Negotiators from the six nations taking part in talks over North Korea’s nuclear program pose for pictures in Beijing today. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill (left) today repeated Washington’s pledge not to invade North Korea (Getty Images/Guang Niu). U.S. Reaffirms Nonaggression Policy on North Korea U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill today repeated Washington’s pledge not to invade North Korea, as the six-nation talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear program resumed in Beijing. This round of talks is the first since June 2004 (see GSN, July 25)...Full Story

Iran Reportedly Continues Nuclear-Related Purchases Iran has purchased nuclear-related technology through a South Korean company on at least two occasions since signing a nuclear freeze agreement with the European Union last fall, Der Spiegel reported yesterday (see GSN, July 25)...Full Story

Nonproliferation Experts Outline Goals for Potential India-U.S. Nuclear Energy Cooperation By Marina Malenic Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Following U.S. President George W. Bush’s announcement last week of support for nuclear energy cooperation with India — a nuclear-armed state that is not a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty — experts yesterday discussed the nonproliferation goals for any potential India-U.S. deal (see GSN, July 19)...Full Story

	Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Cyprus, U.S. Sign PSI Ship-Boarding Agreement Cyprus and the United States yesterday signed a ship-boarding agreement under the auspices of the Proliferation Security Initiative, the U.S. State Department announced (see GSN, April 11). The agreement allows either party to authorize the boarding, search and possible detention of a ship carrying its flag by representatives of the other nation. Targets would be ships suspected of carrying proliferation-related material, but would not include ships of other nations. Cyprus is the first European Union member state to sign a ship-boarding agreement with the United Stations, and the fifth nation overall. Other participating nations are Liberia, Panama, the Marshall Islands and Croatia (U.S. State Department release, July 25). Back to top       White House Hints of Recess Appointment for Bolton The Bush administration suggested yesterday that John Bolton could be appointed as U.N. ambassador during the upcoming U.S. congressional recess, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, July 13). White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the president makes recess appointments when “he has to get people in place that have waited far too long to get about doing their business.” McClellan added that “sometimes there’s comes a point” when the Bush has to act, according to AP. Congress is scheduled to begin its summer recess next week. A recess appointment would end no later than January 2007 (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, July 26). Back to top

