U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said today that North Korea’s nuclear program must achieve “full transparency” by the end of February for Pyongyang to proceed in a six-party disarmament deal (Chung Sung-jun/Getty Images). U.S. Sets New Nuclear Deadline for North Korea North Korea should fully declare its nuclear program and disable key facilities before the end of February if it wants to continue forward with a disarmament deal, top U.S. envoy Christopher Hill said today (see GSN, Jan. 9). The call comes after Pyongyang missed the Dec. 31 disablement and declaration deadline, Agence France-Presse reported.  This is the second phase of the 2007, following the halt of operations at the Yongbyon nuclear site in July and theoretically preceding full dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear complex...Full Story

Lieberman “Reassured” on Pakistani Nuclear Security U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) said he felt more confident in the security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal after meeting yesterday with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 9)...Full Story

Senator Urges U.S. Congress to Consider Nuclear Trade Agreement Ahead of India U.S. Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio) believes that Congress should consider signing off on the civilian nuclear trade agreement with India prior to its approval in New Delhi, the Press Trust of India reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 9)...Full Story

	Thursday, January 10, 2008

U.S. Could Cut  States’ Counterterror Funds by Half Federal homeland security funding for U.S. states could drop by more than half in the next fiscal year, the East Valley Tribune in Arizona reported yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 7, 2006). The cuts would reduce fiscal 2009 counterterrorism funds to states from the $3.2 billion figure originally planned to a new total of $1.4 billion. If the proposed funding cuts are approved, they could leave local emergency responders struggling to maintain equipment purchased with federal help such as countermeasures for exposure to chemical weapon agents and rapid response vehicles able to cut through concrete (see GSN, Aug. 13, 2007). Chemical hazard suits and other protective gear can lose their defensive capacity over time, according to fire officials in Mesa, Ariz.  Other equipment must be replaced following use, they said (Katie McDevitt, East Valley Tribune, Jan. 9). Back to top

Pentagon Assesses WMD Response Training A recent report has outlined weaknesses in the U.S. Defense Department’s training and education doctrine for military personnel who could be involved in the response to an unconventional weapons incident, Inside Missile Defense reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 2). The military services have met Pentagon guidelines regarding biological, chemical, nuclear, radiological and high-yield explosives threats, according to an Oct. 5 report from Arthur Hopkins, principal deputy to the assistant defense secretary for Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs. Hopkins noted, though, that “several key issues affecting nuclear, chemical and biological defense education have emerged. “Doctrine continues to focus on agents that were weaponized during and prior to the Cold War,” rather than newer threats such as the use of industrial-strength chemicals as toxic weapons, the report states. Other matters receive greater attention at both the service and command levels, the report states:  “When forced to choose where and how to expand training, time and resources, commanders usually chose to protect against the most imminent threats. “A nuclear, chemical or biological attack or clear indications of a possible attack are the only factors that will increase the urgency of nuclear, chemical and biological defense education,” Hopkins added. There is a lack of clarity regarding who at the Pentagon or among the military services would have the authority to update the training doctrine.  The review process for the doctrine contains “conflicting comments from stakeholders” with varying offices possessing “varying authorities that affect nuclear, chemical and biological education and training policy and directives,” according to the report. Moves are planned to address these issues, Inside Missile Defense reported. Personnel from the Joint Staff, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and intelligence community are expected to form a steering committee to assess emerging threats, the report says.  Their work is set to result in an interdepartmental plan at the Pentagon, expected to be finished before July. The panel is also expected to prepare a “security classification guide” on toxic agents that could be used as weapons.  The guide would then be incorporated into WMD training and education. Hopkins called for the Joint Staff to lead a working group to address issues related to the doctrine review process in order to “ensure stabilization and consistency in nuclear, chemical and biological defense policy” (Carlo Munoz, Inside Missile Defense, Jan. 9). Back to top       New York Looks to Regulate WMD Sensors New York City leaders have backed a local bill to regulate WMD sensors that are sold and used privately in the city, the New York Daily News reported yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 20, 2007). The move is aimed at preventing potential panic triggered by false alarms from poor sensors, said Richard Falkenrath, the police department’s deputy commissioner for counterterrorism. “We were approached by the Department of Homeland Security some months ago requesting that we look into this,” he told a City Council hearing Tuesday.  “They raised concerns with us about the sensors that were being deployed in this city.” Data on the private use of WMD sensors and their effectiveness is unreliable, he added. Some critics of the bill, however, have complained that the legislation calls on the police to set the technological standards for the sensors and have also expressed concern over the scope of the sensors that would fall under regulation. One local leader argued that unofficial sensors could provide independent data. Government agencies “repeatedly lied about the quality of the air” in New York following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. Falkenrath said air-quality, medical and other routine sensors would be unaffected by the bill. “We're interested mainly in sensors which will alert someone to a possible chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons attack,” he said (Frank Lombardi, New York Daily News, Jan. 9). Back to top

