Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara (shown in the 2003 movie “Fog of War”) has joined other former officials calling for a renewed international commitment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (AFP photo). Former High-Level Officials Push for Stronger NPT By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Twenty-one prominent former policy-makers called yesterday on countries to recommit themselves to the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and to strengthen implementation of the pact (see GSN, April 5). In a statement ahead of a treaty review conference set for next month in New York, the ex-officials called for agreement on a program of action including expanded U.N. powers to monitor treaty compliance, faster disarmament efforts by nuclear weapon countries and better security for nuclear material around the world...Full Story

U.S. Lawmakers Excoriate Yucca Officials Over Faked Documents, Call for Outside Review By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Members of the U.S. House of Representatives laid into Bush administration officials yesterday over a growing scandal involving falsified studies by researchers working on the planned Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository in Nevada (see GSN, April 4)...Full Story

Vote on IAEA Chief Could Come After April 27 Meeting The International Atomic Energy Agency is scheduled to meet April 27 to select its next director general, but might hold off on making a decision until a later meeting, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday (see GSN, March 3)...Full Story

	Wednesday, April 6, 2005

TOPOFF 3 Drill Continues More than 3,000 mock victims had suffered a fatal exposure to a biological agent by noon today in New Jersey in the TOPOFF 3 terrorism drill, while emergency personnel in Connecticut struggled with the aftermath of a simulated chemical weapon explosion. The large-scale drill conducted this week is intended to test U.S. response capabilities to WMD attacks (see GSN, April 5). Authorities in New Jersey are organizing sites for distribution of antibiotics, the Associated Press reported. People who were exposed to the biological agent and those they might have infected are being isolated. “To stop that in its tracks, the first thing is reaching the people who are sick,” said New Jersey health official James Langenbach. “Then we operate these points of distribution to give medicine to help people from getting the plague.” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and acting New Jersey Governor Richard Codey today are to visit a drug distribution site at the Rutgers University Athletic Center, AP reported. Distribution will be offered by Friday in each of the state’s 21 counties, Langenbach said (Wayne Parry, Associated Press/PhillyBurbs.com, April 6). The New Jersey drill has uncovered some troubles with communication between emergency personnel, AP reported. Not enough emergency responders learned Monday of travel restrictions placed on Union and Middlesex counties, said state police Lt. Dennis McNulty. “Decisions were made at the highest levels of government, but there are early indications those decisions were not disseminated in an appropriate fashion,” he said. “There seems to have been some disconnect. Rest assured, that will be scrutinized.” There were indications that hospital staffing and capacity could also be problems in an actual incident. More than 100 patients were expected yesterday at 210-bed Union Hospital. “We will face the reality of employees who will not want to come to work and who will want to stay home with their families,” said hospital Executive Director Kathryn Coyne. “We will have to deal with a shortage of beds and we will have to deal with traffic in and around the hospital” (Wayne Parry, Associated Press/PhillyBurbs.com, April 5). Officials in the Connecticut exercise, which involved an apparent mustard gas attack, also acknowledged some delays in relaying information but said communication has improved greatly since the 2001 terrorist attacks. Search and rescue teams searched for the mock victims, both dead and injured, while hundreds of federal authorities hunted for evidence yesterday at the blast site in New London, AP reported. Three people were “arrested” at the Canadian border and the FBI had obtained four arrest warrants, according to AP (Matt Apuzzo, Associated Press/1010Wins.com, April 6). An Army quick reaction force from Fort Bragg in North Carolina was deployed to protect the Millstone nuclear power plant in Waterford. About 10,000 people from the public and private sectors are involved in the exercise, the Homeland Security Department said (U.S. Homeland Security Department release, April 4). Back to top

