A Chinese long-range nuclear missile on display at a museum in Beijing. A U.S. Defense Department assessment determined China is upgrading its nuclear arsenal and deploying more sophisticated missiles able to target most of the United States (Getty Images/Goh Chai Hin). Beijing Expands Nuclear, Missile Arsenals, U.S. Says China is upgrading its nuclear arsenal and deploying more sophisticated missiles able to target “virtually all of the United States,” according to a new assessment released yesterday by the U.S. Defense Department (see GSN, July 18). Chinese mobile DF-31 ICBMs could become operational this year, followed in 2007 by the mobile DF-31A, the Washington Post reported. Mobile missiles are not as vulnerable to an initial nuclear strike, experts said...Full Story

Moscow, Washington Resolve Liability Dispute Over U.S.-Funded Nuclear Security Program The liability dispute that has hindered a U.S.-funded nuclear materials security program in Russia has been settled, the Moscow Times reported today (see GSN, July 1)...Full Story

U.S. Lawmakers Surprised by Bush Administration Move to Lift Nuclear Sanctions on India U.S. lawmakers from both major parties were taken aback by President George W. Bush’s announcement Monday that he would propose ending nuclear sanctions on India, the Financial Times reported (see GSN, July 19)...Full Story

	Wednesday, July 20, 2005

U.S. to Review Nuclear Plant Security Following the recent terrorist attacks in London, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to review every nuclear reactor pool in the United States to improve antiterrorism security and response plans at the sites, The Day reported today (see GSN, June 21). The review of the 103 reactor pools is expected to begin in September. Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan said the London attacks showed the need for changes in reactor security, according to The Day. The National Academy of Sciences recommended a spent fuel pool safety measure review in April. The organization said the review could identify steps needed to prevent radioactive release and fires if coolant falls to critical levels during an attack. The pools store and cool radioactive fuel rods that had been used to generate electricity. Sheehan said the review was not a response to the academy’s report. “It’s in response to a lot of information we’ve gathered,” he said. The review is expected to identify commonalities and differences in the country’s reactors and could lead to required steps owners would have to take to improve security, The Day reported. In advance of the study, the commission asked reactor owners to review emergency preparedness procedures, including how long it takes to notify the commission of an incident. Sheehan said depending on responses, the required notification time frame could be lowered from an hour (Patricia Daddona, The Day, July 20). Back to top