U.S. Sets New Nuclear Deadline for North Korea North Korea should fully declare its nuclear program and disable key facilities before the end of February if it wants to continue forward with a disarmament deal, top U.S. envoy Christopher Hill said today (see GSN, Jan. 9). The call comes after Pyongyang missed the Dec. 31 disablement and declaration deadline, Agence France-Presse reported.  This is the second phase of the 2007, following the halt of operations at the Yongbyon nuclear site in July and theoretically preceding full dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear complex. “It will be very desirable if we could complete the phase two even before this government comes in,” Hill said in Seoul, referring to the administration of South Korean President-elect Lee Myung-bak, which takes office on Feb. 25. “By the time this government does come in, the end of February, we will be focusing on that last phase,” the assistant secretary of state added. North Korea must provide “full transparency” regarding its nuclear efforts, Hill said.  “We can’t have a situation where we pretend programs didn’t exist, for we both know that they existed.” As a reward for denuclearization, North Korea stands to receive energy assistance and diplomatic and security benefits from the five other nations participating in the six-party talks — China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States. The next round of negotiations has not been scheduled. “I want to emphasize that throughout the six-party process, we had these bumps in the road, we had these missed deadlines, but ultimately we had been able to continue to make progress,” Hill said (Jun Kwanwoo, Agence France-Presse I/Yahoo!News, Jan. 10). Hill said he believes full dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program can be achieved this year, Reuters reported. “There is no reason why we cannot find the job in ’08,” he said following his meeting with Lee (Reuters/Washington Post, Jan. 10). One former U.S. nonproliferation official said the deal could be hung up on the declaration issue, AFP reported. “The declaration issue really could be a show stopper because how can you proceed with a commitment to eliminate North Korea’s nuclear program completely if they haven’t been transparent about the whole program,” said Robert Einhorn, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Neoconservatives in the Bush administration are unlikely to accept any North Korean explanation that does not acknowledge conducting uranium enrichment work, the issue that in 2002 killed the last organized effort to halt Pyongyang’s nuclear work, another expert said. “The neocons within the administration will now say that we are back to square one, except that North Korea has now tested a nuclear weapon,” said Sharon Squassoni, a former State Department nuclear safeguards expert (P. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse II/Yahoo!News, Jan. 9). Back to top       Lieberman “Reassured” on Pakistani Nuclear Security U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) said he felt more confident in the security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal after meeting yesterday with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 9). The senator said top Pakistani military officials gave him a “detailed and explicit” briefing in Islamabad on measures in place to secure the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile. “I was impressed by the specific explanation I had about the system that is in place here,” Lieberman said following the meeting. “There are some who have expressed concerns about the security of the Pakistani nuclear arsenal,” he said in reference to concerns voiced recently by International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei about the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons amid the current political chaos gripping the country. “Overall I felt reassured … and I will take that message back to Congress,” Lieberman said (Agence France-Presse/Google News, Jan. 9). The White House said there is no risk of terrorists obtaining one or more nuclear weapons from Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, Asian News International reported. “At this time, as far as I know, it is the assessment of the intelligence community that Pakistan’s weapons arsenal is secure,” White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said (Asian News International/New Kerala, Jan. 9). Back to top       Senator Urges U.S. Congress to Consider Nuclear Trade Agreement Ahead of India U.S. Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio) believes that Congress should consider signing off on the civilian nuclear trade agreement with India prior to its approval in New Delhi, the Press Trust of India reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 9). “A decision will have to be made as to whether or not we should take the position of whether or not India is willing to support the 123 agreement and get it through their parliament,” Voinovich said in a teleconference. “Our passing it would be very significant to members of the parliament in India … who can say ‘Look, the U.S. has passed it, the Nuclear Suppliers are comfortable with it and the International Atomic Energy Agency is happy with it and all we need now is get it passed and that will make it a reality,’” he said. The agreement has faced opposition from both ends of the political spectrum in New Delhi.  Opponents have argued that restrictions in the deal would undermine India’s sovereignty and impair its nuclear program. “Would our passage help give [Indian leaders] some more clout in terms of getting it through the parliament?  That’s something we would have to look at,” Voinovich said. He noted that U.S. and Indian officials must win approval for the deal from the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group.  The organization of nuclear exporters has to approve a special exception for shipping nuclear materials to India because New Delhi has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and does not allow international supervision of all of its nuclear activities. “[Indians] should feel good that the agreement with the NSG … the United States can take care of that.  We are not worried about that,” he said. Voinovich also expressed optimism that India can reach a required safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency “in the next couple of months.” “We have also got to get a sign-off on the International Atomic Energy Agency … a couple of years ago [IAEA officials] told me that India spends more time talking with them than many of the countries that have signed the Nonproliferation Treaty.  I don’t think there's going to be any problem with (IAEA chief Mohamed) ElBaradei getting it signed,” he said (Sridhar Krishnaswami, Press Trust of India/Rediff India Abroad, Jan. 9). Back to top       CEO Resigns After Nuclear Guards Caught Asleep The top executive of a global security firm has resigned in the wake of the disclosure that the company’s workers guarding a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant regularly slept on the job, the company announced yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 4). The Wackenhut security firm quickly lost its contract with the largest U.S. nuclear power firm following the revelation and the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee has announced a hearing on the matter, the Washington Post reported. Wackenhut chairman and chief executive Gary Sanders resigned from the firm after starting as a supervisor more than 25 years ago.  His tenure as company leader had been marred by charges of poor security services, over billing and a dispute with a labor union, the Post reported. The final straw came with the television broadcast of a video of sleeping security guards at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in York County, Pa.  The video was shot by a fellow guard who said he complained to supervisors and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission without results before deciding to film his sleeping colleagues and deliver the recording to a local television news station. Exelon Corp., which operates Peach Bottom and nine other U.S. nuclear power stations, ended its contract with Wackenhut after the news report. “It's no wonder that Wackenhut's CEO stepped down after they lost their Exelon contract,” said Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, a group that has been engaged in a labor dispute with Wackenhut.  “They need to fulfill their security mandate and treat their own work force fairly and safely, too” (Steven Mufson, Washington Post, Jan. 10). Back to top       Iran Threatens World Peace, Bush Says U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday called Iran a threat to world peace and asked for the international community’s cooperation to prevent nuclear weapons from falling within Tehran’s reach, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 9). “Iran was a threat, Iran is a threat and Iran will be [a] threat to world peace if the international community does not come together and prevent that nation from the development of the know-how to build a nuclear weapon,” Bush said, referring to a U.S. intelligence assessment released last month that concluded Iran had abandoned its nuclear weapons program in 2003. “A country that once had a secret program can easily restart a secret program.  A country which can enrich (uranium) for civilian purposes can easily transfer that knowledge to a military program,” Bush said. “We will continue to work with European countries, Russia and China as well as nations in this neighborhood to make it abundantly clear the threat that Iran poses to world peace” (Agence France-Presse/Google News, Jan. 9). International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei plans to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a trip to Tehran tomorrow, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported. ElBaradei hopes to address the agency’s remaining concerns about Iran’s nuclear program during his visit, said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Sheikh-Atar. ElBaradei also plans to meet with senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalli, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran’s  Atomic Energy Organization, the official said (Deutsche Presse-Agentur/Monsters and Critics, Jan. 9). Back to top       U.S. to Begin ICBM Code Upgrades The United States is preparing to upgrade the codes it uses to operate its land-based strategic missiles, beginning this spring with the 150 Minuteman 3 missiles at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 7). The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Cryptography program is part of a larger set of upgrades to U.S. nuclear-armed ICBMs. The $217 million cryptography improvement is set to begin at Minot then move to the Minuteman 3 fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., and F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., said Minot space wing commander Col. Marty Whelan. “The current system in place is the original system that the Minuteman 3 was built with,” Whelan said.  “This cryptography upgrade will keep us in the business through 2030.” Minot has already replaced 1,800 backup batteries for the ICBMs and is improving security measures to defend against terrorist threats, AP reported. In addition, the Air Force is consolidating the 15 ICBM command centers at Minot into a single facility, according to AP (Associated Press/Dickinson (N.D.) Press, Jan. 9). Back to top       Clarification Due to a source error, an article in the Jan. 9 edition of Global Security Newswire misstated the number of times the National Academies of Science was asked to review scientific issues for Congress.  There were 50 such requests in all of 2007, not exclusively for fiscal 2008 appropriations bills. Back to top

