China:  United States Confirms Sanctions

The U.S. State Department confirmed Friday that the United States has imposed sanctions on 10 entities for selling weapons of mass destruction components to Iran (see GSN, July 19).  Officials have sanctioned eight Chinese companies, one Chinese national and one Indian national, according to the Washington Times.

The Iran-Iraq Arms Nonproliferation Act of 1992 and the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 govern the sanctions, which limit the entities’ access to U.S. technology, State spokesman Richard Boucher said (Bill Gertz, Washington Times, July 20).

All 10 entities were sanctioned under the Iran-Iraq law and eight were also sanctioned under the chemical and biological weapons control act, he said.  Sanctions imposed under the Iran-Iraq Nonproliferation Act last for two years, while the sanctions imposed under the chemical and biological weapons law are effective for one year, Boucher said (U.S. State Department release, July 19).

State notified China about the sanctions Thursday, White House officials said.  The event marks the fourth time the Bush administration has imposed sanctions on Chinese companies over proliferation concerns.  Some of the enitities penalized last week have been targeted by earlier sanctions, Boucher said.

“I would note that in some of these cases, some of these entities are already under sanctions and, therefore, the sanctions are cumulative on those entities,” he said.  “But some of these entities are new” (Gertz, Washington Times).

China Criticizes Sanctions

China today criticized the U.S. move, calling it “unreasonable.”

“China expresses its opposition and displeasure with the unreasonable sanctions by the United States,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.  China abides by international nonproliferation agreements and has a strict set of export controls, the ministry said (see GSN, June 14).

“We have consistently abided by our international obligations, made a series of corresponding laws and regulations and conducted strict controls on the export of relevant items,” it said (Reuters/New York Times, July 22).

Back to top

U.S. Response I:  CDC Inaugurates New Toxin Laboratory

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention inaugurated two new laboratories Friday in Chamblee, Ga., including one designed to help improve U.S. defenses against chemical weapons (see GSN, July 15).

The CDC toxin laboratory has the capability to analyze 120 chemical weapons agents, including nerve agents, which terrorists might use in an attack, said James Pirkle of the CDC National Center for Environmental Health.  In the event of such an attack, the facility would be able to identify the agents used and who is affected, he said.

“This is like a lab of BMWs and Mercedeses,” Pirkle said.  “This is the premier lab in the world” (Erin McClam, Associated Press/Yahoo.com, July 20).

Back to top

U.S. Response II:  Bush Surveys Argonne Technology

U.S. President George W. Bush was scheduled to visit Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago today to view demonstrations of laboratory inventions that might help prevent terrorism (see GSN, April 22).  The president would use the opportunity to promote his homeland security department plan, according to the Associated Press (Scott Lindlaw, Associated Press/Yahoo.com, July 22).

Argonne began several projects relevant to homeland defense years ago but decided to expand some after Sept. 11, said Harvey Drucker, the laboratory’s national security research coordinator.  For example, officials decided to adapt technology designed to detect anthrax during an outdoor military campaign to monitor buildings or subway systems instead, he said.

“This is not a defense laboratory.  We don’t think about weapons,” Drucker said.  “But we are pretty good at doing science and developing new technologies.”

The laboratory, owned by the Energy Department and operated by the University of Chicago, has also developed a chemical sensor that can detect cyanide gas and other dangerous agents.

“We’re not the only ones who have developed them, but we have made very small devices that have high sensitivity that can give you a quick analysis,” Drucker said.

Argonne scientists have also created a portable detector that can find concealed radioactive materials and determine what types of materials are present, Drucker said (Maura Kelly, Associated Press, July 21).

Under Bush’s homeland security proposal, Argonne would continue to be directed by the Energy Department but would receive some research funding from the proposed department, said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for Homeland Security Office (Lindlaw, Associated Press/Yahoo.com).

Back to top

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

HOME  |  CONTACT US  |  GET INVOLVED  |  SITE MAP