U.S. President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh toast each other last month at a state dinner in Washington. Some U.S. lawmakers yesterday expressed concerns over the Bush administration’s plan to increase nuclear energy cooperation with India (Getty Images/Jim Watson). Obstacles Surface to Proposed U.S.-Indian Nuclear Deal By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Evidence of several potentially show-stopping obstacles to the Bush administration’s plan to increase nuclear energy cooperation with India surfaced yesterday at a hearing of the U.S. House International Relations Committee (see GSN, Aug. 17)...Full Story

U.S. Court Orders Detailed Instructions Be Given to Military Personnel Before Anthrax Vaccination By David Francis Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — A U.S. federal judge who stopped a mandatory Defense Department anthrax vaccination program last year has ordered military medical personnel to give detailed instructions to service members before administering the voluntary vaccination (see GSN, Aug. 2)...Full Story

Powell Calls Iraq Speech “A Blot” on his Record Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called a 2003 presentation to the U.N. Security Council on prewar Iraq’s suspected weapons of mass destruction “a blot” on his record, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, May 23)...Full Story

	Friday, September 9, 2005

Powell Calls Iraq Speech “A Blot” on his Record Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called a 2003 presentation to the U.N. Security Council on prewar Iraq’s suspected weapons of mass destruction “a blot” on his record, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, May 23). Powell offered the United Nations evidence of Iraq’s WMD programs, including satellite photos of what U.S. leaders believed to be mobile biological weapons laboratories. No evidence of such programs has been found since the March 2003 invasion. “It's a blot” on my record, Powell said in an interview with ABC News to be aired today. “I'm the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world, and (it) will always be a part of my record. It was painful.  It's painful now.” Powell said he felt “terrible” for being misinformed by the CIA, but did not blame then-CIA director George Tenet. Powell said Tenet “did not sit there for five days with me misleading me. He believed what he was giving to me was accurate.” However, some intelligence officials “knew at that time that some of these sources were not good, and shouldn't be relied upon, and they didn't speak up,” Powell said.  “These are not senior people, but these are people who were aware that some of these resources should not be considered reliable.” “I was enormously disappointed” Powell added.  Powell, however, did not express regret over the war, according to AFP. “I’m glad that Saddam Hussein is gone,” he said. He said that he has “never seen evidence to suggest” ties between Iraq and the September 2001 terrorist attacks against the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Powell also said that he does not see “a clear military option with respect to Iran” (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Sept. 9). Back to top       Gulf Cooperation Council Calls for WMD-Free Region Foreign ministers with the Gulf Cooperation Council member states this week issued a statement calling for a WMD-free Middle East, Agence France-Press reported (see GSN, June 23, 2003). Their statement was a seeming reference to Iran’s nuclear program and meant to encourage Israel to allow international scrutiny of its nuclear arsenal, according to AFP. A Middle East without weapons of mass destruction would create “fundamental conditions for any future (regional) security arrangement,” the ministers said in a statement released Tuesday. The council’s six members are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (Agence France-Presse/Daily Star, Sept. 8). Back to top