Beijing Expands Nuclear, Missile Arsenals, U.S. Says China is upgrading its nuclear arsenal and deploying more sophisticated missiles able to target “virtually all of the United States,” according to a new assessment released yesterday by the U.S. Defense Department (see GSN, July 18). Chinese mobile DF-31 ICBMs could become operational this year, followed in 2007 by the mobile DF-31A, the Washington Post reported. Mobile missiles are not as vulnerable to an initial nuclear strike, experts said. “It’s starting to give them a second strike capability against the U.S.,” said Roger Cliff, a military analyst at the RAND Corp. In addition, China is increasing deployment of its CSS-6 and CSS-7 short-range ballistic missiles on the coast opposite Taiwan by about 100 missiles each year, the Pentagon report says. Chinese military expenditures could grow to $90 billion this year — triple Beijing’s official numbers — outpaced only by Russian and U.S. defense spending, according to the Pentagon report. “Without a doubt, the direction Chinese military modernization has taken in recent years absolutely represents a growing threat to the U.S.,” said Evan Medeiros, an expert on China’s military at the RAND Corp. The warning last week by Chinese Gen. Zhu Chenghu that Beijing would use nuclear weapons in response to any U.S. military intervention on its territory likely had at least implicit support from the Chinese leadership, U.S. analysts familiar with Zhu told the Post. “They think it’s good to have a mad dog in your closet who might scare your potential adversaries,” said retired Adm. Dennis Blair, former commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. “It always helps your leverage if your adversaries think you might do something stupid” (Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post, July 20). Back to top       Moscow, Washington Resolve Liability Dispute Over U.S.-Funded Nuclear Security Program The liability dispute that has hindered a U.S.-funded nuclear materials security program in Russia has been settled, the Moscow Times reported today (see GSN, July 1). The agreement is expected to cover U.S.-sponsored plutonium disposal, said a senior U.S. official. U.S. and Russian officials for more than two years have disagreed on the level of protection U.S. officials and contractors should receive from lawsuits arising from their work in Russia to secure nuclear materials. The U.S. official said, without elaborating, that the agreement works under the principle of reciprocity. A Russian source, however, said yesterday the agreement had not yet been signed. Several Russian government agencies would have to approve the deal before it is formalized as an addendum to a 2000 pact on plutonium disposal. There was no immediate word on when the agreement might be signed. Undersecretary of State Robert Joseph arrived Monday in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Kislyak, Federal Atomic Energy Agency chief Alexander Rumyantsev and Security Council deputy head Nikolai Spassky, according to the Times. Resolution of the liability issue is expected to “facilitate the extension” of the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, which expires next year, a second U.S. official said. In addition, Russia has provided the United States with a list of nuclear facilities where U.S. inspectors would be welcome to check progress on U.S.-sponsored security improvements, the official said (Simon Sradzhyan, Moscow Times, July 20). U.S. Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) said the agreement is a significant step toward fulfilling the U.S.-Russian agreement to eliminate 34 metric tons of weapon-grade plutonium from each nation’s arsenal. Terms of the deal were reached during this month’s Group of Eight summit in Scotland, Domenici said yesterday in a press release. It must still be approved by Russian lawmakers, and then receive a Russian presidential decree and a formal signing by both nations.. “I’m very pleased that this agreement has been made because it will give us a sure-fire way to dispose of weapons-grade material while at the same time providing economic benefits,” Domenici said in the release. “I am hopeful Russia’s Duma will take quick action” (U.S. Senator Pete Domenici release, July 19). Back to top       U.S. Lawmakers Surprised by Bush Administration Move to Lift Nuclear Sanctions on India U.S. lawmakers from both major parties were taken aback by President George W. Bush’s announcement Monday that he would propose ending nuclear sanctions on India, the Financial Times reported (see GSN, July 19). Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) was only informed of Bush’s decision Monday, said one source. In addition, U.S. officials had not indicated previously that Washington was prepared to lift the ban on nuclear cooperation with New Delhi. Former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control John Bolton opposed doing so during the first Bush term, and his successor, Robert Joseph, said prior to his confirmation that the administration had no plans eliminate the restrictions, the Times reported. Debate over the issue is unlikely to fall along partisan lines, said one Senate aide. Concerns are likely to be raised about the decision’s impact on proliferation and on efforts to persuade countries like Iran to relinquish nuclear programs. A Democratic aide said a significant push by the White House could persuade Congress to lift the restrictions (Daniel/Johnson/Sevastopulo, Financial Times, July 20). Lugar said he expected the White House to explain how the change would affect overall U.S. nuclear policy, the Washington Post reported today. “We’re going to have a lot of conversations,” he said (Dafna Linzer, Washington Post, July 20). Meanwhile, the House Energy Conference Committee adopted a resolution yesterday preventing export of nuclear technology to countries, like India, that have conducted a nuclear weapons test but are not signatories of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Agence France-Presse reported. Washington would be setting a dangerous precedent if it allowed nuclear-related exchanges with such countries, some analysts said yesterday. Bush’s move “does nothing” to stem India’s nuclear weapons development and could weaken the treaty, said Jon Wolfsthal, an expert on WMD proliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Now [other nations] would look at the decision by the U.S. and say: when India can have nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors too, then why not us,” he said. U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, however, defended the action by saying that India has carefully followed nonproliferation procedures. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei about the decision and he seemed “supportive of what we have done,” Burns added (P. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, July 20). Rice also spoke with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf yesterday to explain the U.S. move. She “reaffirmed the central importance of Pakistan as a strategic partner in the war on terrorism,” Burns said Burns said the growing India-U.S. partnership is not aimed at countering any prospective adversary in the region, the Associated Press reported. “This is a significant point of departure for our foreign policy, not just in South Asia but worldwide,” he said (George Gedda, Associated Press/Baltimore Sun, July 20). Elsewhere, a former Indian official questioned New Delhi’s decision to cooperate so closely with Washington on nuclear issues, The Indian Express reported. “The promise made yesterday in Washington means that we are accepting a cap on the size of our nuclear deterrent with a small number of nuclear weapons,” said former Indian national security adviser Brajesh Mishra. New Delhi had offered to put a “couple of existing nuclear facilities under full scope guards but the offer was never accepted” by Washington, said Mishra. “The idea was that there would be enough fissile material from the reactors not under safeguards for India’s minimum credible deterrent. … But by effecting a separation between civilian and nuclear facilities, India would in fact be agreeing to the basic provision of a future fissile material cutoff treaty even before an international treaty on that crucial subject is negotiated and put into effect by other nuclear weapon states,” he said (Gupta/Mohan, Indian Express, July 19). Back to top       U.S. Homeland Security Chief Wants Big Improvements in Radiation Detection Technology By Joe Fiorill Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Better technology is the key to improving U.S. efforts to detect incoming nuclear and radiological threats, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday (see GSN, June 22). Appearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Chertoff indicated technological improvements would be the primary focus of his agency’s new Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. “We