of homeland security and intelligence issues, two U.S. lawmakers yesterday called for a revamping of the committee structure in the House of Representatives (see GSN, Dec. 21, 2004)...Full Story

	Tuesday, January 4, 2005

U.S. Lawmakers Call for Changes to House Committees to Improve Intelligence, Homeland Security Oversight By Mike Nartker Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — In an effort to improve congressional oversight of homeland security and intelligence issues, two U.S. lawmakers yesterday called for a revamping of the committee structure in the House of Representatives (see GSN, Dec. 21, 2004). Under a proposal from Representatives Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), the House would create permanent standing committees on intelligence and homeland security, as well as an intelligence subcommittee in the House Appropriations Committee. Currently, the House includes among its committees a Select Committee on Homeland Security and a Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Other existing committees also have oversight of certain areas of homeland security and intelligence. One advantage of the proposed changes, is that they would reduce the large number of committees the homeland security secretary currently needs to interact with, according to Shays. The proposal was detailed during a Capitol Hill press conference that also included former Sept. 11 commission Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton and family members of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. “We should not place our confidence in congressional oversight structures for national security that were designed at the beginning of the Cold War. The nation needs to reform all its national security institutions to meet the new threats of this 21st century,” Hamilton said. The proposal is likely to be discussed today as part of an overall debate on proposed rules changes at the start of the 109th session of Congress, according to reports. The House Republican leadership has proposed the creation of a permanent homeland security committee that would continue to share some jurisdiction with other committees over certain missions conducted by the Homeland Security Department, such as non-homeland security activities of the Coast Guard. Maloney yesterday, however, described such an approach as only making “superficial” changes. On the other end of the spectrum, influential House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) has come out against the creation of a permanent homeland security committee. In a commentary published last month in the Washington Times, Young wrote that the creation what he described as an “inexperienced and unproven committee” would result in the loss of member expertise necessary on other panels to create effective legislation. “We do not need a new committee to solve our problems. What we needed before September 11, which we have now, is the will to act,” he wrote. This summer, the Sept. 11 committee called for the creation of permanent homeland security committees in both houses of Congress, as well as either a joint House-Senate intelligence committee or separate intelligence committees in each house that would have authority over appropriations and authorizations. Lawmakers instead focused more on the commission’s recommendations to reform the U.S. intelligence community, approving late last year a sweeping reform bill that creates a national intelligence director. This fall, the Senate approved a resolution that expanded the jurisdiction of the Governmental Affairs Committee to include homeland security and modified the Select Committee on Intelligence through measures such as reducing the number of members and eliminating term limits. The resolution also adds an intelligence subcommittee to the Senate Appropriations Committee (see GSN, Oct. 12, 2004).     In his remarks yesterday, Hamilton hinted at the turf battles any attempt to restructure House committees would likely face. “Institutional reform dealing with jurisdiction, power and personalities is always difficult. I can testify from my own personal experience, reforming the jurisdiction of congressional committees is a formidable challenge, yet we are also confident that the leaders in Congress will respond to calls for reform when the national security demands it,” he said. Back to top

Security for U.S. Presidential Inauguration to Include Biological, Chemical Detectors U.S. President George W. Bush’s inauguration this month is expected to involve the use of biological and chemical sensors to help protect against a possible terrorist attack, according to the Baltimore Sun (see GSN, Jan. 3). The inauguration ceremony, scheduled for Jan. 20, is on track to be the most complicated and expensive presidential security event in U.S. history, police said. Authorities declined to provide details of the security preparations. “What we’re telling people is the closer they get to where the president will be, the tighter the security is going to be — tighter than they’ve ever seen before,” said U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Contricia Sellers-Ford (Robert Little, Baltimore Sun, Jan. 3). Back to top

