French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner this week urged EU nations to consider independent sanctions against Iran (Mehdi Fedouach/Getty Images). Iran Centrifuge Installation Progressing, France Warns Iran could have nearly 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges in operation by the end of October, French diplomats said yesterday, potentially putting it on track to produce weapon-grade uranium in usable quantities (see GSN, Oct. 3). France received a telegram from the U.N. nuclear watchdog yesterday indicating the agency’s belief that Iran is set to have 18 centrifuge cascades — slightly  under 3,000 centrifuges — running at the end of the month, the Associated Press reported. While Iran has insisted its nuclear program is intended only for power production, France, the United States and other Western powers suspect that Tehran aims to build a nuclear weapon.  ..Full Story

Thai Chilies Trigger London Terror Fear What seemed to be a possible chemical strike on London’s Soho district Monday was instead smoke from chilies being cooked up at a Thai restaurant, the London Times reported (see GSN, Dec. 21, 2006)...Full Story

U.S. to Quickly Press North Korean Denuclearization The Bush administration said yesterday it hopes to send experts to North Korea next week to begin the process of disabling the regime’s nuclear complex, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 3)...Full Story

	Thursday, October 4, 2007

Iran Centrifuge Installation Progressing, France Warns Iran could have nearly 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges in operation by the end of October, French diplomats said yesterday, potentially putting it on track to produce weapon-grade uranium in usable quantities (see GSN, Oct. 3). France received a telegram from the U.N. nuclear watchdog yesterday indicating the agency’s belief that Iran is set to have 18 centrifuge cascades — slightly  under 3,000 centrifuges — running at the end of the month, the Associated Press reported. While Iran has insisted its nuclear program is intended only for power production, France, the United States and other Western powers suspect that Tehran aims to build a nuclear weapon.  Western diplomats have said Iran’s stated interim goal of installing 3,000 centrifuges could produce uranium for one nuclear bomb per year if the equipment is run continuously. “The clock is ticking,” French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in a letter to his EU counterparts on Tuesday.  “If we want to be able to obtain a negotiated solution with Iran, we cannot wait without reacting until we are faced with an Iranian fait accompli.” Kouchner encouraged EU countries to consider independent sanctions against Iran to “increase the pressure” on the country to comply with U.N. Security Council demands that it halt uranium enrichment activities. Potential targets could include companies, “particularly in the banking sector,” or suspect individuals who have not yet had their assets frozen or been banned from obtaining EU visas (Associated Press I/USA Today, Oct. 3). Reaction to the French call for penalties was mixed, Agence France-Presse reported. “We support Kouchner’s position wholeheartedly and we’re looking forward to a discussion with our EU partners,” said a British Foreign Office spokesman (Agence France-Presse I/Spacewar.com, Oct. 4). A Spanish Foreign Ministry official told AFP, though, that “we have a preference for diplomatic solutions” (Agence France-Presse II/Spacewar.com, Oct. 4). Kouchner is expected to receive time to discuss his proposal during a meeting of EU foreign ministers planned for Oct. 15 in Luxembourg (Agence France-Presse III/Spacewar.com, Oct. 4). EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned yesterday that Tehran could face new sanctions before the end of this year if EU countries do not see notable progress in negotiations over the country’s nuclear program, AP reported. “We can't wait forever, and we have to see those negotiations are moving ahead, he said.  “There is a risk of more sanctions and it is a real risk, we have to get that across.” “The situation is not good as you know, it's very difficult,” Solana said.  “There is a lot of pressure from different quarters, from the EU and elsewhere" for action on Iran (Constant Brand, Associated Press II/Google News, Oct. 3). Solana added that he wants to meet several times with Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani before reporting to U.N. powers in November on the status of the negotiations. “I hope to be able to see Larijani as soon as possible and not just once but several meetings, which will be needed for the report to the Security Council,” he said (Agence France-Presse IV/EU Business, Oct. 3). Meanwhile, U.S. President George W. Bush said yesterday that the United States remains open to negotiating with Iran on the condition that it first suspends its disputed nuclear activities, AP reported. “If your question is, will you ever sit down with them?  We've proven we would with North Korea.  And the answer is yeah, just so long as we can achieve something, so long as we are able to get our objective,” he said (Deb Riechmann, Associated Press III/New Jersey Star-Ledger, Oct. 4). Elsewhere, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said yesterday that the United States does not have the money to attack Iran, AP reported. While the Bush administration has said that all options are on the table for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, Mottaki said the U.S. threats were an act of “psychological war.”  He added that U.S. officials have publicly discussed possible military intervention against Iran every six months for the last two years. The “U.S. is not in a position to impose another war in our region against their taxpayers,” he said (Edith Lederer, Associated Press IV/Google News, Oct. 3). Back to top       U.S. to Quickly Press North Korean Denuclearization The Bush administration said yesterday it hopes to send experts to North Korea next week to begin the process of disabling the regime’s nuclear complex, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 3). A statement produced at the last round of six-party talks that ended Sunday committed Pyongyang by the end of this year to declare and disable its nuclear program.  The deal offers the opportunity “to realize a Korean Peninsula that is free of nuclear weapons” and “help secure the future peace and prosperity of the Northeast Asian region,” U.S. President George W. Bush said yesterday. He said in a statement that Pyongyang pledged to submit “a complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear programs, nuclear weapons programs, materials and any proliferation activity.”  