Newport Depot Neutralizes 75 Percent of VX Agent Three-quarters of the VX nerve agent stored at the Newport Chemical Depot in Indiana had been eliminated as of Tuesday, the U.S. Army announced (see GSN, Dec. 10, 2007). “We anticipate completion of neutralization of the Newport stockpile during the summer of 2008.  Completing safe destruction of 75 percent of the stockpile is an important accomplishment for the Newport team and reflects positively on their commitment to safely complete agent operations,” Jeff Brubaker, site project manager for the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, said in a press release. The facility began neutralization of more than 1,000 tons of liquid VX in May 2005 (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency release, Jan. 9). Back to top       Tear Gas Use in Iraq Raises Treaty Questions A U.S. security contractor’s use of a riot control gas in Iraq has raised questions regarding adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the New York Times reported today (see GSN, Jan. 10). A helicopter and armored vehicle released CS gas near a military checkpoint in Baghdad in May 2005, inflicting temporary blindness upon drivers, passersby and 10 U.S. soldiers.  The vehicles were both part of a convoy operated by Blackwater Worldwide. “This was decidedly uncool and very, very dangerous,” the top officer at the scene, Army Capt. Kincy Clark, wrote on the day of the incident.  “It’s not a good thing to cause soldiers who are standing guard against car bombs, snipers and suicide bombers to cover their faces, choke, cough and otherwise degrade our awareness.” The United States is a state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which allows the use of riot control agents for law enforcement but bans them from warfare. Under a 1975 presidential order, the U.S. military can employ riot control agents in certain circumstances for defensive purposes.  However, the president or a senior officer selected by the commander in chief must first sign off on using the gas. “It is not allowed as a method or means of warfare,” said Michael Schmitt, an international law professor at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.  “There are very, very strict restrictions on the use of CS gas in a war zone.” A Blackwater spokeswoman indicated that the CS gas was used accidentally by personnel who meant to use a smoke canister while securing a motorcade route.  The North Carolina firm under its State Department contract at the time was not prohibited from using riot control agents while providing security services in Iraq.  Its current contract prevents use of such materials. The incident did not violate international law, according to State Department lawyers. The Chemical Weapons Convention “allows for use of riot control agents, such as CS, where they are not used as a method of warfare.  The use of a riot control agent near a checkpoint at an intersection in the circumstances described is not considered to be a method of warfare,” according to a State Department statement. Schmitt was less certain, the Times reported. “I have never seen anything that would make it permissible to use tear gas to get traffic out of the way,” he said.  “In my view, it’s an improper use of a riot control agent” (James Risen, New York Times, Jan. 10). Back to top