Roh, Bush Discuss Possible Trip to North Korea U.S. President George W. Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun held an informal conversation in November about a possible joint visit to North Korea, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Dec. 22, 2004). Roh told his Cabinet that the discussion occurred on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Santiago, Chile. Roh aides, however, said there are no formal plans for the leaders to travel to North Korea, according to AFP. Bush is scheduled to attend the next APEC meeting in Busan, South Korea, in November, AFP reported. Roh reportedly suggested that the two visit an industrial park for South Korean companies being built in the border city of Kaesong, North Korea. “During a standing conversation, I made a suggestion that President Bush and I go to the Kaesong complex when he comes for APEC (in Busan). President Bush said ‘Yes, let’s go. If you go, I will go,’” Roh was quoted as saying during the Cabinet meeting. Analysts said they would not expect Bush to visit North Korea while the nuclear standoff with the communist nation continues. “President Bush and President Roh had a private conversation in a hallway outside the conference room on the second day of the APEC meeting in Chile ... this must not be interpreted as an official agreement,” said South Korean presidential spokesman Kim Jong-min (Agence France-Presse/Interactive Investor, Jan. 4). Back to top       IAEA Detects Past Egyptian Nuclear Efforts The International Atomic Energy Agency has uncovered evidence of secret past nuclear activities in Egypt, including experiments that could have been geared toward weapons development, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Nov. 8, 2004). Most of the work occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, diplomats told AP, but the agency is also investigating the possibility that some of the experiments were performed only a year ago. One diplomat said the Egyptian work included the production of uranium tetrafluoride — a precursor to uranium hexafluoride, which is used in some uranium enrichment equipment — and several pounds of uranium metal. Egyptian officials said the nuclear work was for peaceful purposes and denied it had military applications. “A few months ago we denied these kinds of claims and we do so again,” Egyptian government spokesman Magdy Rady said. “Nothing about our nuclear program is secret and there is nothing that is not known to the IAEA.” One diplomat, however, said the Egyptians “tried to produce various components of uranium” without declaring it to the U.N. agency, as required by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The diplomat said agency officials had not yet determined the extent and purpose of the work, but that it appears to have been sporadic and unfocused, using a relatively small amount of material. The could indicate that it was not part of a full nuclear weapons program, the diplomat added (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Jan. 4). Back to top       Khan Believed to Have Provided Aid to One of Three Arab States, Israeli Military Sources Say Israeli military sources have said that Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Syria may have the potential to make a “significant nuclear leap” after receiving assistance from former top Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, the Jerusalem Post reported today (see GSN, Jan. 3). Israel knows of the contacts between the three countries and Khan, who confessed last year to transferring nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea, the sources said. They added that Khan provided one of the three Middle Eastern nations with the expertise and material needed to produce a nuclear weapon, but declined to specify which country received the aid, the Post reported (Arieh O’Sullivan, Jerusalem Post, Jan. 4). Meanwhile, the Israeli Mossad intelligence service has called for its budget to be doubled to better combat terrorism threats and Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons efforts, Agence France-Presse reported today (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Jan. 4). Back to top       Russian Space Troops Report 2004 Activities Russia’s Space Troops last year launched eight satellites into orbit using converted ICBMs, ITAR-Tass reported (see GSN, Dec. 8, 2003). In addition, the Space Troops conducted seven ICBM test launches in 2004, according to the unit’s press service. Russian domestic missile attack warning systems detected three missile tests conducted by China and the United States, while no false missile attack warnings were reported, ITAR-Tass reported (Vladislav Kuznetsov, ITAR-Tass, Jan. 4). Back to top