really need to get a better quality of detector,” Chertoff said. “That means we’ve got to jump-start some research and really move forward on it.” As the most dangerous weapon-usable nuclear materials emit comparatively little radiation, some experts have questioned whether detection technology can be significantly improved (see GSN, June 8). Homeland Security officials lately have stressed the need for detectors that are more discriminating, rather than more powerful, saying operators frequently turn down the machines’ sensitivity in order to avoid an overabundance of false alarms. Besides calling for new detector research, Chertoff also stressed the need for efforts to screen more cargo overseas, before it heads toward the United States. Erstwhile presidential challenger John Kerry (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the panel’s technology subcommittee, questioned why detection deployment within the United States has not proceeded more quickly. Chertoff said delays are to be expected, given that much federal involvement in the effort takes the form of Homeland Security grants to ports and other local institutions. In particular, he cited the “reimbursement” form of the grants, some of which are paid out only after the receiving agency has procured the equipment. Local and state officials have long said that approach can lead to confusion and hesitation among grant recipients. Kerry said that given the country’s “war footing” on terrorism, the deployments should be farther along. “That technology has existed now for some time,” Kerry said. “Why has that not been put on a sort of war footing deployment schedule?” “The only frustration that I have and that a lot of people have is that we’ve been talking about this for several years,” he said. Chertoff forcefully reiterated his stance that federal funding of terrorism prevention and response efforts around the country should be based on risk, rather than the present geography- or population-based formulas. “Our fondest desire would be to have a situation in which as much of the money as possible is not driven by a geographically based formula,” he said. Influential members of Congress, such as Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-Maine), have differed with Homeland Security over how much formula-based funding to take away, while still supporting the principle that risk-based funding should be increased. Back to top       U.K. to Invest $1.7 Billion in Trident Upkeep The United Kingdom plans to spend $1.7 billion to ensure the “continued reliability and safety” of its Trident nuclear weapons system, the Financial Times reported today (see GSN, May 2). British Defense Secretary John Reid said the money was needed over the next three years to “maintain the existing Trident warhead stockpile.” The spending decision is likely to displease the Labor Party, which is pushing for the United Kingdom to give up the submarine-launched ICBM, the Times reported. Prime Minister Tony Blair has not made a decision on whether to replace the missiles (Jean Eaglesham, Financial Times, July 20). Back to top       Bush Hopes North Korea’s Kim Will See “Common Sense” During Nuclear Negotiations U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday said he hoped the resumption of multilateral negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear effort next week would make North Korean leader Kim Jong Il see “common sense” and give up his atomic ambitions, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, July 19). “We’re sincere about working with China and South Korea and Japan and Russia to bring some common sense to the leader of North Korea,” Bush said (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, July 19). Washington plans to remain engaged in the talks “as long as it is useful,” the U.S. Embassy in China announced today. Undersecretary of State Christopher Hill is expected in Beijing this weekend, heading the U.S. delegation to the talks, the embassy spokeswoman said (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, July 20). Both North and South Korea warned against bringing up at the talks issues of Pyongyang’s Cold War-era abductions of Japanese nationals and alleged human rights abuses. “Such disturbing actions as slandering ... a dialogue partner cannot help the talks progress into a positive direction and will only bring conflict and a breakdown in the end,” the official Korean Central News Agency announced (Bo Mi-Lim, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, July 20). Japan has thus far “stood in the way” of the talks, KCNA added. “The negative role played by Japan at the previous rounds of the talks compels the D.P.R.K. not to deal with Japan even if the talks are resumed.” South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said the focus of the talks must remain on Pyongyang’s nuclear program, AFP reported. “We have to understand clearly what the six-party talks are all about. It won’t be helpful to achieve this goal if we raise the issues of disarmament (of conventional weapons), human rights or kidnapping,” he told the Hankyoreh newspaper (Park Chan-kyong, Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, July 20). Seoul also announced that all parties to the talks have expressed willingness to extend the dialogue sessions beyond the standard four days, allowing for greater consultation with home countries and more comprehensive discussions, Reuters reported. “The countries will try to reach a substantive agreement this time by having sufficient discussions, even if that takes time,” said South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon (Jack Kim, Reuters, July 20). Back to top       Teams Submit Los Alamos Management Proposals Two teams seeking to lead the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico submitted their management proposals to the U.S. Energy Department yesterday, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, June 17). The University of California and engineering firm Bechtel Corp. lead one group, the University of Texas and defense contractor Lockheed Martin the other. They are expected to give oral presentations to the Energy Department in August. A winner is expected to be announced by Dec. 1. The winner will manage the laboratory for seven years, according to AP. The University of California/Bechtel proposal focuses on the combination of the university’s scientific expertise with the management, safety and security experience provided by its private partners. The university has come under fire for security and safety problems that have arisen in recent years as it managed Los Alamos. “My focus has been to build the best team that's going to address all the myriad of challenges that face Los Alamos,” said team leader Michael Anastasio. The Lockheed/University of Texas partnership is proposing the creation of the Network for Education and Research in Science and Technology, which would provide support resources for work at the laboratory. Universities in New Mexico can join the network if the partnership is granted control of Los Alamos. “A national lab of this importance requires a national community of scientists and engineers to support it,”' said University of Texas Chancellor Mark Yudof. “Our network of scientists is going to help drive even better science at Los Alamos” (Jennifer Talhelm, Associated Press/Albuquerque Journal, July 19). Back to top       EU Gives Funds to Back IAEA Nonproliferation Efforts The European Union’s Council of Ministers on Monday approved allocating nearly $4.8 million to support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s nuclear safety and nonproliferation efforts, according to the European Report (see GSN, June 13). The money is intended for IAEA efforts to: protect nuclear materials being used, stored or transported; strengthen protection of non-nuclear radioactive materials; improve trafficking detection and response capabilities; and prepare legislation on nations’ obligations under IAEA agreements. The Joint Action approved Monday is part of the European Union’s WMD nonproliferation strategy, adopted in December 2003. The EU Council approved its first Joint Action for IAEA efforts in May (European Report, July 20). Back to top       Tennessee Facility to Monitor Nuclear Blasts Equipment has been installed in Tennessee to monitor for any nuclear blast as part of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization verification program, The Daily Times reported yesterday (see GSN, June 27). The seismic monitoring station, which is also expected to detect earthquakes, was set up last week in the Tuckaleechee Caverns to replace equipment that stopped functioning several years ago. Data from the detection equipment is to be sent by satellite to the CTBTO headquarters in Austria. The Tennessee monitoring station is one of a network of more than 300 dedicated worldwide to detecting nuclear explosions (Anna Irwin, The Daily Times, July 19).  Back to top

