WMD 411 Chronology —  2005

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Produced by the Monterey Institute's Center for Nonproliferation Studies
Updated February 2006

KEY: [B] Biological, [C] Chemical, [M] Missile, [N] Nuclear, [O] Organization [T] Terrorism

Jan 2 2005 [N] In accordance with an agreement reached between the two nuclear-armed rivals, India and Pakistan exchange lists of their nuclear facilities at the start of each year. Both countries signed the agreement in 1988, which came into force on January 27, 1991, in an effort to refrain from attacking each other’s nuclear facilities in the event of a war.

Jan 2 2005 [N] The Bush administration sanctions four Chinese and one North Korean company for allegedly shipping material to Iran that could be used for the development of unconventional weapons. Under the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000, the sanctioned companies are barred from receiving U.S. government contracts, aid, and arms sales until November 24, 2006. According to Zhang Qiuye, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Beijing objects to the U.S. sanctions and asserts that it abides by its nonproliferation commitments.

Jan 4 2005 [N, O] The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports that it has found evidence of past clandestine nuclear activities in Egypt. According to the statement from an IAEA diplomat, Egypt allegedly attempted to produce a number of uranium components and failed to declare its activities to the UN agency, as required by the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. Egyptian officials emphasize that these activities were solely for peaceful purposes and refute any military applications.

Jan 7 2005 [N, O] International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei proposes a five-year international ban on producing enriched uranium and building nuclear reprocessing facilities. ElBaradei states that the freeze could be implemented for a certain period of time until the agency has decided on how the fuel cycle could be arranged globally. He further stresses the commitment by weapons states to move toward nuclear disarmament and says that the recommended ban will be discussed during the upcoming conference on the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which is scheduled to be held in May in New York.

Jan 7 2005 [B] Veterinary colleges throughout the United States are offering an increased number of courses in bioterrorism and food safety. According to Surgeon General Richard Carmona, veterinarians are on the forefront of detecting biological weapons of mass destruction and are possibly the first responders to determine as to whether a terrorist attack has occurred. 

Jan 13 2005 [C] The Pentagon plans to restrict funding for the disposal of nerve agents in Madison County, Kentucky, which could result in a delay of several years. The Blue Grass Army Depot stores mainly two nerve agents, sarin and VX, contained in rockets and projectiles. Residents are concerned that the weapons might fall into the hands of terrorists or that leaks may threaten the community. If the cuts in funding are carried out, the United States may miss the 2012 deadline set by the Chemical Weapons Convention for destroying these weapons.

Jan 14 2005 [N] During a meeting of the Council on International Relations in New York, Russian defense minister Sergei Ivanov announces that nuclear weapons and their components are well protected in Russia. He notes that since the creation of the Russian Federation, there has never been an instance of theft of weapons-grade uranium or plutonium. With respect to supplying nuclear materials to rogue nations, Mr. Ivanov underlines that his country participates in several international export control mechanisms and that participants in international agreements should not be exempt from observing their stipulations. The minister further emphasizes his country’s concern with regard to the U.S. position on ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which could serve as an additional prevention of nuclear proliferation.

Jan 19 2005 [C, O] In an effort to assist Russia with the elimination of chemical weapons stockpiles, Canada and Great Britain pledge to provide almost $8.5 million dollars for additional industrial infrastructure projects in Shuchuchye, Russia. Approximately 14% of Russia’s 40,000 tonnes of chemical weapons are stored at the Shuchuchye facility and this agreement ensures the earliest feasible destruction of these stockpiles.

Jan 24 2005 [N] Los Alamos National Laboratory Director, Peter Nanos, reports that after operations had been halted last summer due to missing computer disks that contained classified information, work at the laboratory will fully resume within two weeks. While most work at the laboratory had already resumed, weapons work had been suspended until now. Since the halt, new methods for storing and tracking computer disks containing classified information have been established.

Jan 25 2005 [N] In an effort to detect potential smuggling of nuclear and radiological materials at the U.S.-Mexico border, the State Department announces its plan to install radiation detection portals for screening cars and trucks entering the United States. According to the Customs and Border Protection agency, the monitors can identify radiation released by nuclear devices, “dirty bombs,” and isotopes.

Jan 26 2005 [N] The United States National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the United Kingdom’s Trade and Industry Ministry sign a Memorandum of Understanding in order to assist Russia in getting rid of weapons-grade plutonium. Both countries support the permanent shutdown of the plutonium production reactor in Zheleznogorsk, Russia. The United Kingdom has pledged to contribute up to $20M to NNSA’s Elimination of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Production Program (EWGPP).

Jan 29 2005 [O] During the Russian-U.S. business partnership council meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasizes that given the threat of terrorism, the United States and Russia cannot neglect their partnership. According to Lavrov, Russia gives top priority to cooperating with the United States, particularly in the realm of disarmament and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. 

Feb 3 2005 [C, N] Within the framework of the G-8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Canada and Russia are joining forces to eliminate chemical weapons and dismantle decommissioned Russian nuclear-powered submarines. The Canadian government has allocated up to $300 million Canadian dollars to fund these projects in Russia.

Feb 6 2005 [N] Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi announces that Russia and Iran reached an agreement regarding the return of spent nuclear fuel from the Bushehr nuclear power plant to Russia. According to the Iranian diplomat, the chief of the Russian Atomic Energy Agency, Alexander Rumyantsev, is scheduled to travel to Tehran in the spring to sign the Russian-Iranian agreement. The Bushehr nuclear power plant will have an estimated power-generation capacity of 1,000 Megawatts and become operational in the beginning of 2006.