The Stalinist state “also committed not to transfer nuclear materials, technology or know-how beyond its borders,” Bush said. North Korea has recently been linked to alleged Syrian nuclear or missile efforts (see GSN, Sept. 24; Agence France-Presse I/Spacewar.com, Oct. 4). North Korean officials during weekend talks said they were not providing nuclear assistance to Syria, but were told that any atomic materials exports must be declared, two Bush administration officials told the New York Times (Helene Cooper, New York Times, Oct. 4). Experts are to be dispatched to the Yongbyon nuclear site, which produced the weapon-grade plutonium for North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, AFP reported. “We hope that we can get them in early next week and they can begin the actual task of disablement,” said Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, Washington’s lead envoy to the talks (AFP I). The White House intends to approach Congress this week about removing North Korea from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, the Korea Herald reported.  Talks are also expected to be held next week with North Korean officials. Pyongyang has sought U.S. concession on the list as part of its denuclearization pledge made in February. “All in all, I think this is doable,” Hill said, according to the Yonhap News Agency (Korea Herald, Oct. 4). Conducting sideline talks with Pyongyang on the terrorism list and a separate list of nations barred from doing trade with the United States violates the intention of the diplomatic nuclear negotiations, said former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. “If they come off either or both lists, without any verification of their performance on the nuclear issue, I think the president will have embarrassed his administration in history,” said Bolton, who has become an outspoken critic of White House policy on Iran and North Korea. Observers also noted the similarity between this deal and the Clinton’s administration 1994 Agreed Framework aimed at halting North Korea’s nuclear development, the Times reported.  That deal also offered Pyongyang energy supplies, and was derided by the Bush administration before crumbling in 2002 (Cooper, New York Times). There is little clarity on a number of issues related to the deal, including the extent of disablement of the nuclear sites and verification of Pyongyang’s pledges, the Washington Post reported.  Hill also yesterday declined to say whether U.S. sanctions on North Korea might be cleared by the end of 2007. “We have a very clear understanding with them,” Hill said.  When asked to elaborate, he said:  “A very clear understanding means a very clear understanding.” There is a problematic “lack of a process to verify the declaration” of North Korea’s nuclear holdings, said former Clinton administration official Gary Samore, an analyst with the Council on Foreign Relations.  Verification should involve examinations of samples and operating records, along with interviews of scientists, he said (Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, Oct. 4). Other analysts also expressed doubts, AFP reported. “After receiving all promised shipments of heavy oil, North Korea is likely to start a new round of hardball,” said Yoichiro Sato of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii. “Every step we take … at least creates the potential for moving toward complete disarmament.  We just have to be realistic about how long and difficult the path might be and not create unrealistic expectations,” said Asia-Pacific specialist Daniel Sneider of Stanford University. Issues that remain to be addressed are North Korea’s suspected uranium enrichment efforts and the exact status of its nuclear weapon materials.  “We need to know how much nuclear material they have produced, where it is, what has been weaponized, where the equipment that did it is located,” said Scott Bruce of the Nautilus Institute (Karl Malakunas, Agence France-Presse II, Oct. 4). Meanwhile, the meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea today culminated in a pledge to seek the formal end to the Korean War, the Associated Press reported.  The conflict ended with a cease-fire in 1953. Korean War combatants China and the United States would have to agree to a peace deal (Jae-Soon Chang, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Oct. 4). Back to top       Putin Approves Law for Russian Additional Protocol Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation approving the ratification of Russia’s Additional Protocol to its nuclear safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, RIA Novosti reported yesterday (see GSN, Dec. 20, 2006). The measure to grant U.N. nuclear inspectors greater access to Russia’s civilian nuclear programs was approved Sept. 14 by the Russian Duma and Sept. 19 by the Federation Council. “This protocol confirms Russia’s leading role in strengthening the global nuclear nonproliferation regime,” said Nikolai Spassky, deputy head of the nation’s Atomic Energy Agency (RIA Novosti, Oct. 3). Back to top       U.S. Awards $33M in “Standoff” Detector Contracts The U.S. Homeland Security Department said Monday it had awarded $33 million in contracts to demonstrate a new generation of radiation detectors that could distinguish likely weapons agents from benign radiation sources at greater distances than current sensors (see GSN, March 26). The department’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office awarded the contracts to develop and demonstrate the completed Standoff Radiation Detection System to General Electric Global Research in Niskayuna, N.Y.; Science Applications International Corp. in San Diego; and the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. The program aims to design radiation detectors that are sensitive enough to pick up on the location of a radiation source as well as its direction, flux, energy and isotope.  Detectors created under the program are intended to produce fewer false alarms in everyday security work than existing radiation sensors. “The [Standoff Radiation Detection System] approach, if validated, could be used in a wide range of monitoring applications including border crossings, sea lanes and air surveillance,” said Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Director Vayl Oxford in a press release.  “This program could create a significant increase in capability for monitoring the illicit movement of radiation sources” (U.S. Homeland Security Department release, Oct. 1) Back to top

