U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said today that the United States mistakenly shipped electronic nuclear missile components to Taiwan in 2006 (Tim Sloan/Getty Images). Nuclear Missile Fuses Mistakenly Sent to Taiwan, U.S. Says The United States accidentally shipped crates containing four nuclear missile fuses to Taiwan in fall 2006, possibly violating international law, the U.S. Defense Department said today (see GSN, Feb. 28). The mishap came to light in the wake of the 2007 incident in which nuclear-tipped cruise missiles were flown from an Air Force base in North Dakota to another base in Louisiana...Full Story

Iran Seeking Weapon-Grade Uranium, Cheney Says U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney yesterday accused Iran of developing a uranium enrichment program to produce material that could be used in a nuclear bomb, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, March 24)...Full Story

U.S., Czech Republic Could Soon Sign Radar Deal The United States and the Czech Republic by early May could sign a deal to place a U.S. missile defense radar in the European nation, RIA Novosti reported (see GSN, March 6)...Full Story

	Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Nuclear Missile Fuses Mistakenly Sent to Taiwan, U.S. Says The United States accidentally shipped crates containing four nuclear missile fuses to Taiwan in fall 2006, possibly violating international law, the U.S. Defense Department said today (see GSN, Feb. 28). The mishap came to light in the wake of the 2007 incident in which nuclear-tipped cruise missiles were flown from an Air Force base in North Dakota to another base in Louisiana. The error was not discovered until Taiwan notified Washington that it had received the electronic components — used to initiate a Minuteman missile’s firing system — in place of the intended shipment of helicopter batteries, Reuters reported. "The secretary of defense is taking this very seriously.  We are all taking this very seriously," Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne told journalists at the Pentagon.  "Though this was not and could not be construed as nuclear material … I would tell you that we are very concerned about it." U.S. President George W. Bush and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates were informed of the incident on Friday after the United States had received the fuses from Taiwan.  Washington has sent details on the incident to China, which maintains that Taiwan is part of its territory, and Gates has requested a full investigation of the error, said Principle Deputy Defense Undersecretary Ryan Henry. It remains to be determined exactly how the accidental shipment occurred.  The fuses are supposed to be inventoried every three months, but the four in question apparently ended up in an unclassified storage area, Reuters reported (Kristin Roberts, Reuters, March 25). “There are multiple players; there are multiple parties involved,” Henry said, according to the Washington Post.  “We'll do a thorough investigation, and those who are found responsible will be held accountable” (Debbi Wilgoren, Washington Post, March 25). The Pentagon has also instructed the Navy and Air Force to review all of their holdings of nuclear materials and related technology, Reuters reported.  It is also looking into whether the shipment constituted a violation of international law or arms agreements. “That’s under analysis now,” Henry said.  “If there was something that was amiss, it was clearly not intentional” (Roberts, Reuters, March 25). For more than a year after Pentagon officials were first notified of the error, they did not understand that it involved nuclear equipment rather than batteries, the Post reported. “It wasn’t until this week that we became aware that [Taiwan] had something akin to a nose-cone assembly,” Henry said.  “There were early communications, but we thought we were hearing one thing, and  in reality they were saying something different” (Wilgoren, Post, March 25). Back to top       Iran Seeking Weapon-Grade Uranium, Cheney Says U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney yesterday accused Iran of developing a uranium enrichment program to produce material that could be used in a nuclear bomb, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, March 24). “Obviously, they’re … heavily involved in trying to develop nuclear weapons enrichment, the enrichment of uranium to weapons-grade levels,” Cheney told ABC News. The vice president did not say what evidence supports his assertion on Iran, which insists that its nuclear program is intended only to produce electricity. President George W. Bush said last week that Iran had publicly stated its intention to develop a nuclear weapon.  Analysts quickly refuted that statement and the White House backed off the claim (Agence France-Presse/Google News, March 25). Meanwhile, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said that Israel could help to defuse international tensions over Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons development by signing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Interfax reported yesterday. “Egypt honors its commitments under the NPT, whose universal nature can be achieved through the inclusion of states that have not yet signed it, for example Israel,” Mubarak told a Russian newspaper in an interview scheduled for publication today.  “The possession of nuclear weapons is a threat from any side both to the Middle East and the entire world.” He said that Iran must be completely open about its nuclear activities in order to resolve questions over the nation’s nuclear ambitions and called on Israel to join a comprehensive ban on weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East (Interfax, March 24). Back to top       Bahrain Joins Counterterrorism Effort, Signs Nuclear Energy Deal With United States Bahrain yesterday joined an international program intended to prevent nuclear terrorism as it signed a civilian nuclear cooperation deal with the United States, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 30). Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa endorsed the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism in a diplomatic note to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, making Bahrain the 67th nation to join the effort since it was established in 2006, the State Department said. The country’s involvement, the State Department said, demonstrates Bahrain’s commitment to ensuring “that sensitive nuclear-related materials stay out of the hands of the most dangerous individuals.” Rice and Khalid signed a memorandum of understanding stated their nations’ willingness to cooperate in civilian nuclear energy development.  The State Department called the deal a “tangible expression of the United States’ desire to cooperate with states in the Middle East, and elsewhere, that want to develop peaceful nuclear power in a manner consistent with the highest standards of safety, security and nonproliferation.” Nations open to such cooperation “serve as models for the responsible pursuit of the benefits of nuclear technology,” the department said.  “This MOU reflects Bahrain's commitment to serve as a model in the region.” “Bahrain affirmed its intention to forgo sensitive fuel cycle technologies and rely on existing international markets for nuclear fuel,” the U.S. statement added, noting that its approach “stands in direct contrast to Iran’s nuclear activities” (Agence France-Presse I/Google News, March 24). Meanwhile, Russia and Egypt signed an agreement today allowing Moscow to bid for a contract to build the first planned civilian nuclear power plant in Egypt, AFP reported. Egyptian Energy Minister Hassan Younis and Russian nuclear energy agency head Sergei Kiriyenko signed the agreement at the home of Russian President Vladimir Putin (Agence France-Presse II/Google News, March 25). Elsewhere, Turkey called on companies yesterday to file bids for a contract to build the country’s first nuclear power station, AFP reported. The 4,000-megawatt facility would be constructed at Akkuyu in southern Turkey, the Anatolia News Agency reported. “I have officially launched the tender process today.  This is the start of a very important and positive process for our country's future,” Anatolia quoted Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler as saying (Agence France-Presse III/Spacewar.com, March 24). Back to top       U.S., India to Continue Work on Nuclear Deal Top foreign officials from the United States and India yesterday said they would continue work on a civilian nuclear cooperation deal between the countries while acknowledging the persistent political obstacles to its implementation, the Press Trust of India reported (see GSN, March 24). Indian communist parties have threatened to withdraw their support from the ruling government and force early elections if leaders in New Delhi move to implement the pact, which would make U.S. nuclear fuel and technology available to India. Indian leaders are currently holding talks on the agreement with political parties, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said following a half-hour discussion with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington. “We are interested in implementing the landmark agreement reached.  But now we have some political problem.  Currently we are engaged in the process of resolving them,” Mukherjee told journalists. Rice called the deal a “landmark agreement which is good for both sides. … We will continue to work on that agreement.” U.S. officials have been pressuring their Indian counterparts to push the deal through so it can be considered by Congress within the next few months.  New Delhi has concluded negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency on a safeguards agreement that would give inspectors access to Indian civilian nuclear sites (see GSN, March 5).  Mukherjee noted, though, that the safeguards deal still requires approval from the agency’s governing board. New Delhi must also pursue an exemption from the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group that would allow India to import nuclear fuel although it has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (Sridhar Krishnaswami, Press Trust of India/Hindustan Times, March 24). The Bush administration is likely to seek assurance from Australia that it would not block the exemption, the Sydney Morning Herald reported (see GSN, Jan. 18). Australia’s new administration withdrew a previous offer of uranium exports to India, contending that India’s proliferation safeguards would be less stringent than regulations for NPT signatories. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd might delay any promise that his government would not vote against an NSG exemption as long as Indian lawmakers remain deadlocked over approving the trade deal (Anne Davies, Sydney Morning Herald, March 24). Back to top       Nuclear Forensics Needs Boost, Former DTRA Head Says The United States must strengthen its capabilities to track the source of nuclear material that could be used in an act of terrorism against this country, the former head of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency said in a Washington Post commentary published today (see GSN, Feb. 20). “It is quite possible that a terrorist group could acquire enough nuclear material to build a bomb,” Jay Davis stated.  “Nuclear materials have been discovered by border patrols, seized in police raids from India to … Slovakia, and even hidden in a flower garden in Hanover, Germany.  With enough stolen material, only a few specialists would be needed to build a nuclear weapon.  After that, terrorists would lack only a truck to deliver it.” Following such an attack, federal authorities would mobilize to find the perpetrators and ensure there were no follow-up strikes, Davis said.  Nuclear forensics specialists would play a role in that effort by analyzing radiation and isotopic signatures to provide details about the material used in the weapon, including its country of origin. The process now would take months, Davis said. “But in our post-Sept. 11 world, we won’t have months to respond,” he wrote.  “There would be enormous pressure to rapidly identify the terrorists and the chain of events leading up to the attack. Davis suggested several changes he said could improve the “speed and accuracy” of U.S. nuclear forensics efforts.  They include:  producing improved technology for use in laboratories and in the field; developing an international database of nuclear samples to improve nations’ abilities to quickly determine the source of weapon material; establishing a group of independent experts that would review the federal forensics findings to ensure the analysis is valid and believable; and helping leaders understand the forensics process in order to avoid unreasonable expectations following an incident. “There has been some good news.  Some countries, including Pakistan, are strengthening the critical programs that lock down nuclear material at its source,” Davis wrote.  “But we must take additional steps, in case plutonium or uranium slips past the gate” (Jay Davis, Washington Post, March 25). Back to top

Arizona County Charges Former TB Patient An Arizona county has filed felony charges against a former resident for failing to wear a mask in public while infected with drug-resistant tuberculosis, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Jan. 4). Maricopa County charged Robert Daniels with two counts of unlawful introduction of a disease or parasite, despite a lack of evidence that he had exposed any person to tuberculosis before he was placed in quarantine two years ago, prosecutors said yesterday. “We took our time looking at the evidence to make sure the evidence fit the crime,” said Sally Wells of the county prosecutor’s office. Daniels lived in Russia for 15 years before returning to the United States in 2006, after he was diagnosed with the drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis.  The dual U.S.-Russian citizen was determined to no longer be contagious after receiving lung surgery in September 2007.  He returned to Moscow the next month. Russian authorities have not yet been able to locate Daniels, said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  “If he does come here, he’ll be arrested on these criminal violations,” he said. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Daniels told the Arizona Republic.  “They don’t really have evidence.  They can’t accuse me of anything unless there’s a person who got the disease from me.” “The TB is gone.  I have no diseases whatsoever.  If I had stayed in Arizona even a month longer, I’d probably be dead,” he said (Associated Press/Google News, March 25). Back to top       Mass. Report Blasts Handling of Emergency Trailers The Massachusetts State Auditor’s Office released a report yesterday criticizing the state’s management of 10 trailers intended to provide emergency support services following a biological weapons attack or other incident causing large numbers of deaths, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Feb. 15, 2007). The report, which examines the use of $28 million in Homeland Security grants provided to the state, says that investigators found during one inspection that a trailer was not at its specified storage point.  They were unable to locate any staffer who could locate the vehicle.  In their inspection of another trailer, the auditors discovered medical gear that appeared vulnerable to the elements as well as equipment that had not been unpacked or tested. Some state jurisdictions assigned specific trailers had not been informed of their locations in the region, and emergency responders have not conducted regular exercises using the vehicles, the auditors founds The Massachusetts Public Health Department, responding to the report, said it has created Web sites and taken other steps to provide trailer location and availability information to the state Emergency Management Agency and various municipalities. The department also said it would conduct drills involving trailers at five locations throughout the state (Associated Press/Boston Globe, March 24). Back to top

Preparations Increase for Kentucky CW Disposal Site Several construction projects are scheduled to begin this year at the Blue Grass Army Depot in advance of construction of a chemical weapons disposal plant at the Kentucky facility, the Richmond Register reported yesterday (see GSN, March 12). Construction of the chemical neutralization complex is not expected to be completed for several years.  The facility is currently estimated to complete munitions destruction in 2023, though Congress has demanded that all U.S. chemical weapons be eliminated by 2017 (see GSN, Feb. 20). Plans for 2008 include installation of underground utility systems, pouring concrete for the disposal plant and a support facility, and construction of an electrical substation. “(This year) will be an exciting year for the project as the pilot plant main construction site continues to take shape with the placement of horizontal concrete for the main destruction facility and the assembly of two new support buildings,” said Gary Cough, construction manager for the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant. Construction began in summer 2006 with development of an access road to the disposal site and preparatory earthwork for the primary plant.  Since then, work has also been completed on several additional projects, including a perimeter fence and installation of cable and mechanical utilities. Work is under way on lighting for the parking lot, a storm drain system and other installations, the Register reported.  Designs have also been submitted for the munitions demilitarization plant, control support site and supercritical water oxidation processing facility. Still to be installed are the main plant, a visitor registration building, a water tank and other facilities. Meanwhile, the project to destroy three bulk containers filled with 157 gallons of sarin nerve agent is continuing (see GSN, Dec. 10, 2007; Ronica Shannon, Richmond Register, March 24). Back to top