Feb 7 2005 [N] U.S. officials are looking into the possibility that additional Arab states may have received nuclear technology from the nuclear network formerly headed by Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan. Investigators are concerned that past recipients of Khan’s nuclear technology, such as Iran, Libya and North Korea, may have retransferred nuclear know-how to terrorist organizations.  According to sources close to the Khan Research Laboratories, most of the network is still in place; however, Pakistan has not granted permission to question Khan directly to either the United States or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Khan has been under arrest in Pakistan since 2004.

Feb 10 2005 [N] The North Korean government declares publicly for the first time that it has nuclear weapons. In today’s statement, Pyongyang announces that it has “manufactured nukes for self-defense to cope with the Bush administration’s undisguised policy to isolate and stifle the D.P.R.K.” According to the North Korean Foreign Ministry, its government further rejects rejoining U.S.-sponsored regional talks aimed at reaching a settlement over its nuclear program. While other member countries of the six-party forum still hope that talks would resume this spring, it is uncertain whether North Korea will suspend its participation in the talks for an indefinite period of time.

Feb 14 2005 [N, O] During a two-day conference held in Switzerland, representatives from 11 countries and two international organizations address the issue of shutting down the last three remaining plutonium production facilities in the Russian Federation. Under the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Elimination of Weapons Grade Plutonium Production (EWGPP), the United States plans to provide support to Russia for refurbishing its fossil energy plant in Seversk, as well as in constructing a replacement energy plant in Zheleznogorsk. One of the main goals of the conference is to solicit funding from the international community.

Feb 18 2005 [C, B, R, N] According to a report released by an expert panel monitoring UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, the two organizations still continue to pursue the acquisition of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. Although an arms embargo has been successful in denying the two groups access to conventional weapons, the expert team proposes that the UNSC undertake additional measures to restrict access to weapons of mass destruction. The report further indicates that a successful CBRN attack carried out by either Al-Qaeda or an affiliated group is only a matter of time. Panel coordinator Richard Barrett notes that while Al-Qaeda may not be able to acquire a missile with a nuclear warhead, it is likely that the group would be successful in obtaining some of the components necessary to make these weapons, such as toxic agents and low-yield radioactive material, and eventually releasing them. The expert panel was established in 2004 to monitor the sanctions imposed against Osama Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban under UN Security Council Resolution 1267.

Feb 24 2005 [M] Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin announces that his country will not participate in a planned missile defense system with the United States. Although Pentagon officials had long anticipated that Canada would not join the system, Canada’s decision is a symbolic setback for the Bush administration’s attempt to heal divisions with its allies that emerged from the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Feb 24 2005 [N] During a summit meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, U.S. President Bush and Russian President Putin agree on joint measures to protect nuclear materials, both in the United States and Russia, in an effort to prevent nuclear terrorism. According to White House officials, the agreement would include measures such as better security at Russia’s nuclear plants and weapons stockpiles, new methods for responding to terrorist attacks, and programs to prevent the diversion of nuclear fuel.

Feb 28 2005 [N, M] The United States begins discussions on ending the work of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, UNMOVIC carried out weapons inspections in Iraq. According to a spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the issue had been discussed with the Iraqi government and members of the U.N. Security Council for quite some time. Despite the fact that the United States supports the closure of the commission, France prefers maintaining a group of trained WMD and missile inspectors in Iraq. The Security Council could make a decision on this matter sometime in May.

Feb 28 2005 [N] The U.S. Energy Department’s Inspector General’s Office reports that the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico has neglected to adhere to guidelines that bar former employees from access to classified information on nuclear materials after they leave. According to the inspector general’s report, the laboratory was in violation of its own policies for more than 40 percent of cases surveyed. During the inspector general’s investigation, a Los Alamos spokesperson stated that the laboratory would review its current personnel policies.

March 4 2005 [N, O] Japan’s Foreign Minister, Nobutaka Machimura and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, announce today that the two countries will continue pressuring North Korea to return to the six-party talks in order to resume negotiations on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Since 2003, three rounds of inconclusive six-party talks, which also involve China, South Korea, and the United States, have been held. A fourth round, originally scheduled for September 2004, never took place because North Korea refused to attend.

March 5 2005 [N, O] Today marks the 35^th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The NPT is a multilateral treaty to which 188 states are parties. The Treaty is one of the most extensive mechanisms for curbing the spread of nuclear weapons. While the past 35 years have demonstrated the effectiveness of the nonproliferation regime with regard to disarmament and the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the NPT has also been confronted with new challenges and threats, such as North Korea’s withdrawal from the Treaty, and the danger of nuclear materials being used by terrorist organizations. The seventh NPT Review Conference is scheduled to be held in New York in May 2005 and is aimed at further strengthening the global regime for nuclear nonproliferation.

March 7 2005 [N] The Iranian government confirms that it initially started the development of its nuclear program in secret. The regime emphasizes that U.S. sanctions and European restrictions on advanced nuclear technology forced it to hide its nuclear program at the outset. While the United States has accused Iran’s government of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to produce nuclear weapons, Tehran insists that its nuclear program is solely geared towards generating electricity. 

