Former top Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan (left) receives an award from then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999. Uranium enrichment centrifuge rotors and other equipment from the nuclear smuggling network Khan operated at the time remains missing (AFP photo/Tanveer Mughal). Centrifuge Parts Still Missing From Khan Network Some key uranium enrichment equipment once headed for Libya remains unaccounted for, and international investigators fear that it may now be in use by a secret nuclear weapons program, the Los Angeles Times reported today (see GSN, March 25). The equipment had been procured by the nuclear smuggling network once headed by former Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, whose black market operation was caught in 2003 trying to supply Libya with uranium enrichment centrifuges capable of producing weapon-grade materials...Full Story

Missile Defense Budget Increased Before it Was Cut By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — While the U.S. Missile Defense Agency appeared to be facing a $5 billion funding cut over the next six fiscal years, a budget boost quietly instituted by the Defense Department has effectively given the program a net $2.6 billion increase for the period (see GSN, April 7)...Full Story

Belgian Senate Calls for Removal of U.S. Nukes By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The Belgian senate yesterday unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution urging the gradual removal of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons reportedly housed in the country at the Kleine Brogel Air Base (see GSN, Feb. 9)...Full Story

	Friday, April 22, 2005

Bush Backs Bolton, While Powell Reportedly Expresses Concerns About Former Subordinate President George W. Bush yesterday called for lawmakers to approve his selection for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, while reports indicated that former Secretary of State Colin Powell has expressed concerns about John Bolton’s conduct while they worked together at the State Department (see GSN, April 21). “John’s distinguished career in service to our nation demonstrates that he is the right man at the right time for this important assignment,” Bush said. “I urge the Senate to put politics aside and confirm John Bolton to the United Nations.” Powell has not spoken publicly on the nomination of Bolton, who served under him and continues to work as undersecretary of state for arms control and international security.   However, associates of the former secretary said he has talked with Republican Senators Lincoln Chafee (R.I.) and Chuck Hagel (Neb.) with concerns he had about Bolton’s treatment of State Department personnel when they did not agree with him, the New York Times reported. Powell also said in one conversation that Bolton worked “fairly well” with him on matters including Iran and development of the Proliferation Security Initiative to interdict shipments of WMD-related technology, one source told the Times. “In short, he gave [Chafee] a balanced appraisal of Bolton,” the associate said. Chafee and Hagel have both expressed concerns about Bolton’s nomination. Spokespeople for the two senators and Powell said they would not discuss details of private conversations (Douglas Jehl, New York Times, April 22). Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Thomas Hubbard has also spoken out on his run-ins with Bolton, the Associated Press reported. Bolton testified last week that Hubbard had commended him for a 2004 speech in which the undersecretary called North Korean leader Kim Jong Il a “tyrannical dictator.”  Hubbard said that he had asked Bolton to “tone the speech down.” Bolton made some changes but did not remove his description of Kim, which angered Pyongyang in the midst of negotiations on its nuclear program, Hubbard said. Bolton also once rebuked Hubbard for failing to set up a meeting for him with then South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun, AP reported. “He hung up on me,” Hubbard said. “He was very angry.” Hubbard said, though, that he has not decided whether to oppose or support Bolton’s appointment. While working as general counsel for the U.S. Agency for International Development in the 1980s, Bolton tried to have another AID employee fired, according to another allegation received by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is considering the nomination. Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and ranking Democrat Joseph Biden (D-Del.) are considering whether additional hearings are needed to allow additional testimony from Bolton and his backers and detractors, AP reported. Lugar plans for the committee to vote on the nomination during the week of May 9. “We think that the issues have been addressed,” said State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli. “We think we’ve answered the questions. We would like to move things forward.” However, “if the committee or chairman request or call for additional testimony we will work with the committee,” Ereli said (Barry Schweid, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, April 21). Back to top       Australia Group Marks 20th Year of Battling Chemical and Biological Weapons Proliferation An international effort to establish common export controls for chemical and biological weapons technology marked its 20th year this week by adding Ukraine as a member and adopting additional technologies to its list of restricted exports (see GSN, April 18). Fifteen nations initiated the Australia Group in 1985, seeking to form common, voluntary rules to restrict the international trade of technology and materials that could be used to produce chemical and biological weapons. Now counting 39 nations as members, including Ukraine, the group ended its annual plenary meeting in Sydney yesterday and announced that it had expanded its control lists to include aerosol sprayers that could disperse biological agents, according to a press release. In addition, the group revised controls on pumps and genetically modified organisms, and it agreed to consider adding as many as 25 additional biological agents to its control lists, the release says (Australian Foreign Ministry release, April 22). Back to top       NYC Fire Department Objects to WMD Scene Plan The New York City Fire Department said that plans to put the city’s Police Department in charge of sites of a chemical or biological weapons attack “jeopardizes public safety,” the New York Times reported today (see GSN, Feb. 11). The city’s emergency response plan is set to be unveiled in coming days. It calls for the Police Department to take charge of operations at the scene of a chemical or biological event. Fire Department officials criticized the plan in a February memo and subsequent meetings with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Times reported. They argue that the department has extensive experience in handling hazardous-materials events, and possesses the know-how and equipment to identify and contain dangerous substances. In most U.S. cities, fire departments lead the response to a hazardous materials release, according to the Times. While he said his firefighters would obey the rules, Chief Peter Hayden questioned the value of the response plan. “If the question was posed today — would the response to a terrorist incident be different than it was on 9/11? — the answer would have to be no,” Hayden said. “Now if that isn’t a recipe for disaster, I don’t know what is.” The two agencies continue to have troubles working together, according to the Times. More than three years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the fire and police commanders still do not have a shared radio frequency they can use to communicate directly with one another (Michelle O’Donnell, New York Times, April 22). Back to top       U.S. Moving Toward Resuming Military Ties With Libya In another step toward normalizing U.S.-Libyan relations, a senior U.S. military official said yesterday that the Defense Department is considering restoring military-to-military relations with Tripoli, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, March 17). “I think it’s going to happen,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. Charles Ward, deputy commander of the European Command, in a Washington interview. The new ties would probably include such measures as direct contacts between senior military officials, and possibly U.S. training of Libyan troops, according to AP. The move is the latest in a series following Libya’s renunciation of WMD ambitions in late 2003 (see GSN, Dec. 29, 2003). The United States has already begun to restore diplomatic ties and to end many economic and political sanctions. However, Libya has not fully satisfied the Bush administration’s demand that it renounce support for terrorism, and U.S. officials have been debating how to reward Libya’s actions so far. “There’s obviously discussion going on,” Ward said. “What are we going to do with Libya? How do we want to engage?  Should they be part of the process? Do you bring them into the fold?” Before Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi seized power in 1970, Washington and Tripoli enjoyed close ties, and the U.S. military stationed forces in Libya in the 1950s, according to AP (Robert Burns, Associated Press/San Francisco Chronicle, April 21). Back to top       Negroponte Wins Easy Senate Approval From GovExec.com WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate yesterday confirmed John Negroponte to be the nation’s first national intelligence director, on a 98-2 vote (see GSN, April 15). Negroponte, a veteran diplomat whose career spans ambassadorial posts in Iraq, the United Nations, Honduras and the Philippines, will direct an intelligence-gathering apparatus overhauled last year by Congress (see GSN, Dec. 17, 2004). He is expected to take over duties for delivering the president’s daily intelligence briefing next week. Democratic Senators Tom Harkin of Iowa and Ron Wyden of Oregon were the only senators to vote against the confirmation. Negroponte repeatedly told members of the Senate intelligence committee during his confirmation hearing on April 12 that he will need some time to settle into the new job and further review the findings of recent commissions that chronicled intelligence failures. “The position for which I am now nominated is a new position in a new era, and the specific recommendations I will make to the president will require careful study and engagement that is not possible prior to confirmation,” he said. “That being the case, I am not now prepared to describe in detail exactly how I plan to carry out the job of director of national intelligence.” Senators had questioned Negroponte on whether he would end up in a power struggle with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. About 80 percent of intelligence resources go to the Defense Department. Rumsfeld recently directed the Pentagon’s undersecretary for intelligence, Stephen Cambone, to oversee the department’s intelligence reform efforts and serve as the chief liaison with the incoming national intelligence director. Back to top