Former High-Level Officials Push for Stronger NPT By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Twenty-one prominent former policy-makers called yesterday on countries to recommit themselves to the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and to strengthen implementation of the pact (see GSN, April 5). In a statement ahead of a treaty review conference set for next month in New York, the ex-officials called for agreement on a program of action including expanded U.N. powers to monitor treaty compliance, faster disarmament efforts by nuclear weapon countries and better security for nuclear material around the world. Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl Kimball, an organizer of the effort, expressed doubts about U.S. support for the agenda even as he called for its implementation. Washington focuses on proliferation elsewhere, rejects calls for quicker disarmament and “apparently is not likely to help build agreement on such a program of action,” Kimball said as he presented the statement to the press yesterday at the National Press Club here. “The 2005 review conference is shaping up to be a lost opportunity,” he said. The international group, whose U.S. members included former secretaries of state and defense and directors of the former Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, said countries should also “clarify” the pact to prevent parties from withdrawing — as North Korea has done — after setting up civilian nuclear programs with military potential. “Today’s security environment requires an even more comprehensive and robust global nonproliferation strategy,” they wrote in the statement. “The NPT’s future success depends on universal compliance with tighter rules to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, more effective regional security strategies and renewed progress toward fulfillment of the nuclear weapon states’ NPT disarmament obligations.” Cases such as North Korea and Iran, new terrorism and wars, the nuclear network of Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, inadequate stockpile security, and concerns on nuclear weapon states’ commitment to disarmament have created “rising doubts about the sustainability of the nonproliferation regime,” the ex-officials said. Next month’s review meeting is “an essential opportunity,” they said, “for the parties to demonstrate their political will to make further tangible progress to meet all of the treaty’s objectives.” U.S. Bipartisan Security Group Director Robert Grey, a signatory of the statement, expressed concerns at yesterday’s event about a failure of “American leadership” on nonproliferation and disarmament. “What we’re facing here,” Grey said, referring to U.S. stances ahead of the review conference, “is a radical departure from past American practice.” Other signatories included former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and defense secretaries Robert McNamara and William Perry; former U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency General Counsel George Bunn, who represented Washington in the original treaty negotiations, and two former agency directors, Ralph Earle and John Holum; former Russian State Duma Deputy Alexei Arbatov; U.S. Sept. 11 commission Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton; and the secretary general of the international Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, Henrik Salander. U.S. Representatives Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and John Spratt (D-S.C.) plan to sponsor a resolution this week espousing goals similar to those laid out in the ex-officials’ statement. “The NPT embodies one of the best security bargains ever struck,” Spratt said at the Press Club event. “The NPT marshals the world — 186 countries — against nuclear weapons with a collective force that the United States could not muster on its own and provides a framework and forum for handling the problems that continually arise. The United States has plenty of nonproliferation programs. We need nonproliferation partners, and the NPT helps supply them.” Back to top       Vote on IAEA Chief Could Come After April 27 Meeting The International Atomic Energy Agency is scheduled to meet April 27 to select its next director general, but might hold off on making a decision until a later meeting, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday (see GSN, March 3). Mohamed ElBaradei, whose second four-year term as agency chief expires in November, is currently the only candidate for the job. Additional candidates