Obstacles Surface to Proposed U.S.-Indian Nuclear Deal By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Evidence of several potentially show-stopping obstacles to the Bush administration’s plan to increase nuclear energy cooperation with India surfaced yesterday at a hearing of the U.S. House International Relations Committee (see GSN, Aug. 17). While many expressed support for the proposal, a number of Democratic and Republican committee members said they were concerned the deal could severely undercut the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, as well as other U.S. commitments not to transfer nuclear technology to countries that refuse to allow international access to all their nuclear facilities.  According to the plan announced in July, U.S. and international export controls would be amended to allow India to receive full access to U.S. civil nuclear energy technology. India, for its part, would separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities, subject the civilian sites to full international safeguards, and refraining from nuclear testing, among other concessions. India, which first tested a nuclear device in 1974 followed by five more in 1998, has never joined the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. It has also not allowed the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor all of nuclear sites and has given no indication that it intends to relinquish its nuclear arsenal. Nonproliferation experts estimate India has 75 to 100 nuclear warheads. Bush administration officials yesterday argued the deal was part of a plan to make India a close strategic partner and would bring New Delhi into compliance with most international requirements for controlling nuclear technology, thereby enhancing global nonproliferation.  “It will have the effect of progressively integrating India into the global nonproliferation order,” said Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns. “Our desire to improve relations with India is in part a response to the huge security challenges that were unleashed by the attack on our country on Sept. 11, 2001,” he said. Nonproliferation Concerns  Congressional skeptics, however, noted — and Burns conceded yesterday — that India has not been considered a proliferation concern.   Some said they were concerned the deal would actually undermine the nuclear nonproliferation regime by rewarding a country hostile to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The Bush administration strategy could lead other nations to demand similar treatment from the United States, critics said yesterday. “One of the ironies here is that once the NPT mores are compromised, it could open up efforts with states that, frankly, have a very poor record with respect to proliferation to petition for inclusion in the exemption. And frankly, on that list I can’t think of a country that’s been more problematic than Pakistan for the international community,” said Representative Edward Royce (R-Ca.). Pakistani officials have recently expressed interest in receiving similar benefits to those offered India (see GSN, Sept. 8). Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Robert Joseph, at a different point in the hearing, said “We have not given consideration to extending this type of cooperation to Pakistan.” Pakistan doesn’t have the same energy requirements, of course, that India does,” he said. “And also, as we have made very clear, part of our consideration is the establishment of a long, positive, nonproliferation record. And so as we look at that, and as we take that into consideration, we have made the determination that we need not move to establish the same type of cooperation with Pakistan.” Joseph said the administration was not seeking to break nonproliferation rules, but rather to create an exception for India, which he called a “special case.” “India was never a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. In fact, India has been very hostile toward the treaty for many years,” he said. Severe opposition in Congress would threaten the deal, as a number of legislated changes are needed to U.S. nonproliferation export control laws to enable India to receive U.S. nuclear energy technology. The committee seemed divided, with members of both parties for and against the deal. Representative Tom Lantos (D-Ca.) said the “visionary American proposal” would “promote a greater dialogue between the U.S. and India on preventing the spread of sensitive nuclear technology and materials to other countries or even terrorist groups.” Chairman Representative Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) expressed uncertainty. He also unsuccessfully sought assurance from the officials that the administration would not bypass the committee by attempting to attach export control change legislation at the last minute to an appropriations bill. “Mr. Chairman, that’s a fair question, and so we’ll try to give you a straight answer,” Burns said. “Rather than commit to a specific vehicle this morning, we felt it better to seek your advice and talk to you and talk to members of the Senate who are interested and then come to an agreement on the best way forward,” he said. Nuclear Suppliers Group Hurdle “A number of observers have pointed out that it’s going to be very hard to get the Nuclear Suppliers Group to amend its guidelines to allow the kinds of nuclear transfers to India that you’re proposing. Nuclear Supply Group rules require unanimity within the group before any such [an] amendment can be adopted, and it appears likely that a number of NSG members will resist doing this,” Hyde said, citing Sweden, New Zealand and other nations. The chairman questioned whether the administration might resort to weakening or destroying the group in an effort to secure changes for India. “We can certainly assure you that we intend to take no action that would undercut the effectiveness of the NSG,” Joseph said in response. “Our intention is not to change either the consensus procedure of the NSG or to even change the NSG commitment to full-scope safeguards as a condition of supply. Rather, what we seek is to adopt an exception or a set of criteria that would allow, in the context of India taking the actions that I have described on the nonproliferation side, full cooperation with India,” he said. He added, “It’s not going to be an easy task, but we believe we have a very strong argument to make, and an argument that is persuasive in that taking this action with India in exchange for the Indian commitments will strengthen the purpose of the NPT and strengthen the NSG in that context.” Indian-Iranian Relations Another potentially deal-breaking issue emerged at the hearing: opposition by nearly all, including even the strongest supporters of the plan and those testifying, to India’s apparent support for Iran retaining a civil nuclear energy capability. A reported Sept. 3 statement by a senior Indian official appearing with Iran’s president appeared to criticize the United States, without naming it, for “injustice in international relations” and to endorse Iran’s bid to pursue a supposedly civilian nuclear energy program. “India’s relations with Iran [are] not predicated on positions and views attributed to some government, Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh said, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. Singh has reportedly said India opposes an anticipated U.S. bid at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting beginning Sept. 19 to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council. “I expect India to recognize that