U.S. to Test Missile Defense Laser Annually The U.S. Missile Defense Agency plans beginning next year to annually test the ability of the Airborne Laser to bring down ballistic missile targets, Inside Missile Defense reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 4). Following the August 2009 test, the Airborne Laser program would carry out “approximately one major lethality flight test per fiscal year” if it has sufficient funds to do so, an agency spokesman said. “Each test will be against a threat-representative ballistic missile under different engagement conditions than the lethal demonstration,” he said.  The Airborne Laser aircraft is expected to fly in several diagnostic evaluations before it takes part in the first laser exercise. The flights would begin and end at Edwards Air Force Base in California, according to an environmental impact assessment of the 2009 lethality test released by the Missile Defense Agency last month.  Target missiles would be fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California coast toward a test range over the Pacific Ocean, where the Boeing 747 would use the laser to bring them down. Sensors on the aircraft would identify and track a target by its infrared signature about 35,000 feet above sea level, the environmental report states. When the aircraft points and fires its high-energy laser toward the target, “the energy from the (laser) would heat the missile body canister causing a stress fracture, which would allow the pressure inside the (missile’s fuel) tanks to destroy the missile,” the report says. The laser can only be pointed up due to geometrical constraints during the tests, the agency said (Thomas Duffy, Inside Missile Defense, Jan. 9).   Back to top

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