had to be submitted by Dec. 31, according to AFP. “There is a restive feeling the process has gone on too long as there is a candidate and almost no one is opposed to him,” said a diplomat from a nonaligned nation. The United States has opposed ElBaradei’s candidacy, however, citing an informal agreement among some major nations that heads of international institutions should serve no more than two terms. “The [IAEA Board of Governors] is waiting for the United States to accept that there is only one candidate and that he has the board’s backing,” the nonaligned nation diplomat said. Washington is having difficulty finding “a good competing candidate,” a Western diplomat told AFP. As the board elects the director by a two-thirds vote, however, the United States can still block ElBaradei with 13 votes, the diplomat added. The United States will “be trying to build a blocking third” of votes or to delay the vote until June, the diplomat said. “Policy-makers in Washington believe there is still time enough on this issue,” said the diplomat (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, April 5). Back to top       Los Alamos Tests Mock Nuclear Weapon The Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico on Friday tested a W-76 nuclear warhead containing an inert material in place of plutonium, the Albuquerque Journal reported yesterday (see GSN, April 4). Scientists took X-ray images of the weapon at the moment of detonation, which enables them to examine the behavior of the material it contains, according to the Journal. The detonation occurred inside a nylon tent filled with foam. “We do use some nuclear material, and that’s the purpose of the foam, so we don’t eject it into the environment,” said Kevin Jones, head of the Los Alamos experimental division. The test was performed as part of the U.S. nuclear weapons Stockpile Life Extension Program. The U.S. arsenal of submarine-launched W-76 missiles are to be upgraded beginning in 2007. Testing ensures that replacement parts work identically to existing components, the Journal reported. Early indications are that Friday’s test was successful, Jones said (John Fleck, Albuquerque Journal, April 5). Back to top       International Community Must Not “Under-React” to North Korea, Iran Nuclear Threats, Rice Says The international community should not underestimate the nuclear threats posed by North Korea and Iran, despite incomplete intelligence on both countries’ programs, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday (see GSN, March 21). “I don’t think that there’s any doubt worldwide that there is a lot of concern about the nuclear weapons capabilities of these states. And while we may never know the exact nature of any of these programs, we also have to be very careful not to under-react to the fact that you have closed societies that are ambitious in their policies, that are trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction,” she told the Associated Press. Rice said she could not guarantee that U.S. intelligence was foolproof, speaking in the wake of the release last week of a critical report by a presidential commission studying U.S. intelligence agencies, according to AP (see GSN, March 31). “There are no guarantees where intelligence is concerned, particularly when you’re dealing with opaque and difficult societies like the ones that tend to want weapons of mass destruction undercover,” Rice said (Anne Gearan, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, April 5). Back to top       UT to Reconsider Bid on Los Alamos The University of Texas might rejoin the contest to manage the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, the Albuquerque Journal reported yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 11). The University System Board of Regents voted in February against seeking the contract, but board Chairman James Huffines asked Chancellor Mark Yudof to review the management competition after defense contractor Lockheed Martin reversed its earlier decision and announced it would submit a bid (see GSN, March 30). The new contractor also stands to earn up to $60 million annually through the potential performance-based fee. The University of California now only receives up to $8 million each year for managing the nuclear weapons laboratory. Yudof is set to discuss the issue with the Board of Regents at the end of this month, the Journal reported. No vote is expected at that meeting, said university system spokesman Michael Warden (Adam Rankin, Albuquerque Journal, April 5). Back to top

