U.S. Response:  Gas Masks Begin to Arrive at U.S. Capitol

The first of a shipment of 20,000 gas masks arrived at the U.S. Capitol yesterday (see GSN, June 26).  The masks are meant to allow members of Congress, staff and tourists to evacuate the Capitol complex in case of a chemical or biological weapons attack.

Hour-long training sessions are to begin next week to instruct congressional employees on how to use the new masks, Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer said.

The masks can block anthrax spores or toxic fumes for two minutes to an hour, depending on the temperature in the room and the rate a person is breathing, Gainer said.  The masks are ineffective, however, against radiological agents, he said.

The masks will be stored in each congressional office and at each entrance to the Capitol and congressional office buildings, according to the Associated Press.  Capitol police officers will be trained to quickly give instructions on how to put on the masks, which will only be distributed in the event of an alert (Leslie Miller, Associated Press/Philadelphia Inquirer, June 27).

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Threat Assessment:  Mossad Assesses Middle Eastern WMD Capabilities

The Israeli intelligence service believes that Iran, Iraq, Syria and Libya are all interested in acquiring weapons of mass destruction and have already found limited success in some cases, said Ephraim Halevy, director of the Mossad, yesterday during a meeting in Brussels of the NATO North Atlantic Council (see GSN, April 19).

Iran

Mossad believes Iran is increasing its efforts to develop long-range missiles that are more advanced than its current Shahab 3, which has a range of 3,000 kilometers, Halevy said (see GSN, June 6).  Iran is attempting to develop “missiles with longer ranges, which could reach Europe and in the future, even North America,” he said (see GSN, May 8).

Halevy also said that Iran is developing “weapon-grade nuclear capabilities,” but did not provide details (see GSN, June 25).  Iran’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons combined with attempts to develop advanced ballistic missiles “should be a subject of constant attention of everyone of us in this hall,” he said.

Iran’s observance of the Chemical Weapons Convention is only a cover for the development of dual-use systems that could quickly be converted to produce weapons, Halevy said.  Iran is also conducting research into biological weapons, he added (see GSN, June 13).

Iraq

It must be assumed that Iraq has attempted to develop nuclear weapons ever since U.N. weapons inspectors left the country in 1998, Halevy said (see GSN, June 20).

“As you know, on the eve of the Gulf War, Iraq was on the verge of obtaining nuclear capability,” Halevy said.  “They were months away from producing fissile material.”

Mossad has some evidence that Iraq is also attempting to develop biological and chemical weapons, as well as the missiles needed to deliver them, Halevy said (see GSN, June 10).

“We have partial evidence that they have renewed their production of VX and possibly anthrax,” he said.  “As to delivery systems, we have sufficient evidence to affirm that they are sparing no effort to preserve their residuary capabilities and to augment them with new ones.”

Syria and Libya

Israel has been monitoring Syria’s efforts to acquire North Korean Scud-type ballistic missiles and to manufacture such missiles, Halevy said.  Most of Syria’s missiles are armed with conventional warheads, but “the Syrians also have B and C [biological and chemical] capabilities with relevance to surface-to-surface missiles.”

Syria has been able to produce sarin nerve agent and is examining production of VX nerve agent, Halevy said.

He urged the council members to carefully monitor Libya, which is developing long-range ballistic missiles with North Korean assistance.

“Libya has often been mentioned as a country striving to achieve nuclear capability,” Halevy added (Amir Oren, Ha’aretz, June 27).

For further information, see:

UNMOVIC

U.N. Resolution 687 (Sanctions Regime)

CWC Text

OPCW

States Parties

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U.S. Response:  25,000 Gas Masks Headed to U.S. Capitol

Capitol Police have ordered 25,000 gas masks to store around the U.S. Capitol to protect members of Congress, congressional staff and tourists against a chemical or biological attack, the Associated Press reported today.

The police expect to announce the order today, a congressional official said.  The masks, known as quick masks, are not the same as full gas masks but are hoods that filter chemical and biological agents through a fitted mouthpiece, according to the AP.

The House floor has had gas masks available for years, but the big change in the new purchase is that masks will now be available to tourists and staff in addition to lawmakers.

“They (the police) were basically just trying to include tourists,” the congressional official said.  “They’re not going to have only 535 masks.”

The purchase of masks is not a response to any specific threat, the official said.  “The reason we’re doing it is because the Capitol was targeted for a bioterrorist attack, the anthrax attack,” the official said (see GSN, March 7).

Other Capitol Security Measures

Since Sept. 11, Capitol authorities have implemented several new security measures.  Before the attacks, tourists were allowed to walk freely around much of the Capitol building, but visitors now can take only guided tours.  Cement barriers and metal posts have been set up around the Capitol, and the Capitol Police force has added 700 officers (Leslie Miller, Associated Press/New York Times, June 26).

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