there is reciprocity involved in this new relationship, and without reciprocity, India will get very little help from the Congress,” Lantos said. “If they persist in this, this great dream of a new relationship will go down the tubes,” he said. Back to top       U.S. Investigates State-Run Chinese Bank for Alleged Connections to Illicit North Korean Activities The state-operated Bank of China and two Macau-based banks are under investigation for alleged links to North Korean syndicates producing narcotics, counterfeit U.S. currency and fake cigarettes to support Pyongyang’s nuclear program, the Asian Wall Street Journal reported yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 8). Police in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan are cooperating with U.S. authorities on the investigation, which has resulted in more than 80 arrests in recent weeks, according to the Journal. The investigation has focused on Zokwang Trading Co., a North Korean-run firm in Macau. Zokwang is also believed to have obtained parts for Pyongyang’s nuclear program, according to the Journal. The Bank of China would not respond to the charges. “We need to check into it and respond properly,” Wang Zhaowen, a Bank of China spokesman in Beijing told the Associated Press (Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Sept. 8). The two Macau-based banks yesterday denied the report, the South China Post reported. “Macau has no relations with North Korea. The only trace of any connection is that many years ago the North Korean government asked me to build a casino in its capital,” said casino mogul Stanley Ho Hung-sun, who controls Seng Heng Bank. The bank was unaware of any investigation, according to its general manager. “We have no North Korean accounts. We have no business with any North Korean company. We have no knowledge of any investigation or that we are under any scrutiny,” said Robert McBain. Banco Delta Asia acknowledged relationships with North Korean banks and trading companies, but said it was “surprised by the allegation that it is the subject of a possible U.S. Treasury Department probe.” “Delta Asia complies strictly with anti-money-laundering and antiterrorism rules and regulations,” the bank said (Wong/Wan, South China Morning Post, Sept. 9). Meanwhile, North Korean officials told U.S. experts during a recent visit to Pyongyang that they would insist that North Korea’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy be included in any statement of principles in the ongoing nuclear negotiations, the Washington Post reported today. Retired Stanford University Professor John Lewis and retired Los Alamos National Laboratory Director Siegfried Hecker briefed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on their visit yesterday, according to the Post. South Korea, China and Russia have supported the North Korean position on nuclear energy to varying degrees, while Japan and the United States have taken the harder line, said former State Department Korea expert Jack Pritchard, who accompanied the two experts. “The North Koreans saw a chink in the armor,” he said. “They have concluded this is a winning argument” (Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, Sept. 9). Tokyo and Washington have set three conditions for agreeing to allow North Korea to pursue a nuclear energy program when talks resume next week, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported today. The two allies will demand that North Korea return to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, temporarily abandon all nuclear programs and regain the trust of the international community, diplomats said (Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri, Sept. 9). Washington, however, announced that it remained firm in its position that North Korea must give up its nuclear energy program, Bloomberg reported. “We haven’t changed our position,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said yesterday. “Our position is that North Korea needs to dismantle its nuclear programs, and that’s what the topic of this negotiation is” (Bloomberg, Sept. 9). Russian Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev said he was optimistic about the next round of talks, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday. “We see that there is real agreement on most of the points of a joint statement that is to set out the common objectives and principles of the six-nation talks,” Alexeyev was quoted as saying by Interfax. “This shows that the positions of the parties have never been as close since the start of the talks,” he said (Agence France-Presse I/SpaceWar.com, Sept. 8). Japan also expressed optimism about the talks, but said it would continue to pursue its dispute with Pyongyang regarding Cold War-era abductions of Japanese nationals, AFP reported yesterday. “We will keep pressing. We would like to make progress as much as we can by holding talks between Japan and North Korea,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda (Agence France-Presse II/SpaceWar.com, Sept. 8). Back to top       Pakistan Supports Tehran’s Right to Nuclear Development, Senior Iranian Official Says Pakistan has expressed support for Iran’s right to pursue a nuclear energy program, the Mehr news agency reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 26). “Because of close relations with Pakistan, the result of our consultation about security in the region was good and Pakistani officials are of the opinion that it is a natural right of Iran to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes,” said top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani upon his return from meetings in Islamabad. “Pakistan was on our side during the [International Atomic Energy Agency] Board of Governors meeting and its stance has not changed, and President [Gen. Pervez] Musharraf personally emphasized Iran’s right of access to nuclear technology,” Larijani said. “Many countries are against [referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council] because there is no legal basis for it and as has been mentioned in [IAEA Director General Mohamed] ElBaradei’s report, Iran is cooperating with the IAEA,” he said. Asked about the possibility of holding talks with the United States, Larijani said, “I do not feel there is a need for that” (Mehr/BBC Monitoring, Sept. 8). Musharraf told Larijani that he hoped Iran would resume nuclear negotiations with the European Union, PTV reported yesterday (PTV World/BBC Monitoring, Sept. 8). Back to top       Russia Prepares to Sign Antiterrorism Convention Russia expects to be the first nation to sign the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism next month, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko said Wednesday (see GSN, Aug. 8). Russia will sign the document on Sept. 14 in New York during the U.N. World Summit, Yakovenko said in a Rossiiskaya Gazeta article. Moscow proposed the convention, which the U.N. General Assembly adopted in April, RIA Novosti reported. “The adoption of the convention is the result of systematic, resourceful and energetic work, first of all on the part of Russia,” Yakovenko said. “The convention is largely an innovative document. … The convention's adoption shows the resolve and capabilities of the UN member states to adapt the organization to modern realities and security requirements.” He added that the convention is the first document the international community has produced to prevent particular terrorist attacks. Yakovenko said Russia will be the first of many countries to sign the document (RIA Novosti, Sept. 7). Back to top