March 9 2005 [N] The Swedish government declares that it has allocated nearly $6 million dollars for nuclear safety cooperation with Russia. The cooperation will address areas such as reactor safety, waste management, radiation protection, and preparedness. Most projects will be undertaken in consultation with the European Union and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

March 15 2005 [N, O] White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan reports that while the Bush administration has in essence concluded its investigation of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs after the U.S.-led invasion of that country in March 2003, a number of related investigations still continue. A report issued in September 2004 by Charles Duelfer, the principal adviser of the Iraq Survey Group (ISG), concluded that Iraq had no WMD stockpiles; however administration officials argue that the invasion was necessary because deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had the capability and intend to develop such weapons. Although the physical search has more or less ended, McClellan states that ISG will continue to undertake WMD-related work, such as examining seized Iraqi documents.

March 22 2005 [B, N] A survey conducted by health officials in 26 U.S. states finds that most rural areas in the United States are unprepared for a bioterrorism attack or terrorist strikes on nuclear power reactors. While a large number of nuclear plants are located in rural communities, the study indicates that only six percent of rural states receive funding for bioterrorism preparedness and large-scale public health emergencies, compared with 75 percent of urban states.

March 22 2005 [N] During a two-day conference in Paris on civilian nuclear power, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei declares that the growing interest of countries in developing nuclear power programs may help terrorists in obtaining nuclear materials. He further emphasizes that increased efforts are necessary in order to ensure the protection of nuclear material and radioactive sources.

March 25 2005 [N] President Musharraf announces that Pakistan is willing to send centrifuge components to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help the agency to determine whether Iran has been building nuclear weapons from materials obtained by Pakistan. According to UN experts, the centrifuge parts may reveal vital traces of uranium similar to those found on equipment in Iran. Earlier this month, the Pakistani government admitted for the first time that the A.Q. Khan network had supplied Iran with centrifuges used to generate enriched uranium fuel.

March 29 2005 [N, O] Environmentalists welcome Russia’s ratification of the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage. Under the treaty, Russia has pledged to allocate $60 million dollars as insurance to be paid out in the event of a nuclear accident. Vladimir Chuprov, a nuclear energy expert for Greenpeace, notes that while the allocated amount is rather small compared to the $200 billion paid in compensation for the Chernobyl disaster, it does demonstrate Russia’s recognition of international rules for nuclear responsibility. The treaty was originally opened for signature in May 1963, and 30 countries have joined the treaty so far.

March 30 2005 [C] The Department of Defense announces that due to budget cut backs, the United States may not be able to meet the international deadline for destroying its chemical weapons arsenal. Under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the United States has been granted an extension to abolish its chemical weapons stockpiles until 2012. According to Pentagon officials, under the current budget situation the commencement of construction at sites in Pueblo, Colorado, and Blue Grass, Kentucky, would be delayed until 2011. Both sites fall under the Defense Department’s Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA) program, which was established in 1997 as a result of concerns about the safety of incineration. Under the ACWA program, chemical agents at the Pueblo and Blue Grass sites, whose combined munitions account for about 10 percent of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile, would be deactivated.

April 1 2005 [C, B] A report by the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction declares that Libya has not disclosed all information regarding its chemical and biological weapons programs. The commission notes that such programs would likely be small, but that Libya has been less forthcoming with information on its chemical and biological programs than it has with information on its nuclear capabilities.

April 1 2005 [N] According to the Washington Post, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) did not appropriately consider analyses from other countries’ intelligence services that aluminum tubing intercepted by the CIA’s WINPAC (Weapons Intelligence, Proliferation, and Arms Control Center) was not to be used for uranium enrichment in Iraq. The Bush administration cited the aluminum tubing as a one justification for invading Iraq in March 2003.

April 5 2005 [N] The Bush administration announces that it seeks to replace the U.S. nuclear arsenal with a new, reduced arsenal that includes smaller weapons that provide new military uses, including “bunker buster” nuclear weapons.

April 5 2005 [N, O] The United States, France, Japan, and Iran oppose a five-year moratorium on the development of new uranium enrichment and plutonium processing facilities. The Bush administration says it would back the treaty if it could remain exempt from it, according to a reporter from the Financial Times.

April 11 2005 [N, O] The Third Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety meets at the Vienna International Center to outline how the treaty is maintaining nuclear power plant safety. The meeting is the third of its kind since the treaty entered into effect in 1996.

April 11 2005 [N] North Korea rejects a plan to dismantle its nuclear weapons program through a “step by step” process. A U.S. expert recently returned from Pyongyang states that if the conditions were right, North Korea might consider a freeze on its nuclear program.

April 13 2005 [N] A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry declares that Iran had not moved processed uranium away from its nuclear facility at Isfahan. Meanwhile, French President Jacques Chirac urges Western powers to take a softer stance against Iran’s plan to develop an uranium enrichment capability allegedly for civilian nuclear power.

April 14 2005 [B] Kamel Bourgass of Algeria is convicted of plotting to spread ricin in London and sentenced to a 17-year prison term, following a life sentence for fatally stabbing a police officer pursuing the nine ricin suspects. Bourgass is a suspected Al-Qaeda operative who was found in possession of castor beans, the base ingredient in ricin poison, in addition to instructions for the manufacture of cyanide, botulinum, and other poisons.

April 19 2005 [N] South Korea remains uncertain why North Korea would power down its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon and whether or not the North Koreans are extracting spent fuel rods. Technical issues are an additional possibility. The IAEA says that it cannot confirm if the facility was actually shutdown, according to an Associated Press report.