Vaccine Treatment Center Funding in Question Again By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Funding for a much-praised network that treats military personnel for rare but severe side-effects of anthrax and other vaccines remains uncertain this year, according to a U.S. senator, who has drafted a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld asking for an explanation. The Bush administration drew congressional criticism last year from Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) for not including in its fiscal 2005 budget $5.7 million needed for operating the Vaccine Healthcare Center, located at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and three regional centers in the United States (see GSN, May 18, 2004). Defense Department officials in the fall said the network nevertheless would be funded, according to Bingaman. “Unfortunately, we now understand that DOD may be considering the VHC Network to be an ‘unfunded requirement,’ which makes continuation of the program rather precarious,” Bingaman wrote in the letter, which he has shared with colleagues but not yet sent to Rumsfeld. “We are asking you to address this matter immediately to ensure continuation of this irreplaceable and valuable asset.” Congress did not specifically fund the network, which began operation in 2001, in fiscal 2004. The Army Medical Department’s North Atlantic Regional Medical Command at Walter Reed picked up the tab with money from its own budget. An Army spokeswoman told Global Security Newswire last month that that would be the case again. “The Vaccine Healthcare Center is supported in FY05 by the Army Medical [Command]’s North Atlantic Regional Medical Command,” wrote Medical Command spokeswoman Lyn Kukral. “The problem is that they [the regional command] are not thrilled to be doing it and certainly don’t have to fund it,” said a congressional staffer who asked not to be identified. “The Army does not see why it must fund the VHC’s when other departments have their personnel use the services,” the staffer added. Alleged Promise Bingaman’s letter suggested Pentagon officials are backing away from a promise to legislators last fall. An amendment was proposed in the Senate to specifically authorize money for the network in fiscal 2005. That provision was abandoned, however, after Defense Department officials assured senators that the network would still be funded, Bingaman said in his letter.  “When an amendment was proposed in the Senate to insert a line-item for VHCs, your Department came to us and assured us it was unnecessary and stated DOD appropriations already contained $5 million to support VHC operations,” he wrote. A congressional report accompanying the bill praised the centers, recommended Rumsfeld consider expanding the network, and “strongly encourage[d]” the military services to continue funding the programs. “This Network has been recognized as valuable nonredundant effort that has supported improved care of vaccine related rare adverse events, programs to improve the quality of immunization healthcare, and an infrastructure that supports new vaccine insertion like the smallpox program,” Bingaman wrote. Back to top       Researchers Expect Role of Doctors to Expand in Wake of Bioterrorism Threat Physicians are facing new responsibilities due to the emergence of the threat of bioterrorism, Life Science Weekly reported today (see GSN, Jan. 3). “Unlike other forms of terrorism, in which an acute exposure or traumatic injury is rapidly inflicted and quickly recognized, such as the 9/11 attacks, bioterrorism may involve an incubation period of days or even weeks,” said Bruce Clements, associate director of the Institute for Biosecurity at the St. Louis University School of Public Health, and the lead author of an article published in the journal Lancet on the subject. “During these events, patients will turn to their most trusted adviser on health issues — their doctors — who will be expected to recognize sometimes rare conditions and take appropriate action.  This means doctors will be the tip of the sword — not the military, not the police, not the firefighters,” he said. Most doctors, however, are not prepared to meet these new responsibilities, the authors wrote. “They will be in the driver’s seat deciding how an outbreak will be managed so they must be trained for it,” Clements said. “The challenge lies in finding the balance between suspicion and hysteria.” The authors urged medical schools to incorporate more bioterrorism information and training into their curriculums and advocated continuing medical education programs and community drills for preparing physicians to respond to a potential attack. “In a bioterrorism incident, physicians will have to interface with the FBI and other government agencies that they've never had to speak with before,” Clements said. “This type of communication doesn’t come naturally. It’s learned” (Life Science Weekly, Jan. 4). Back to top

Tooele Begins Destruction of VX-Filled Land Mines The Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Utah on Friday destroyed the last VX nerve agent-filled spray tank stored at the Deseret Chemical Depot and began to incinerate VX-filled land mines, the U.S. Army announced (see GSN, Dec. 21, 2004). Destruction of more than 22,000 VX land mines, scheduled for completion this spring, would eliminate all munitions containing the nerve agent at the depot, according to the Army statement. The plant is then expected to prepare to eliminate munitions containing mustard agent, the final stockpile chemical scheduled for destruction (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency release, Dec. 31, 2004). Back to top       Some U.S. Army Chemical Weapons Facilities Fail to Comply With Revised Exposure Limits U.S. Army chemical weapons storage and destruction facilities have not fully complied with new airborne exposure limits for nerve agents GB, GA and VX that took effect Jan. 1, Defense Environment Alert reported (see GSN, May 3, 2004). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finalized new exposure limits for the three agents in 2003, updating 1988 limits for facility personnel and the general population. The tightened limits are based on an updated Environmental Protection Agency risk assessment methodology which lowers the original limits by approximately threefold, Defense Environment Alert reported. The Army has established seven indicators to determine compliance with the new limits, one of which has been fully met by all of the chemical weapons storage and destruction facilities. The Army headquarters environmental office is also requiring weekly reporting on the compliance status of the facilities, said an Army Chemical Materials Agency spokesman. The Umatilla Chemical Depot in Oregon is the only facility significantly behind in modifying its systems contract for the new limits, according to a Dec. 13 Army assessment. Blue Grass Chemical Activity in Kentucky is also lagging in obtaining equipment to meet the revised limits (Defense Environment Alert, Dec. 28, 2004).   Back to top

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