Centrifuge Parts Still Missing From Khan Network Some key uranium enrichment equipment once headed for Libya remains unaccounted for, and international investigators fear that it may now be in use by a secret nuclear weapons program, the Los Angeles Times reported today (see GSN, March 25). The equipment had been procured by the nuclear smuggling network once headed by former Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, whose black market operation was caught in 2003 trying to supply Libya with uranium enrichment centrifuges capable of producing weapon-grade materials. U.S. and British officials seized a ship with nuclear equipment headed for Libya in 2003, leading to the exposure of the Khan network, but some equipment that had not yet been shipped has now gone missing. The equipment includes seven advanced centrifuge rotors, key parts for two specialized lathes that could produce rotors, a ton of high-strength aluminum, and additional centrifuge components, according to investigators interviewed by the Times. An official from the International Atomic Energy Agency, responsible for leading the Khan network investigation, told German prosecutors last year that four of the missing rotors were destroyed and the remaining three were somewhere in Dubai, home to many Khan activities. Aside from the official’s assertion, however, no evidence has been found to support the claim that any equipment was destroyed, according to the Times. One investigator said he suspects that one of the network’s customers has not yet been identified and that the equipment may now be with that client, which is probably a nation rather than a terrorist group, the Times reported (Douglas Frantz, Los Angeles Times, April 22). Back to top       Belgian Senate Calls for Removal of U.S. Nukes By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The Belgian senate yesterday unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution urging the gradual removal of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons reportedly housed in the country at the Kleine Brogel Air Base (see GSN, Feb. 9). The resolution cited as a reason the five-year review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, scheduled for next month in New York, where some countries are expected to argue the United States and possibly other nuclear powers have undermined efforts to strengthen the treaty by not sufficiently reducing their nuclear arsenals. The resolution also cited a commitment the United States made at the previous NPT conference in 2000, to work toward disarmament, including through reductions of such nonstrategic nuclear weapons. Removal of the weapons is necessary “considering that the continued existence and strict implementation of the Nonproliferation Treaty are necessary for peace and international security,” the senate resolution says. Twenty U.S. nuclear weapons are stored at the air base, part of a stockpile of more than 400 housed in NATO bases across Europe, according to Hans Kristensen, a consultant to the Natural Resources Defense Council. The weapons, configured for delivery by fighter aircraft, are under the control of the U.S. Air Force. They are intended for use by host country pilots, who train regularly for their use. While the resolution is nonbinding, it “makes clear that there is a political consensus in Belgium that wants the nuclear weapons out. This is the first time ever this has happened,” said Kristensen, who favors removing the weapons. The resolution calls for the Belgian government to pursue a gradual withdrawal of the weapons from NATO, possibly linked to reductions in Russian strategic nuclear weapons. Kristensen published a report in February claiming that the United States has 480 nuclear warheads in Europe, about double what has been publicly stated by U.S. officials.  The weapons are located at eight air bases in six countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom, it says. The report argues the United States and NATO should remove the weapons, which it says provide an irritant to relations with Russia and undermine efforts to promote nonproliferation. Kristensen said he doesn’t expect any Belgian government action on the matter prior to the treaty review conference, which begins May 2. A consequence, though, could be that “it will be very difficult for the government to accept new steps that run counter to the resolution. This could happen if NATO at the next Nuclear Planning Group Meeting in June decided to continue deployment,” he said. An important question is whether the sentiments of the resolution are shared by officials within the Belgian government, said Otfried Nassauer, director of the Berlin Information Center for Transatlantic Security, in a telephone interview today. “Resolutions in European parliaments often come only after discussions with persons within the relevant ministries,” he said, and added it is difficult to know whether such discussions have taken place and how they turned out. The resolution might also start a ball rolling in other nations, Kristensen said. The German opposition Liberal Party on April 14 proposed a resolution to remove nuclear weapons from Germany. That resolution was transferred to a committee for further debate, he said. Back to top       European Union “Genuine” in Effort to Reach Nuclear Agreement with Tehran, Iranian Official Says Iranian nuclear negotiator Sirus Naseri said yesterday that he believes the European Union is serious in its effort to reach agreement with Iran on the nation’s nuclear program, Reuters reported (see GSN, April 21). “The general trend of the negotiations right now indicates there is a willingness to make a genuine effort to come to an agreeable solution, a solution that both sides can live with,” said Naseri, who led Tehran’s delegation at this week’s talks in Geneva. Two days of working group negotiations ended without breakthroughs, Reuters reported. Senior-level talks are set to begin April 29 in London. Naseri reiterated Iran’s stand that it will not permanently forgo uranium enrichment. “The whole notion of cessation is so absurd that I simply do not wish to comment about it. It’s outrageous,” he said. Iran has proposed to conduct limited enrichment, starting with a 3,000-centrifuge pilot plant and later operating a commercial facility at Natanz with more than 50,000 centrifuges, EU diplomats told Reuters. While France, Germany and the United Kingdom oppose the commercial plant, there are indications that France accept the smaller site (Louis Charbonneau, Reuters, April 21). “The fact that we are beginning to reach a clear framework (of negotiations) is a sign that we have taken a step forward and that we expect a probable agreement,” Naseri said (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, April 21). Back to top