April 20 2005 [C] The U.S. Department of Defense plans to spend $300 million in New Mexico and Kentucky for the construction of chemical weapon neutralization sites. $700 million in program funds had been frozen while the Department of Defense sought more cost-effective disposal procedures for weapons scheduled for destruction per the Chemical Weapons Convention.

April 22 2005 [N] The Belgian Senate unanimously approves the gradual removal of all U.S. nuclear weapons from Kleine Brogel Air Base. The facility contains 20 weapons deliverable by fighter aircraft s part of a 400-weapon stockpile maintained by NATO.

April 22 2005 [N] Key centrifuge components originating from the Khan network that were once destined for Libya remain unaccounted for. Khan’s association with Libya was discovered in 2003, when Libya agreed to dismantle its WMD programs. Information obtained from Libya led to the discovery of a worldwide black market for nuclear technology directed by Pakistan’s Dr. A.Q. Khan.

April 25 2005 [N] The U.S. Department of Energy and the Latvian Ministry of Environment sign an agreement in Washington to allow collaboration in nonproliferation and threat-reduction. The agreement will allow the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration to remove and return highly enriched uranium of Soviet/Russian origin to Russia from Latvia’s shutdown Salaspils reactor, as well as increase security at the site and storage facility.

April 26 2005 [N, C, B] U.S. inspectors do not believe that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction or weapons materials were transferred to Syria before the 2003 invasion, according to the final report released by U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group in Iraq.

April 27 2005 [N, O] The International Atomic Energy Agency has circulated a confidential report asking the 35 states on its Board of Governors to rescind the Small Quantities Protocol, warning that it could be used as a loophole in the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The protocol allows treaty members to forgo declaring uranium stockpiles of less than 10 tons.

May 2 2005 [N, O] The nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) 2005 Review Conference begins at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

May 4 2005 [N] U.S. intelligence agencies report that North Korea is constructing a nuclear test site. It is not known whether this is bluff by Pyongyang to pressure the United States to make concessions at the Six-Party Talks.

May 4 2005 [N] Iran reaffirms its commitment to negotiations regarding its nuclear program with the European team of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

May 4 2005 [C] The U.S. Army begins disposal of VX nerve agent at Newport Chemical Depot in Indiana. The army plans to neutralize 360 gallons of the agent at this facility in compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

May 5 2005 [N] Prior to the 2005 NPT Review Conference, non-nuclear weapon states renew their requests for security assurances from the nuclear powers. The United States maintains that it has the right to retaliate to chemical or biological attacks with nuclear force.

May 5 2005 [N] Russia announces it is willing to cut its nuclear arsenal more deeply than required by the 2002 Treaty of Moscow between Russia and the United States. The treaty requires each country to reduce its arsenal to fewer than 2,200 nuclear warheads; Russia could reduce its arsenal to as low as 1,500 deployable nuclear warheads by 31 December 2012.

May 6 2005 [B] The National Academy of Sciences warns that the U.S. military may be susceptible to biological attacks that would incapacitate troops, but not cause fatalities.

May 9 2005 [N, C, B, M] India passes a bill through its lower house of parliament forbidding illegal proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The bill must pass through the upper house and president before becoming a law.

May 10 2005 [N] North Korea “successfully completes” extraction of 8,000 spent fuel rods from its Yongbyon reactor. North Korean defense officials state that North Korea will continue to develop its nuclear arsenal for self-defense.

May 11 2005 [C] U.S. President George W. Bush signs a bill prohibiting the transfer of chemical weapons across state lines within the United States.

May 11 2005 [N] China accuses the United States of undermining negotiation efforts with North Korea by making negative comments about the country and its leader, Kim Jong-Il.

May 12 2005 [C] The United States announces that it will close the chemical weapons facilities at Newport, Deseret, and Umatilla by 2011, when all VX agents stored at these facilities is scheduled to be destroyed pursuant to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

May 16 2005 [C] Japan pledges to build 12 chemical weapon disposal sites within China to deal with munitions left behind by the Japanese Army following World War II. It is estimated that as many as 650,000 chemical munitions were left behind.

May 17 2005 [B] The World Health Organization approves genetic modification experiments on the smallpox virus. The tests will be undertaken with the intent to discover new detection methods and treatments.

May 25 2005 [N] Iran agrees to extend its suspension of its highly enriched uranium (HEU) program while it waits for the European Union to propose new incentives for Iran to forgo HEU processing.

May 26 2005 [N, O] The 2005 NPT Review Conference ends in deadlock; the states parties fail to make any substantial recommendations.

May 26 2005 [N] Latvia returns three kilograms of highly enriched uranium used in a decommissioned nuclear facility to Russia.

May 26 2005 [N] Pakistan transfers uranium centrifuge components to the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to assist with its investigations of allegations that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program.

May 31 2005 [N] The Iranian Guardian Council passes a law to mandate continued nuclear development. This new law decreasing significantly the possibility that the European Union delegation will succeed in convincing Iran to permanently freeze its nuclear program.

May 31 2005 [M] Iran successfully tests a 2,000-kilometer medium-range solid fuel missile.

June 3 2005 [M] Syria tests 3 SCUD missiles capable of delivering chemical weapons over Turkey. Syria reports that targeting over Turkey was a “technical mishap.”