U.S. Court Orders Detailed Instructions Be Given to Military Personnel Before Anthrax Vaccination By David Francis Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — A U.S. federal judge who stopped a mandatory Defense Department anthrax vaccination program last year has ordered military medical personnel to give detailed instructions to service members before administering the voluntary vaccination (see GSN, Aug. 2). The Aug. 30 court order follows reports that on July 22, a soldier in Iraq was vaccinated without being informed that it was optional. The Pentagon began in May giving anthrax vaccinations to military and civilian personnel on a voluntary basis under emergency-use authority granted by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. The authority was granted after U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan stopped the mandatory vaccination program following a lawsuit by six anonymous Defense Department employees. The Pentagon has appealed Sullivan’s decision to the U.S. Appeals Court. Sullivan, who in the past has criticized the Pentagon for continuing to give shots after he issued the injunction in October 2004, has now required that specific instructions be given before the inoculation is administered.  The order mandates that no later than Sept. 15, the Pentagon must provide the following instructions to all medical personnel: “If administering anthrax vaccination, ensure the patient has signed in, received training and trifold [a brochure outlining risks and benefits of the vaccine], understands the right to refuse, and states they want to receive the anthrax vaccine. Immediately prior to administration of the anthrax vaccination (once site and vaccine are prepared) ask the patient, ‘Do you want to receive the anthrax vaccination?’ If the patient confirms, administer.” Sullivan’s ruling comes days after the Pentagon filed a reply brief with the U.S. Appeals Court in response to a brief filed by counsel for the six Defense Department employees. The briefs were filed as part of the Pentagon’s appeal of Sullivan’s injunction. In the brief, the Pentagon argued that the plaintiffs offer no support for a continued suspension of the mandatory anthrax vaccination program.  “Even if the district court were correct on the merits, there is no basis for its sweeping, military-wide injunction,” the brief states. “The court’s injunction is wholly unnecessary to provide relief to the six plaintiffs, and, without providing any gain in safety, it improperly sets aside the military’s judgment as to the optimal means for protecting American service members against the threat of anthrax.” “Contrary to plaintiffs’ suggestions, the interests of thousands of members of the armed forces are not aligned with those of the six plaintiffs,” the brief continues. “The court’s ruling jeopardizes the safety of the countless persons who have never been a part of this action.” The Pentagon has argued that the vaccine has been considered safe and effective for anthrax regardless of the route of exposure — by skin contact or inhalation — by the Food and Drug Administration. Contrary to the plaintiffs’ arguments, the agency in 1972 accepted the determination of the National Institutes of Health that the vaccine is safe, and has never contradicted this finding, according to the Pentagon. “Accordingly, given the continued operative effect of the original NIH license for AVA [anthrax vaccine adsorbed], the FDA’s repeated declarations that the original license includes use against inhalation anthrax, and the count scientific bases for that conclusion, the district court’s determination is entirely without support,” the Pentagon says. Back to top       Virginia University to Build New Biological Lab The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has given a $25 million grant to George Mason University in Virginia for construction of a regional biocontainment laboratory, the university announced yesterday (see GSN, March 8). The grant is the largest research award ever received by the university, according to a press release.  The 83,154-square foot Biosafety Level 3 laboratory will be part of George Mason’s National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases.   Personnel at the Prince William County facility will conduct research on development of techniques and products to combat biological terrorism and treat natural infectious disease outbreaks. Researchers will focus on bioterror threats identified by the U.S. government, such as anthrax, tularemia and plague, along with diseases such as SARS, West Nile virus and influenza, the release said. “This award to George Mason not only recognizes its stature as a research center, but it also places the university among the elite institutions in the United States conducting this level of biodefense research,” Sean Connaughton, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, said in the press release. The laboratory is expected to cost $42 million. The university will supplement the grant with $15.3 million, and the state has committed $2.5 million, according to the release. Senator John Warner (R-Va.) praised the planned laboratory. “Biodefense remains one of our most critical priorities in national security,” he said in the release. “This facility, which will perform unique and important research to address bioterror threats, continues a long tradition of Virginians contributing to America’s security” (George Mason University release, Sept. 8). The University of Louisville in Kentucky has also been awarded a NIAID grant for bioterrorism and disease studies, the Associated Press reported. The $22 million offering is the largest federal grant ever received by the university. It will be combined with $12.6 million from the university for construction of the 45,000-square-foot building, which will house the Center for Predictive Medicine.  The Biosafety Level 3 laboratory will study infectious diseases and bioterrorism pathogens. The university will used specialized ventilation systems to prevent the agent from escaping, and plans to meet with people who live near the campus to discuss concerns, according to AP (Associated Press/Lexington Herald-Leader, Sept. 8). Back to top