U.S. Reaffirms Nonaggression Policy on North Korea U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill today repeated Washington’s pledge not to invade North Korea, as the six-nation talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear program resumed in Beijing. This round of talks is the first since June 2004 (see GSN, July 25). “We view (North Korea’s) sovereignty as a matter of fact. The United States has absolutely no intention to invade or attack” North Korea, Hill said. Hill added that once the nuclear issue is resolved, the United States would be willing to address North Korea’s security and energy concerns (Associated Press/San Marcos Daily Record, Alexa Olesen, July 26). Officials in Washington said the U.S. delegation was prepared to remain in China for weeks of negotiations, the New York Times reported. “We’re determined to make sure it’s different this time,” said one senior administration official. “We want to force the North Koreans to make a choice: either to show that they are serious, or to make clear to everyone else that they are fundamentally not prepared to give up their weapons” (Yardley/Sanger, New York Times, July 26). Major disagreements remained after yesterday’s bilateral meetings, with Washington still committed to the position that Pyongyang must first dismantle its nuclear programs before receiving any compensation, a North Korean source told Interfax. “The D.P.R.K. continues to follow its ‘tactics of simultaneous steps,’ which envisions the D.P.R.K.’s abandonment of its nuclear programs if the U.S. withdraws its nuclear arms from the south of the Korean Peninsula and the participants in the negotiations pay compensation to North Korea,” the source said (Ueno/Beck, Reuters, July 26). South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon urged the United States to normalize relations with Pyongyang, Agence France-Presse reported. “With our proposal as the starting point, I hope that the D.P.R.K. will make a clear commitment to give up its nuclear ambitions and the other countries will also make a clear commitment to take corresponding measures such as the normalization of relations and security assurances,” Song said in his opening statement at the talks (Agence France-Presse/Forbes.com, July 26). Japan raised the issue of Pyongyang’s abduction of Japanese nationals during the Cold War at the opening of the talks today, Reuters reported. China’s People’s Daily today criticized the Japanese policy. “The North Korea nuclear question is one of collective security and thus should be resolved within the scope of security,” the official daily said. “Any attempt to include all the issues and seek a ‘package solution’ will further complicate matters and achieve something that goes against the wishes of all sides,” the statement says (Teruaki Ueno, Reuters, July 26). Japan does not plan at these negotiations to offer fuel to North Korea due to the lack of progress on the abductions issue, as well as South Korea’s unilateral decision to offer energy aid, the Asahi Shimbun reported yesterday. Tokyo would only “seek normalization of relations after nuclear and abduction issues are resolved,” an official said (Asahi Shimbun, July 25). South Korea plans to begin laying the groundwork for electricity assistance to the North as soon as Pyongyang agrees to dismantle its nuclear program, Yonhap reported today (Yonhap/BBC Monitoring, July 26). Back to top       Iran Reportedly Continues Nuclear-Related Purchases Iran has purchased nuclear-related technology through a South Korean company on at least two occasions since signing a nuclear freeze agreement with the European Union last fall, Der Spiegel reported yesterday (see GSN, July 25). The Iranian Partoris company in December purchased 300 units of nickel 63, a radioactive material used in the ignition of nuclear weapons, from Kung-Do Enterprises in South Korea. Civilian applications for nickel 63 include use in smoke detectors, but the isotope proportion requested by Tehran was too high for such use, according to Der Spiegel. In addition, Partoris used a false name — “Parto Namaje Tolua” — to conduct the sale. The second deal involved tritium targets, a dual-use material that could be used to trigger the nuclear chain reaction in a weapon. Tehran purchased the targets through a South Korean intermediary from the French firm EADS Sodern, Der Spiegel reported (Der Spiegel/BBC Monitoring, July 25). Back to top       Nonproliferation Experts Outline Goals for Potential India-U.S. Nuclear Energy Cooperation By Marina Malenic Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Following U.S. President George W. Bush’s announcement last week of support for nuclear energy cooperation with India — a nuclear-armed state that is not a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty — experts yesterday discussed the nonproliferation goals for any potential India-U.S. deal (see GSN, July 19). The agreement announced by Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calls for working groups to meet in the coming months to settle the details of any potential nuclear cooperation. India should halt production of fissile material, said Robert Einhorn, senior adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies international security program, speaking yesterday during a panel discussion at the American Enterprise Institute.  Singh agreed last week to support negotiations toward a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, Einhorn said. New Delhi has long stated its goal of possessing only a “minimum credible nuclear deterrent capability” with no intention to match the size of its nuclear arsenal to those of the declared nuclear powers, he said. Einhorn also called for the working groups to develop security criteria for protection of India’s military nuclear facilities, which New Delhi could then implement independently.  He also said the United States should continue to offer more substantive benefits to those countries that are NPT parties in good standing. Any India-U.S. nuclear deal is “unlikely to lead to NPT withdrawals, but it could lead to the feeling that the rules are less binding,” Einhorn said. He added that such a move could make U.S. nonproliferation policy seem “selective and self-serving,” encouraging countries like China and Russia to make decisions similarly based on their self-interests. Finally, Einhorn encouraged the United States to press India to be more active in persuading other countries pursuing nuclear programs, particularly Iran, to abide by international nonproliferation standards. New Delhi must be more helpful to Washington on nonproliferation policy for any nuclear deal to be of benefit to the United States, he said. “India still has one foot in the Nonaligned [Movement] camp and one in the Western camp, and it must decide where it wants to stand,” Einhorn said. Other experts were more pessimistic about the proliferation dangers of conducting nuclear business with India. While Singh last week promised to adhere to the same nonproliferation and security standards as do declared nuclear powers under the NPT, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center Executive Director Henry Sokolski said the Bush administration must hold New Delhi to that promise in preparation for future deals with non-NPT states. “What will the rules be for all ‘India-plus-ones’ is the question you have to settle,” said Sokolski. Sokolski also speculated that U.S. lawmakers, who must amend existing U.S. laws for any nuclear cooperation with India to go forward, would be critical of India’s lack of transparency about its nuclear program. “I think Congress is going to be very sensitive about these things,” Sokolski said. In addition to congressional approval of a U.S. nuclear energy deal with New Delhi, international nuclear cooperation is pending a decision by other members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a 44-member consortium of the world’s top nuclear technology exporters. The United Kingdom yesterday became the first such country besides the United States to welcome India’s promises to abide by international nonproliferation standards, the Associated Press reported. “India’s willingness to engage on nuclear nonproliferation with the international community represents a significant step forward,” a British government spokesman said. “On this basis, we are ready to discuss with our international partners the basis for cooperation in civil nuclear matters with India,” he said. U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing, meanwhile, announced that it has entered into negotiations to sell Super Hornet F-18 fighter jets to the Indian air force and navy, Asia Pulse reported yesterday. Experts also said last week’s agreement between Bush and Singh seems to have been assembled hastily. An announcement had been expected only in time for Bush’s planned visit to India next year. Thomas Donnelly, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, attributed the Bush administration’s haste to its realization of “the limits of U.S. power.”  With “old allies not of much value in securing the world as it is,” the United States must cultivate relationships with rising powers like India, Donnelly said. Einhorn also said that, while nuclear cooperation with New Delhi would be controversial until the details are settled, there was broad agreement among U.S. experts and policy-makers that Indian development should be encouraged. “The strategic case for … facilitating India’s rise to the status of major world power is very strong,” Einhorn said. “In general, it doesn’t make any sense to oppose this deal,” he said. Back to top       Pakistan Wants Nuclear Energy Cooperation With U.S. Pakistan yesterday said it wanted expanded energy cooperation with international nuclear suppliers, including the United States, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported (see GSN, July 25). “Our position constantly has been that the Nuclear Suppliers Group should extend cooperation to Pakistan for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy under the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards,” said Foreign Office spokesman Naeem Khan. “We also conveyed to NSG partners [at a meeting earlier this year] that Pakistan would like that the nonproliferation regime should accommodate the ground nuclear realities of the non-NPT states,” he said, referring to countries not party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (see GSN, April 11). Khan’s statements followed last week’s announcement by U.S. President George W. Bush of a possible nuclear energy deal with India. The spokesman referred to Islamabad’s strategic relationship with Washington, adding that “we would like to extend this cooperation in multiple fields including the peaceful use of nuclear energy, high technology and the peaceful use of space technology” (Associated Press of Pakistan/BBC Monitoring, July 25). Back to top