June 6 2005 [C] China and Japan agree on a location in the Jilin Province of China to construct a chemical weapons disposal facility to deal with chemical munitions left behind by Japan following World War II.

June 8 2005 [N] The U.S. Congress denies funding to the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator or “Bunker Buster” program.

June 9 2005 [N] IAEA tests confirm Iranian claims that traces of highly enriched uranium on centrifuges used in Iran were a result of acquiring the equipment from Pakistan.

June 13 2005 [O] The IAEA Board of Directors approves a third term for Mohammed ElBaradei as chief of the IAEA.

June 14 2005 [O] The United States refuses to use language requested by North Korea as a condition of resuming the Six Party Talks. Pyongyang has requested that the United States pledge that it has no “hostile intent” and desires a “peaceful coexistence” with North Korea.

June 16 2005 [N] Iran admits to making false reports to the IAEA regarding its past experiments involving plutonium. Iran’s claims that experiments had ceased in 1993 was contradicted by evidence that experiments were conducted as late as 1998.

June 16 2005 [N] Saudi Arabia signs the Small Quantities Protocol. The protocol allows parties to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty with small civilian nuclear programs to forgo reporting on amounts of uranium under 10 tons, and plutonium less than 1 kilogram. The protocol also allows new nuclear facilities to remain undisclosed until 6 months prior to opening.

June 16 2005 [N] A U.S. Senate committee votes to halt construction on a multi-billion dollar nuclear research facility known as the National Ignition Facility. The facility would carry out experiments in nuclear fusion in conjunction with high-powered lasers.

June 17 2005 [O] The IAEA establishes an advisory committee on safeguards and verification to develop ways of strengthening the nonproliferation regime. The committee is given a two-year mandate “to consider ways and means to strengthen the safeguards system,” and was unanimously approved by the IAEA board of directors.

June 17 2005 [N] Following Congress’ refusal to fund it, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approves money for the Air Force to continue research on the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (“Bunker Buster”) program through the 2006 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill.

June 17 2005 [C] A $56.1 million shortfall threatens to disrupt scheduled destruction of chemical weapon stockpiles in Russia. Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, Russia is expected to destroy the first 20 percent of its CW stockpile by April 2007, and complete the project by 2012.

June 21 2005 [N] The United States promises mutual respect to North Korea should it voluntarily choose to rejoin the Six Party Talks.

June 24 2005 [N] Iran pledges to continue uranium enrichment regardless of the outcome of its presidential election. Iran has temporarily halted uranium processing while it continues negotiations with the European Union on incentives for permanently halting its HEU program.

June 24 2005 [M] Taiwan is scheduled to receive an Early Warning Surveillance Radar from the U.S. Air Force. The missile defense radar will be built under a $752 million Air Force contract by Raytheon Co.

June 27 2005 [N] Iranian President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vows to continue civilian nuclear work for “Energy, medical and agricultural purposes, and our scientific progress.” It remains unclear when Iran would resume sensitive work frozen during negotiations with the European Union.

June 29 2005 [O] President George W. Bush issues the “Blocking Property of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators and Their Supporters” executive order. The order will allow U.S. Department of Treasury officials to freeze assets of suspected front companies and proliferators operating within the United States.

June 29 2005 [O] President Bush calls for new National Counter Proliferation Center to coordinate U.S. efforts to halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

June 29 2005 [B] Stanford University researchers conclude that milk supplies are vulnerable to bioterror attacks. As little as 10 grams of botulinum toxin inserted into a milk tanker truck could kill hundreds of thousands of people and cost billions of dollars.

June 29 2005 [O] The United States and India sign a joint 10-year defense agreement authorizing joint missile defense work as well as the possible sharing of sensitive military technologies. Officials agreed to the creation of a “defense procurement and production group” to overlook defense-related exchanges and sales.

June 30 2005 [N] According to Japan’s Nihon Kezai Shimbun, construction resumes on two nuclear reactors in North Korea. Work on these reactors had been suspended under the 1994 Agreed Framework.

July 1 2005 [C] A form of dioxin known as TCDD used to poison Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko during last year’s presidential election was traced to a chemical weapons laboratory in Ukraine by local authorities. According to Yuschenko’s administration, the persons alleged to be responsible for the poisoning are said to belong the former Soviet Union security services. The production of this chemical violates the Chemical Weapons Convention.

July 1 2005 [C] The U.S. Army halts destruction of VX gas at its Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Indiana after the flammability of a chemical byproduct to the process raises safety concerns.

July 5 2005 [M] South Korea announces the purchase of Patriot missiles to replace Nike air-to-ground missile systems. South Korea is likely to purchase an undisclosed number of U.S.-made Patriot missiles from Germany in 2006.

July 5 2005 [B] A new report finds that approximately half of U.S. Army personnel offered anthrax vaccines refuse them. While no explanation has been given for the high refusal rates, they have occurred along with criticism by service people and nongovernmental experts that the vaccine sometimes causing debilitating side effects. 

July 6 2005 [C] The U.S. Congressional Research Service releases a report listing 23 chemical plants at risk of being attacked by terrorists; such attacks could potentially harm nearly 1 million people in surrounding areas. The report uses data from the Environmental Protection Agency to determine potential targets.

July 7 2005 [N] Intelligence reports obtained by Reuters indicate that Iran has received assistance on its nuclear program from North Korea. Senior North Korean scientists and technicians have provided technical and practical information regarding dual-use technology, which could be used in civilian or military nuclear programs.