Activists Call for Deseret Chemical Depot Closure Once Chemical Weapons Destruction Complete The Chemical Weapons Working Group submitted a letter yesterday to the U.S. Base Realignment and Closure Commission arguing against any future use of chemical disposal facilities once they have finished their work (see GSN, Aug. 25). The commission last month voted to explore whether the U.S. Army’s Deseret Chemical Depot in Utah could be used to destroy conventional weapons, a move that was supported by local and federal officials. Jason Groenewold, of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah, disagreed. “There is nothing ‘environmentally friendly’ about incineration, and any short-lived economic gain to Utah would be wiped out by the environmental and health threats posed by this technology.  We in Utah have already sacrificed enough for our government's military experiments and weapons production,” Groenewold said in a Working Group press release. In its letter, the organization said the Army has backed away from a pledge to dismantle the facilities once work is completed. It called for the development of nonincinerator technology to destroy conventional weapons (Chemical Weapons Working Group release, Sept. 8). Back to top

U.S. Conducts Successful PAC-3 Flight Test The United States yesterday conducted a flight test of the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 air defense system, successfully intercepting an incoming tactical ballistic missile at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, July 18). Two PAC-3 missiles were “ripple-fired” at a modified Patriot target missile, according to AFP. “Today’s test demonstrated software improvements in the PAC-3 Missile Segment and associated ground systems,” said Richard McDaniel, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control director of PAC-3 programs. “We also demonstrated the system’s capability to detect, track, engage and intercept a threat-representative short-range [tactical ballistic missile],” McDaniel said (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Sept. 9).   Back to top

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