Postal Workers Push for Update on Anthrax Attacks A union of U.S. Postal Service workers in Connecticut has urged state lawmakers to seek Justice Department and FBI updates on the investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people, the New Haven Register reported yesterday (see GSN, April 12). “It happened to kill two of our people,” said John Dirzius, president of the Greater Connecticut Area Local of the American Postal Workers, in reference to two Washington, D.C.-area postal workers killed by inhaled anthrax spores.  “And yet, we still don't know who did it.” “What happened changed our industry and people's entire lives,” he said.  “The union believes that our request for an update in this matter is both fair and reasonable.” Dirzius, whose group represents about 5,000 postal employees, added that the union’s national leadership is also seeking new reports on the federal investigation of the anthrax attacks.  He said that postal workers would feel more secure if they had more information on efforts to track down the perpetrator of the mailings (Luther Turmelle, New Haven Register, Oct. 3). Back to top       U.S. Funds Anthrax Treatment Research The U.S. Health and Human Services Department has issued grants to two companies to support the development of drugs that could be used to treat patients exposed to anthrax, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 22). The department directed a $12 million grant to Elusys Therapeutics in New Jersey to continue developing a late-stage anthrax treatment. “In relevant models, [the treatment] has demonstrated complete protection against anthrax spore challenge with a single prophylactic dose, and has shown significant protection when administered up to two days after a lethal spore challenge,” said company President Elizabeth Posillico in a prepared statement. The department also granted $9.5 million to Emergent BioSolutions in Maryland for development of a post-exposure anthrax immune globulin treatment that could be administered intravenously. The drug is produced from blood plasma contributed by anthrax-vaccinated donors (see GSN, Sept. 27; Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, Oct. 3). Back to top

Thai Chilies Trigger London Terror Fear What seemed to be a possible chemical strike on London’s Soho district Monday was instead smoke from chilies being cooked up at a Thai restaurant, the London Times reported (see GSN, Dec. 21, 2006). Irritating smoke floated over the area for three hours, driving pedestrians to seek cover and forcing emergency road closures and evacuations of nearby shops and residences.  A hazardous materials team was deployed to find the source of the smoke. “The first we knew about it was at about 4:30 in the afternoon when the fire brigade came.  They led us out to where the streets had been cordoned off and we waited there for about three hours,” said Supranee Yodmuang, a waitress at the Thai Cottage restaurant.  Workers returned to find a restaurant door smashed in and emergency personnel waiting outside, she said. Emergency responders had found that the smoke was emanating from a pot containing 9 pounds of dried chilies to be used in super-spicy nam prik pao dip eaten with prawn crackers.  A recipe for the dip accompanies the Times article on the incident. “I was making a spicy dip with extra-hot chilies that are deliberately burnt.  To us it smells like burnt chili and it is slightly unusual,” said chef Chalemchai Tangjariyapoon.  “I can understand why people who weren’t Thai would not know what it was.  But it doesn’t smell like chemicals.  I’m a bit confused.” “It’s the hottest thing we make.  We are very proud of this dish.  It is home cooked and the customers love it,” said restaurant owner Sue Wasboonma (Steve Bird, London Times, Oct. 3). Back to top       Iraq Delays Execution of “Chemical Ali” Iraqi officials said yesterday they would delay the execution of the former regime official known as “Chemical Ali” beyond its legally mandated deadline today in observance of the holy month of Ramadan, London Telegraph reported (see GSN, Sept. 11). A cousin of former dictator Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan Al-Majid was convicted of genocide and other crimes for his role in the 1980s Anfal campaign that killed as many as 180,000 Iraqi Kurds.  He earned his nickname by reportedly ordering the use of chemical weapons against Kurdish communities. An appeals court in September upheld al-Majid’s sentence to death by hanging. Iraqi law required his execution to be carried out within 30 days of the decision, but Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said yesterday that his administration would delay the hanging until the close of Ramadan late next week. “We seek a legal path for postponement because we do not want the execution this time to be carried out during Ramadan,” he said. Iraqi political sources suggested that the hanging might have been delayed by a dispute within Iraq’s government over another scheduled execution, that of former Iraqi Defense Minister Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai. At least two members of Iraq’s three-member presidency council, President Jalal Talabani and Vice President Tareq al-Hashimi, have opposed hanging al-Tai.  Vice President Adel Abdul Madhi has not stated his stance on the execution. The matter is expected to remain in dispute until the Iraqi high court rules on whether Iraqi law allows the presidency council to unanimously pardon a convicted war criminal or only to choose a date of execution (Damien McElroy, London Telegraph, Oct. 4). Back to top

