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Tuesday, March 15, 2005

U.S. Defense Department Consid


U.S. Representative Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) is encouraging the Defense Department to approve a plan to help Russia secure up to 74 biological weapons sites, United Press International reported last week (see GSN, Jan. 14).

The proposal by the nongovernmental International Exchange Group calls for securing six facilities, and expanding the protective effort if it proves successful. With approval from Russian leaders, the project could also lead to disposal work for biological agents at the sites, Weldon said.

Among the six sites initially planned for protection are the State Scientific Center of Applied Microbiology in Obolensk, where scientists once worked with anthrax, plague, tularemia and glanders; the State Scientific Center of Virology and Biotechnology, part of the Vektor Institute that once reportedly employed 4,500 bioweapons scientists and is believed to house Russia’s existing smallpox samples; and the headquarters for Biopreparat, once a front for biological weapons work, UPI reported.

“In my time all biological weapons development information was kept in that building,” Ken Alibek, a Russian expert who defected in 1992 to the United States, said of the Biopreparat building.

Alibek said the six locations are “absolutely” worth protecting against the threat of diversion of materials by terrorists. There are sites on the expanded list that should also be secured, he said.

The U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency would be expected to fund the program, which would cost in the low millions of dollars, UPI reported. The Defense Department is reviewing the proposal, Weldon said.

The International Exchange Group’s close relationship with Russian leaders would improve the effort’s chances for success and deter the type of fraud that has plagued U.S. financial support for Russia, said Weldon, co-chairman of the group’s oversight body.

“It is a brand new concept,” he said. “They have never done it before.  Usually this work is done ministry to ministry. What we are exploring is the use of a nongovernmental entity in Russia that is very close to Putin to get access that we haven’t been able to get through the traditional channels. This is kind of a whole new process” (Dee Ann Davis, United Press International/SpaceWar.com, March 10).

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