July 8 2005 [O] The Group of 8 Summit in Scotland ends with little headway in the field of nonproliferation. The meeting concludes early to allow U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair to return home and respond to terrorist bombings in London. A statement released following the summit praised existing initiatives related to prohibiting weapons of mass destruction, although few recommendations were made regarding new initiatives.

July 11 2005 [O, N] Members of the 1979 Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material adopt measures that would require parties to create a competent regulatory body and legislation to protect nuclear material. Moreover, they broaden existing rules to cover in-country transportation and storage of materials. The implementation of the new rules could take several years; the changes will become effective after a two-thirds vote of the 112 member states.

July 11 2005 [O, N] At a dinner meeting in Beijing, North Korea agrees to a new round of Six Party Talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear program beginning the week of July 25.

July 12 2005 [N] North Korea announces plans to continue work on two reactors to be completed next year. The announcement further declares that any military attack against the facilities would result in “all-out” war.

July 15 2005 [N] A U.S. Department of Energy task force recommends upgrades to the U.S. nuclear arsenal to provide safer and more reliable warheads. The report notes that a Cold War era nuclear arsenal could be outdated and the U.S. nuclear arsenal needs to be more “responsive” and “robust.”

July 18 2005 [N] U.S. President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Singh announce plans to pursue nuclear cooperation by easing domestic and international restrictions on the export of nuclear technologies. Critics question the cooperation on nuclear technology with India, which is not a member of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and which tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and 1998.

July 19 2005 [C, N] Russia signs an agreement with Canada to receive technical and financial support for eliminating chemical weapons and decommissioning nuclear submarines, as well as protecting nuclear materials.

July 19 2005 [C] Russia approves a chemical weapons disposal plan that will allow it to comply with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The CWC requires Russia to destroy chemical weapons and stockpiles by 2012, a five-year extension of the original 2007 deadline. Under the plan, 20 percent of Russia’s 40,000-ton chemical weapons arsenal will be destroyed by 2007, 45 percent by 2009, with completion by 2012.

July 20 2005 [N, M] The U.S. Defense Department reports that China is upgrading nuclear and missile capabilities to effectively target all of the United States. Within two years, China could develop a legitimate second-strike capability.

July 21 2005 [O, N] The U.S. Senate increases potential funding for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty by $5 million to $19.4 million. If approved, the Senate proposal will partially counteract a budget cut proposed by the Bush administration for 2006. The Bush administration remains opposed to the ratification of this treaty.

July 22 2005 [N, B, C] The U.S. Senate votes to remove several restrictions on the Defense Department Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. The plan works to reduce and destroy unconventional weapons in Russia and other countries. The removal of the restrictions makes it easier for the United States to support nations destroying WMD; specifically, annual certifications will no longer be required before funding can be authorized.

July 25 2005 [C] Six U.S. Army chemical weapon destruction depots are on schedule to meet the 2012 destruction deadline set in the Chemical Weapons Convention. However, two projected depots in Kentucky and Colorado have yet to be constructed and risk jeopardizing U.S. adherence to the already extended 2012 deadline.

July 28 2005 [O, N] In the Six Party Talks in Beijing, North Korea officially declines the 2004 U.S. proposal to end the standoff on North Korea’s nuclear program. In the June 2004 talks, the United States offered security guarantees in return for Pyongyang agreeing to verifiably dismantle its nuclear programs. Negotiations continue as the United States and North Korea hold one-on-one talks, a significant change in previous U.S. official policy of not negotiating directly with North Korea.

July 29 2005 [O, N] For the first time, the U.S. delegation presents North Korea with specific evidence supporting accusations that Pyongyang is pursuing a clandestine uranium enrichment program alongside its plutonium reprocessing program. Included in the U.S. testimony is evidence that Pyongyang received technology and assistance from Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan.

August 3 2005 [B] University of Chicago scientists discover the possibility that the protein used by plague to spread can be utilized to create a safe and effective vaccine. While plague occurs naturally, an aerosol dispersal attack is an ongoing fear, and an effective vaccine would greatly limit loss of life in the event of an attack.

August 8 2005 [O, N] The Six Party Talks dealing with North Korea’s military nuclear program recess without agreement, although all parties pledge to resume negotiations during the week of August 29.

August 10 2005 [N] The deputy head of Iran’s atomic energy agency announces that IAEA seals have been removed from the Isfahan nuclear facility. The alteration will allow Iran to resume uranium conversion work at full capacity.

August 11 2005 [O, N] The IAEA board of governors adopts a resolution urging Iran to resume the freeze on its nuclear activities.

August 17 2005 [N] In the 2005 edition of the SIPRI Yearbook (published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), experts report that nuclear stockpiles are decreasing. An estimated 13,470 nuclear weapons are deployed worldwide by eight countries, with another 14,000 weapons in reserve. The number of total nuclear weapons dropped from 31,500 in 2004 to 27,600 this year.

August 22 2005 [N] A U.S. surveillance satellite detects steam coming out of a boiler connected to a building housing the reactor at North Korea’s Yongbyon reactor, indicating that the reactor has been restarted.  An Asahi Shimbun article reports this information, citing a source close to the Six Party Talks.