Senate Clears Defense Spending Bill By Megan Scully CongressDaily WASHINGTON   — The U.S. Senate last night passed the fiscal 2008 defense appropriations bill by voice vote after unanimously approving an amendment that would provide $794 million in emergency spending for the National Guard's mission on the southwest border (see GSN, Sept. 12). The amendment, sponsored by Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) is aimed at providing funding to keep 6,000 National Guard troops along the border for fiscal 2008. Neither the Defense Department nor the Homeland Security Department included money for so-called Operation Jump Start in their fiscal 2008 budget requests, despite long-standing administration plans to reduce by half the 6,000 Guard troops on the border this summer to keep a residual force there until the mission ends in July 2008. But the funding approved Wednesday would more than double the $336 million the National Guard has said it needs for the reduced border mission. The National Guard believes the primary responsibility for border security can be shifted to the Border Patrol, which has been increasing its personnel strength over the last year.  But Sessions, echoing comments from other lawmakers who are opposed to reducing the Guard's presence along the border, argued that it is too soon to withdraw troops. President George W. Bush announced in May 2006 an initial deployment of 6,000 Guard troops mainly for border surveillance missions and construction. Troops would be withdrawn after the first year "as new Border Patrol agents and new technologies come online," Bush said. In other action on the defense bill yesterday, the Senate unanimously approved several amendments, including bipartisan language that would boost funding for the sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense program by $75 million. The amendment, sponsored by Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Sessions aligns the funding for sea-based missile defense with the money prescribed in the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill, which the Senate approved earlier this week. The funding approved for Aegis would be offset by other research and development programs in the missile defense budget. Ballistic missile defense work receives a total of $8.5 billion in the defense spending bill, the Associated Press reported.  The legislation must now be merged with the House version approved in August. The Senate spent much of the afternoon debating an amendment offered by Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) that would have appropriated $10 million for the missile defense space test bed — an experimental phase intended to test the concept of firing missile interceptors or "kill vehicles" from space. Democrats opposed the amendment, warning that the program could ultimately weaponize space. They also argued that funding had not been authorized or appropriated in the House-passed defense spending measure for the space test bed. Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) moved to table the language, and Republicans promptly withdrew the amendment. Back to top       Saudi Arabia Issues $100M in Contracts to Raytheon Saudi Arabia has awarded a contract to Raytheon Co. to provide technical and logistics support and training for the Middle Eastern nation’s Patriot and Hawk defense systems, Bloomberg reported yesterday (see GSN, March 29, 2006). The U.S. defense contractor also won an extension covering this year on a previous local support services contract.   The two contracts are worth more than $100 million.  Patriot air and missile defenses can shoot down cruise and tactical missiles, along with airplanes and remotely piloted aerial drones.  The Hawk air-defense system protects against airborne threats traveling at low and medium altitudes (Bloomberg/Arizona Daily Star, Oct. 3). Back to top       Poland to Decide on Missile Defenses After Election A Polish decision on housing 10 U.S. missile interceptors is not expected until after parliamentary elections set for Oct. 21, RIA Novosti reported (see GSN, July 25). Unofficial sources told the Dziennik newspaper that U.S. officials have slowed down negotiations because they want to avoid signing a missile defense agreement with a Polish ruling party that could lose power in the elections. “Negotiations (with the U.S. on missile defense) will continue for several months.  We are making slow progress, but this is painstaking work,” said Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski. “There should be no haste or else Poland's negotiating position will be weakened,” he said (RIA Novosti, Oct. 3). Waszczykowski  and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State John Rood led a fourth round of talks yesterday over the missile defense proposal, the Associated Press reported.  The U.S. and Polish delegations were scheduled to wrap up two days of discussions late yesterday (Associated Press/International Herald Tribune, Oct. 3). 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.