U.S., Czech Republic Could Soon Sign Radar Deal The United States and the Czech Republic by early May could sign a deal to place a U.S. missile defense radar in the European nation, RIA Novosti reported (see GSN, March 6). “The negotiations on the main radar agreement should be completed by the Bucharest NATO summit next week, but it will be ready for signing at the end of April or the beginning of May at the latest,” Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar told the Hospodarske Noviny daily. The signing could occur April 28 during a visit to Washington by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg.  Another possible date is May 5, which corresponds to a NATO conference on missile defense and the anniversary of anti-Nazi actions in Prague at the end of World War II. In return, the Czech government is looking for access to no less than five U.S. military research efforts and a visa waiver deal with Washington (RIA Novosti, March 25). Meanwhile, senior U.S. and Russian officials are scheduled to conduct further talks this week on the Bush administration’s plans for the Czech radar and deployment of 10 missile interceptors in Poland, ITAR-Tass reported (see GSN, March 21). The meeting would follow last week’s visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Moscow, where they discussed proposals aimed at overcoming Russian opposition to the plan. “We expect that Russia and the U.S. may hold the [antiballistic missile] consultations just this week.  We intend to reveal our position on new U.S. proposals … and discuss the whole spectrum of issues related to [the] antiballistic missile complex,” a Russian diplomat said. Moscow has complained often about the missile defense plan, characterizing it as a threat to Russian strategic security.  Washington has offered to allow Russian officials to inspect the sites, among other confidence-building measures. “The proposals are being studied by all the agencies, which are in charge of this multilayer problem.  We’ll make the impression in the near future and tell everyone.  But first of all we’ll inform our American colleagues about this,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (ITAR-Tass, March 24). The U.S. State Department confirmed yesterday that acting Undersecretary of State John Rood would head the agency team meeting Wednesday with a Russian group led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak (U.S. State Department release, March 24). Russian President-elect Dmitry Medvedev has also expressed concern about the missile defense plan, the Financial Times reported yesterday. “Of course we are not happy about the fact that plans are actively being implemented related to the third positional region for missile defense,” he told the newspaper.  “We consider that such types of decisions break the fragile balance of forces and facilities in Europe, and not only in Europe. “We did not start all this but we need to move somewhere in order to make sure the situation does not radically deteriorate,” Medvedev added.  “The talks have taken place and the initiatives that our American partners brought are being considered” (Financial Times, March 24). Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev yesterday dismissed U.S. statements that the European missile defense sites would be established to provide a defense against Iran, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, March 24). “That’s complete nonsense,” he told Czech public television.  “Iran poses no threat.  It is possible to deal with Iran with different means, if necessary. “The entire system is directed against Russia and China, that’s how we understand it,” Gorbachev added (Associated Press/Kiev Post, March 25). Back to top       Democrats Scrutinize Missile Defense Agency As the majority party in Congress, Democrats are moving to increase oversight of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, Congressional Quarterly reported Sunday (see GSN, March 18). In the minority prior to the 2006 election, Democrats had little power to address their concerns about the lack of supervision over the agency that leads deployment of various systems intended to protect the nation against missile threats.  They also questioned its role in promoting deployment of missile defense elements in other nations (see related GSN story, today). “MDA is an agency that needs some adult supervision,” said House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairwoman Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.).  “We believe that MDA was without oversight for many, many years.” The agency, established by then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in 2002 as the successor to the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, has a fiscal 2008 budget of $9 billion. Spending on missile defense has topped $100 billion since the 1980s and estimates through 2013 add another $50 billion to the price tag.  Even given questions about the efficacy of the technology it can be difficult even for doubters to seek cuts to the program, given the present-day threats of ballistic missiles and terrorism, CQ reported (see GSN, Dec. 3, 2007). “We may have to someday apologize to the American people for building an expensive system that we didn’t use,” said Representative Trent Franks (R-Ariz.).  “But God save us from the day when we have to apologize to them for failing them because we didn’t build a system when it was in our power to do so.” With a head-on approach untenable, Democrats have sought other means to restrict the agency.  That includes directing spending toward near-term technologies rather than programs that could take longer to produce results.  Democratic lawmakers are also placing limitations on missile defense procurement efforts while increasing congressional oversight of the agency (Josh Rogin, Congressional Quarterly, March 23). 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