August 23 2005 [N] Research reactors at the University of Missouri and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology remain among the 31 reactors worldwide that cannot switch from using highly enriched uranium due to technical issues, according to an Associated Press report. Converting to non-nuclear-weapon usable fuel at Missouri has been complicated also by plans to upgrade the reactor to 20 megawatts. The reactors would be used to provide isotopes used for medical purposes.

August 23 2005 [O, N] The European Union cancels the next round of negotiations with Iran in response to Iran’s decision to suspend the Paris Agreement, which requires Iran to freeze all uranium enrichment activities.

August 24 2005 [N] An IAEA investigation determines that highly enriched uranium particles found on centrifuges in Iran originated from Pakistan, vindicating Iran’s claim that it had not produced the HEU.

August 24 2005 [B] The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in a press release that it would build a new disease center somewhere near Long Island, N.Y. to replace the Plum Island Animal Disease Center currently at that location. The Plum Island facility has worked with some of the deadliest animal diseases for the last 50 years.

August 24 2005 [N] Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announces for the first time that top Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan had passed centrifuge technology and know-how to North Korea. To date, North Korea denies having a uranium-based weapons program.

August 25 2005 [M] The U.S. Missile Defense Agency says it is again delaying intercept testing of its flagship anti-ICBM program until next year, even as it continues to deploy additional interceptors in Alaska. The Ground-based Midcourse Defense system has not yet demonstrated, through realistic flight testing, that it could ever be effective against a real attack.

August 29 2005 [B] The United States and Ukraine sign an agreement allowing U.S. assistance to prevent the spread of biological weapons and improve security at Ukrainian labs where harmful biological microbes are kept. The agreement was announced by U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Richard Lugar.

August 30 2005 [O, N] North Korea delays returning to the Six Party Talks, citing disapproval of a joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise as the cause.

Sept 1 2005 [N] Under provisions of the “U.S.-Indian Next Steps for Strategic Cooperation,” six Indian nuclear and space facilities are now able to purchase sensitive technologies from the United States without special licenses. The three nuclear facilities in question remain under IAEA safeguards and inspection.

Sept 3 2005 [B] More than 60 dangerous and deadly bacterial strains that are a legacy of the former Soviet Union's elaborate biological weapons program are transferred to the United States from Azerbaijan as part of the two countries' joint fight against the threat of biological terrorism. The transfer of the strains is part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.

Sept 12 2005 [N] France and India agree to resume nuclear cooperation with a loosely worded public statement. The statement reads, “France acknowledges the need for full international civilian nuclear cooperation with India and will work towards this objective.” According to sources on both sides, France will resume nuclear fuel supplies to India in accordance with the statement.

Sept 15 2005 [O, N] Fifty nations sign the UN Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism at the UN summit meeting in New York. The treaty outlaws possession or trade of nuclear weapons and radiological materials by non-state actors with the intent to cause death, injury, or damage to property or the environment.

Sept 15 2005 [N] After a talk with the Prime Minister of Turkey, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces that Iran would help Middle Eastern nations develop nuclear technology. The admission comes amid criticism and tense negotiations with the European Union over Iran’s nuclear program.

Sept 15 2005 [M] The U.S. State Department’s congressionally mandated “Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments” report, a review of international disarmament pacts, declares Russia in violation of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, among others. Russia has prevented U.S. inspectors from examining ICBMs to ensure that Moscow is meeting treaty obligations. The report was rejected by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Sept 15 2005 [N] At the six-party talks, North Korea tentatively commits to abandoning all its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, and to returning to the NPT and allowing IAEA inspections. The DPRK also states that it has a right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In return, the United States agrees not to attack the DPRK, and all parties agree to undertake economic and energy cooperation. The parties agree to hold another round of talks in November to work out the details and timetable for implementing the agreement.

Sept 16 2005 [B] Three plague infected mice go missing at a New Jersey bioterrorism laboratory, the Public Health Research Institute. The facility suspects that the mice were eaten by other mice in the same experiment group, and do not suspect foul play.

Sept 27 2005 [N, R] The IAEA releases the latest statistics on reported illicit trafficking of nuclear and radiological materials. 121 cases were reported by countries in 2004. The report notes a substantial increase in 2003 and 2004 compared with previous years.

Sept 30 2005 [N, O] The IAEA General Conference adopts measures to implement safeguards in North Korea and increase application of IAEA safeguards in the Middle East. The resolution was adopted without a vote.

Oct 3 2005 [M] India and Pakistan sign a Missile Notification Pact, an agreement to notify each other in advance of ballistic missile flight tests. Under the accord, the country’s defense ministries will provide their counterparts at least 72 hours of notice before conducting a ballistic missile flight test. 

Oct 6 2005 [B] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalizes a rule requiring all domestic and foreign facilities that pack, store, manufacture, or process food in the United States to register with the agency. Acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said in a statement, “This rule is one of our critical tools for safeguarding the American food supply.”

Oct 7 2005 [O, N] The Norwegian Nobel Committee announces that the International Atomic Energy Agency and its director general Mohamed ElBaradei will jointly receive the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize. The committee commended the IAEA “for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way.” 

Oct 11 2005 [N] Kazakhstan’s plan to destroy weapon-useable uranium by converting it to nuclear fuel nears completion. Kazakhstan inherited more than 1,400 nuclear warheads from the former Soviet Union. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev praised the progress, looked forward to future efforts, and called on the United States to consider reducing its uranium stockpiles as well.