Lawmaker Questions Delay in Anthrax Vaccine Purchases for U.S. Strategic National Stockpile A U.S. senator yesterday questioned why negotiations to purchase 5 million doses of anthrax vaccine for the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile have not concluded after two years of effort, USA Today reported (see GSN, Dec. 16, 2004). Not “one additional dose” has been added to the stockpile since the 2001 anthrax attacks, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt. “I remain greatly concerned that the department is not prepared to protect the American people from an anthrax attack,” Grassley wrote. He also requested information on the number of doses in the stockpile, according to USA Today. News reports indicated in 2004 that the stockpile contained 500 doses of anthrax vaccine. However, an agency official last year told USA Today the stockpile held no doses. Agency spokesman Bill Pierce yesterday refused to tell the newspaper the number of doses in the stockpile. “If an immediate need arose, we would have access to a stream of vaccine,” he said. Pierce said talks to purchase the vaccine from BioPort, the only company that manufactures a licensed vaccine for the stockpile and the military, are ongoing. The Michigan company is “ready, willing and able to supply them with millions of doses for the stockpile, should they be ready to buy,” said CEO Bob Kramer (Julie Appleby, USA Today, April 6). Back to top

CDC Knocks VX Byproduct Dumping, Lawmaker Says The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to release a report today indicating that dumping VX neutralization byproduct into the Delaware River could harm fish and wildlife, according to U.S. Representative Rob Andrews (see GSN, March 3). “This report will and should put an end to this bad idea of disposing of the byproduct in the Delaware River,” Andrews (D-N.J.) told the Associated Press. Neutralization of 1,269 tons of the nerve agent at the Newport Chemical Depot in Indiana is expected to leave 4 million gallons of hydrolysate. DuPont plans to treat the wastewater in New Jersey to eliminate or capture toxins, and then dump the byproduct into the Delaware River. However, the CDC report states that trace amounts of VX could remain in the wastewater, and that heavy metals are another potential problem, Andrews told AP. The lawmaker said he will raise the issue today during a House Armed Services subcommittee meeting, and plans to press the Army not to send the hydrolysate to New Jersey (Donna De La Cruz, Associated Press/PhillyBurbs.com, April 6). Back to top       Judge Asks D.C. to Delay Ban on Chlorine Trains The District of Columbia government and rail operator CSX are mulling a plan from a federal judge to allow for continued negotiations on the city’s ban on trains carrying chlorine and other toxic chemicals, the Washington Post reported today (see GSN, March 24). U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan is asking D.C. leaders to hold off on enforcing the law for 30 days and for CSX to halt hazardous materials shipments through the city over that period. “This case will either be a model for future litigation, or a model for settling these disputes and improving security for a community,” Sullivan said yesterday. “We need to spend our money and time trying to settle this case so everyone can leave with their heads held high, knowing the security of the District residents remains paramount.” The ban was to take effect on Monday. Attorneys representing the city indicated they could delay implementation until at least April 20, the Post reported. Lawyers for the District, CSX and Justice Department — which is backing the rail firm in its lawsuit to overturn the ban — said they would have responses tomorrow to Sullivan’s 30-day proposal. After receiving a federal briefing Monday on rail security efforts, Sullivan also asked the White House to instruct the Justice Department to inform District officials on work being done to protect railways in the city. “I can settle this case, but I can’t do it alone,” Sullivan said. “I need the president’s help. … There is no way I can broker this deal if the District is left totally in the dark about what the federal government is doing. They have to know what I know” (Carol Leonnig, Washington Post, April 6). Back to top

Israel, U.S. Conduct Missile Defense Exercise U.S. military personnel have joined their counterparts in Israel for missile defense exercises meant to integrate U.S. Patriot missiles with the jointly developed Arrow system, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 12, 2004). Some 1,000 U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force personnel and a U.S. Navy Aegis cruiser were deployed to Israel for the “Juniper Cobra” exercises, said Maj. Gen. Harry Burchstead, the commander of the U.S. forces. The integrated missile defense plan calls for the Arrow to intercept inbound missiles at high altitudes and the Patriot to provide cover below that, said Brig. Gen. Ilan Bitton, the commander of Israel’s air defense. “Juniper Cobra” involves tests of U.S. troops’ deployment capabilities, simulated command and control drills and live fire exercises (Gavin Rabinowitz, Associated Press/Ha’aretz, April 5). Back to top

U.S. Lawmakers Excoriate Yucca Officials Over Faked Documents, Call for Outside Review By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Members of the U.S. House of Representatives laid into Bush administration officials yesterday over a growing scandal involving falsified studies by researchers working on the planned Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository in Nevada (see GSN, April 4). After releasing e-mails last week in which project personnel discussed faking research about the potential for water infiltration at the storage site, members of a House Government Reform subcommittee blasted officials from the Energy and Interior departments at a hearing yesterday. Federal Work Force and Agency Organization Subcommittee members, Nevada senators and state officials called for an independent review of the science underlying the federal government’s view that the site is suitable for a waste repository. Energy officials’ have claimed that the falsified data were not essential to the case for Yucca Mountain’s suitability. That has led to concerns that, in the words of Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn, the administration’s “wagons are being circled” in a bid to minimize the effect of the disclosures on the bid for a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license for the project. “It’s a flawed project. It should be brought to a stunning halt,” Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) told his House colleagues. “The whole project is a lesson in what’s wrong about government, and that is too bad.” Nevada’s other Democratic senator, John Ensign, added that the Energy Department’s “quality assurance program has been revealed for what it is: a fraud.” Administration officials at the hearing called for patience, indicating they could fire employees over the scandal but not until the completion of investigations by the inspectors general of the Energy Department and the Interior Department’s U.S. Geological Survey. The Energy Department’s top Yucca Mountain official, Theodore Garrish, told the subcommittee that the falsifications were unacceptable but do not “condemn” the work of “thousands of responsible scientists on this project,” which he said supports the site’s suitability. “We found the problem, we identified it, and we will do what’s required to rectify it,” he said. Although Garrish said that “we are the ones that brought this issue forward,” Nevada officials and subcommittee members rejected that view, saying the department released the information only under pressure from the state. The Yucca Mountain project manager for government contractor Bechtel Corp., John Mitchell, said the project would still meet all the licensing commission’s quality standards. “The willful action of the individuals in question is an insult to the integrity” of other project scientists, Mitchell said.   Back to top

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

© Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.