Oregon Postal Facility to Get Anthrax Detector The U.S. Postal Service processing and distribution center in Bend, Ore., is the latest facility set to receive equipment that can detect anthrax in the mail, the Bend Bulletin reported Sunday (see GSN, July 20). Installation of the Biohazard Detection System is part of the Postal Service’s effort to protect the public from biological agents delivered through the mail, according to the Bulletin. “At the moment, 171 postal sites have the equipment installed and up and running,” said Postal Service spokesman Bob Anderson. “The equipment is only being installed at what we call our processing and distribution centers.” Oregon processing facilities in Portland, Salem and Eugene/Springfield already have the system, according to Anderson. Ron Anderson, a Postal Service spokesman for the Portland region, said the Bend system should be operating by next week (Kayley Mendenhall, Bend Bulletin, July 24). Back to top

Germany to Assist Russia with CW Destruction Germany is expected to help Russia construct a chemical weapons destruction facility in the town of Kambarka in the Udmurtia Republic, Interfax reported last week (see GSN, July 21). The facility is expected to destroy 6,400 tons of lewisite. Construction began in 2003 and is scheduled to be completed by December, according to Interfax. Germany’s assistance is expected to be akin to that provided to Russia during construction of the chemical weapons destruction plant in Gorny. Germany provided $60 million for work on that facility. “The German federal government and the government of the Russian Federation have agreed that the German side will assist the construction in Kambarka by delivering components and equipment. The full amount of German aid is” $180 million, the German Embassy in Moscow says in a statement. The statement says that Russia is willing to consider other cooperative agreements to facilitate weapons destruction. “The German federal government welcomes the Russian initiative and will consider these proposals. Even now there are plans to step up construction of the chemical weapons destruction facility in Leonidovka in Penza region,” the statement says (Interfax, July 22). . Back to top       Iran to Give Information on Iraqi Chemical Attacks Iran is expected to supply information to the tribunal investigating former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s use of chemical weapons while the two countries were at war in the 1980s, the London Independent reported today (see GSN, June 6). Hussein presently is set only to face charges for crimes against his people and for the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iranian officials hope he will be called to account for chemical attacks during the war. Up to 100,000 Iranians were contaminated by Iraqi chemical agents during the war, the Independent reported. Still receiving treatment for injuries received during the attacks are 45,000 Iranian veterans and 7,000 civilians, according to the Independent (Angus McDowall, Independent, July 26). Meanwhile, former Hussein adviser Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as “Chemical Ali,” answered questions from Iraqi Judge Munir Haddad about the killing of political rivals, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Dec. 20, 2004). Al-Majid and other former Iraqi officials were asked about the killing of Shiite Kurds and people from southern Iraq, as well as ethnic cleansing, according to AP (Associated Press/USA Today, July 25). Back to top       Cambodia Ratifies Chemical Weapons Convention Cambodia last week ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention, according to a statement released by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (see GSN, June 9). The Southeast Asian country will become the 170th party to the convention on Aug. 18, the organization announced (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons release, July 22). Back to top       Chinese CW Victims to Ask Japan for Better Treatment Chinese victims of chemical weapons left by Japan following World War II are expected to present a report of their injuries to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, China Daily reported today (see GSN, June 28). “Our aim is to urge the Japanese government to give better treatment to these victims and step up its efforts to dispose of chemical weapons Japanese troops left in China,” said Luo Lijuan, a Chinese lawyer. She is a member of the delegation made up of nine Chinese victims and lawyers from China and Japan lobbying the Japanese government. The victims were exposed to leaking barrels of mustard agent in August 2003 in northeast China. The leak killed one person and injured 43, according to China Daily (China Daily/CRIOnline, July 26).       Back to top

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