Kentucky CW Disposal Unlikely to Meet 2012 Deadline Redesign work on the Blue Grass Army Depot chemical weapons neutralization facility in Kentucky is likely to cause the facility to miss the anticipated 2012 deadline to destroy its full chemical stockpile, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported yesterday (see GSN, April 20). The U.S. Army and contractor Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass are considering options to reduce the $2 billion price tag for the plant. The facility is being redesigned to reduce its size by 25 percent, according to the Herald-Leader. Also being considered are shipping 6 million gallons of hydrolysate wastewater created by neutralization to another site for final processing (see GSN, April 11); reducing the number of $10 million hydrolysate-destroying water oxidation units from five to four if transportation is not possible; and using forklifts rather than conveyers and cranes to move weapons. Redesign will delay the project by a year.   Under that schedule, the depot would not destroy its 523 tons of nerve and mustard agents by the April 2012 deadline set by the Chemical Weapons Convention, said Bechtel Parsons project manager Chris Midgett (Peter Mathews, Lexington Herald-Leader, April 21). Back to top       Rail Safeguards Inadequate, Former TSA Official Says The United States is not doing enough to protect rail shipments of chemicals and other dangerous materials, former Transportation Security Administration Deputy Administrator Stephen McHale said yesterday (see GSN, April 20). McHale cited inadequate government funding and staffing to address the problem, and insufficient arrangements with the commercial railroads that carry the cargo, according to the Washington Post. Lawmakers and the Bush administration are not focused on the issue, and responsibility for security is spread between too many federal agencies, he said. The White House believes the private companies should lead security efforts, McHale said. The country is set to spend $4.6 billion this year on aviation security, compared to $32 million for safeguards on surface transportation, the Post reported. There are only 100 TSA rail security inspectors, while the agency has 45,000 employees in its air screening effort. “Basically, there is not enough money. There is no comprehensive, national plan,” said McHale, TSA deputy chief from 2002 to August 2004. “We can do better, but it is going to be difficult, given the scope and organization of the system.” He said he opposes efforts by the District of Columbia to ban trains carrying toxic materials from entering the nation’s capital. However, he said the case could draw needed focus to the security issue. McHale called for some rerouting of trains, the use of decoy cars, increased inspections of railways and other measures to secure trains carrying materials such as chemicals or explosives. A TSA spokesman, in a written statement, said, “We’re the first to acknowledge there is room for security improvements in rail.” “Much has been accomplished and the partnership TSA has forged with industry and local governments paves the way for significant continued gains,” said spokesman Mark Hatfield Jr. (Spencer Hsu, Washington Post, April 22). Back to top