China Wants Japan to Respond to Germ Warfare Victims Japan should answer demands for an apology and compensation made by Chinese citizens subjected to the Japanese germ warfare program during World War II, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said today (see GSN, July 19). Yesterday, a Japanese court rejected a lawsuit filed by 180 survivors and relatives of victims. “Germ warfare was one of the serious crimes of the Japanese militarist period during World War II,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement faxed to the Associated Press. “The Japanese government should properly deal with this problem by using an honest attitude, undertaking its full responsibilities and handling conscientiously the reasonable demands of the injured people.” AP reported the lawsuit has uncovered information about Japan’s biological warfare program kept secret by Japan’s government and the United States following World War II. For instance, Japanese veterans told the court that cholera, dysentery, anthrax and typhoid were mass-produced in the early 1940s at the Unit 731 base near the Chinese city of Harbin. Historians said the this unit may be responsible for as many as 250,000 deaths in the 1930s and ‘40s during the Japanese occupation of China (Joe McDonald, Associated Press, July 20) Back to top       Mich., Ill. Postal Facilities Get Anthrax Detectors The U.S. Postal Service plans to install in its main Lansing, Mich., facility five machines capable of detecting anthrax in the mail, the Lansing State Journal reported today (see GSN, July 19). The Biohazard Detection Systems, described by postal workers as “extremely accurate at detecting anthrax,” are expected to be installed by Aug. 5, according to the State Journal (Khristopher Brooks, Lansing State Journal, July 20). Meanwhile, the Postal Service’s processing and distributing facility in Milan, Ill., began using the Biohazard Detection System yesterday, the Quad-City Times reported. The Milan facility employs 240 people and processes 1.5 million pieces of mail each night for 140 post offices. “This is the place where the anthrax would end up if it were dropped into one of our collection boxes,” said facility manager Dennis Schoening. The Biohazard Detection System to date has been installed at 114 postal facilities. The Postal Service plans to install the system in 282 facilities across the country (David Heitz, Quad-City Times, July 20). Back to top

U.S. Wants Japan to Share Radar Data The United States has requested that it be notified of any imminent missile attack on its territory detected by Japan’s FPS-XX advanced early warning radar, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported today (see GSN, July 18). The FPS-XX is in the final stage of development and is expected to be integrated into Japan’s missile defense system, which is scheduled for deployment by 2007. The United States has no permanent, land-based radar in the region, according to Yomiuri. U.S. officials made the request during a meeting last month of the Japan-U.S. Joint Command and Control Summit at the U.S. Yokota Air Base. Tokyo is expected to grant the U.S. request, Japanese officials said. Opponents of the move have said it would violate the Japanese Constitution, according to Yomiuri. Japan and the United States, however, have already shared information obtained by Japanese Aegis-equipped destroyers, said Japanese officials (Yomiuri Shimbun, July 20).     Back to top

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