Missile Defense Budget Increased Before it Was Cut By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — While the U.S. Missile Defense Agency appeared to be facing a $5 billion funding cut over the next six fiscal years, a budget boost quietly instituted by the Defense Department has effectively given the program a net $2.6 billion increase for the period (see GSN, April 7). Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz announced the cut last December as part of an overall Pentagon cost-savings effort. The move drew praise from department budget critics and concern from missile defense proponents (see GSN, Jan. 5). Wolfowitz’s “Program Budget Decision No. 753” ordered the cut to begin with a $1 billion reduction in the agency’s fiscal 2006 budget, and $800 million annually from fiscal 2007 to fiscal 2011. At a hearing this month of the Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, Chairman Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said he was concerned that the budget cut could force the agency to detrimentally slow development of some technology. “Slowing down too much or reducing programs too much, we end up costing more than we need,” Sessions said. “It’s sometimes better to continue the program and find the money in some other fashion.” What is not widely known, however, was that Defense Department leaders last year also decided to modify missile defense plans and give the agency a budget raise of $7.7 billion dollars, producing a projected net increase of about $2.6 billion through fiscal 2011. “Since the top line in the FY06-FY11 budget for MDA had increased by about $8 billion, even with a subsequent $5.1 billion cut the resulting top line for MDA is larger than shown in the president’s FY05 budget request,” said agency spokesman Richard Lehner in an e-mail. Priorities Reassessed The budget increase was made to buy new missile defense hardware for long- and medium-range ballistic missile defense systems the agency is simultaneously deploying and developing. The increase for that purpose, coupled with the cuts, prompted agency officials to shift the focus of the missile defense program, partly by delaying or cutting work that had been planned in coming years for some programs and by spending more on fielding more mature technology. For instance, the Kinetic Energy Interceptor, a program to develop a new, faster interceptor for fielding around 2011, saw a reduction of $5 billion from fiscal 2006 through fiscal 2009, according to testimony on the budget by MDA Director Lt. Gen. Henry Obering at the hearing this month. Program goals were delayed a year and activities were narrowed primarily to demonstrate the system’s potential capability. Other cost-saving strategies included delaying by one year plans to deploy 10 missile interceptors in Europe, and reducing the number of long-range interceptor boosters under development from two to one. Meanwhile, fiscal 2006 to fiscal 2009 funding for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense interceptor system increased by $3 billion over what was predicted last year, attributed in part to newly scheduled production of additional interceptor missiles and radar upgrades, according to an agency budget document. In addition, funding for X-band radar development and production increased by $1 billion over that period, according to the document. A theater missile defense system is set to receive an additional $560 million. Hundreds of millions of dollars were added for early research on multiple, miniature kill vehicles. Aegis ship ballistic missile defense funding increased by $551 million during the four years, including for buying 43 additional medium-range interceptors. As implementation of the budget increase would lag behind Wolfowitz’s cuts by two years, the agency budget is projected to drop next fiscal year to $7.8 billion from $8.7 billion projected last year. It will climb after that, however, to more than $10 billion annually by fiscal 2009, according to this year’s budget projections.     Back to top

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