Oct 20 2005 [C] A former Iraqi tank commander releases information regarding a 1988 chemical attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja. Rahee Karim surrendered to invading coalition forces in 2003 and was told he would not be prosecuted if he provided detailed information on Halabja. The attack used sarin, tabun, VX, mustard gas and cyanide, killing approximately 5,000 people and injuring 7,000 more.

Oct 20 2005 [N, O] The Nuclear Suppliers Group postpones to an undetermined date a decision on whether or not to allow the United States’ request to hold India exempt from international rules preventing nuclear cooperation. Under the Next Steps for Strategic Cooperation, the United States plans to share sensitive technology with India, including peaceful nuclear information. 

Oct 21 2005 [N] Iran provides International Atomic Energy inspectors with sensitive documents and allows interviews with a senior Iranian nuclear program official. Iran has not yet granted the IAEA access to key military sites. Iran’s cooperation might detract from the United States’ efforts to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for violations of its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Oct 21 2005 [N, O] After four days of talks with North Korea, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson announces that North Korea is willing to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to return and will also rejoin the nuclear Non_Proliferation Treaty. Richardson warned, however, that a “very strong regime of verification” would be needed given Pyongyang’s track record of developing a nuclear weapons program.

Oct 21 2005 [N] The Bush administration is likely to modify a controversial nuclear war-fighting document by dropping language that describes scenarios in which the United States could use nuclear first-strikes against enemy WMD capabilities. A section of the text as it appeared on the Internet says U.S. regional commanders could request presidential authorization to use nuclear weapons against an adversary “using or intending to use” weapons of mass destruction, a biological attack, or WMD-related facilities. 

Oct 26 2005 [N] The Bush administration has decided to shelve research on a Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator or “Bunker-Buster” warhead in favor of developing a conventional weapon to reach deeply buried, hardened targets. An administration official confirmed that the administration would now focus on a conventional alternative to the bunker buster.

Oct 28 2005 [B] The scramble to ready the United States for the possibility of a deadly influenza pandemic will yield long-term gains for bioterrorism preparedness, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt. The preparations have resulted from concern over the spread of the bird flu virus, and fear that it could evolve into a form transferable from human to human.

Oct 28 2005 [N] The United States is behind schedule in securing ports from nuclear smuggling. In November 2002, President George W. Bush signed a law setting a July 1, 2004 deadline for security improvements. While the Coast Guard has accomplished much of the work, many steps are overdue, including a report on a grant program for shippers and ports, a report on cargo container security and a maritime national security plan, according to the Associated Press.

Oct 31 2005 [C] A U.S. Army chemical weapons off-shore dumping program that ended in 1970 was much more extensive than originally thought. The Army has admitted that from 1944 to 1970, it dumped 64 million gallons of nerve and mustard gas agent; 400,000 chemical-filled rockets, bombs, and landmines; and more than 500 tons of radioactive waste into the oceans. These weapons were dumped off the shores of 11 states, six on the East coast, two on the Gulf Coast and Alaska, Hawaii, and California. Of the 26 dump zones, none has been examined in the last 30 years.

Nov 2 2005 [N] Iran allows new inspections at a key military complex at Parchin. Both diplomats and inspectors were admitted to the facility, which the United States suspects conducts clandestine military nuclear research. Inspectors found no traces of radiation after being allowed into numerous buildings from which they were previously barred.

Nov 3 2005 [N] In exchange for the nuclear disarmament of North Korea, the United States has proposed a plan to retrain North Korean nuclear scientists and normalize relations with Pyongyang. “The U.S. is committed to participating on the economic side of the ledger — retraining of scientists, bilateral relations, lifting sanctions,” Joseph DeTrani, U.S. special envoy for North Korea, said during a panel discussion at the CATO Institute.

Nov 4 2005 [N] Work on the United States Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator or “Bunker Buster” may continue under a new name. The House and Senate conferees for the fiscal 2006 Energy and Water Appropriations bill agreed to withhold $4 million requested by the Bush administration for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator study.

Nov 8 2005 [N] At the Carnegie International Nonproliferation Conference, the United States advances the idea of a “nuclear fuel bank” to dissuade more countries from pursuing nuclear developments with potential military applications. The approach would assure nuclear fuel for the energy programs of countries without fuel-production facilities in return for their commitment not to seek uranium-enrichment or plutonium-separation technology. 

Nov 8 2005 [N] The United States plans to eliminate 200 metric tons of highly enriched uranium (enough for 10,000 nuclear weapons) in the coming decades by converting the uranium to nuclear fuel useable by the U.S. Navy. The program is similar to “Megatons to Megawatts,” which has converted 250 tons of Russian HEU to nuclear fuel. The program will reduce the U.S. stockpile of HEU by half when it is finished.

Nov 8 2005 [N] The U.S. government is waiting for India to produce a “credible, defensible” plan for separating military and civilian nuclear facilities before pressing forward with a potential nuclear technology transfer deal, a State Department official said. The “Next Steps for Strategic Cooperation” outlines plans for the United States and India to share sensitive technology, including nuclear know-how.

Nov 8 2005 [N] The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announces that the Czech Technical University’s research reactor has become the first Russian-supplied reactor to convert successfully from using highly enriched uranium to the more proliferation resistant low-enriched uranium. 

Nov 9 2005 [N] British authorities discover an Al-Qaeda sponsored website describing how to  assemble nuclear, radiological, and biological weapons. The site is more detailed than previous knowledge-sharing attempts, containing more than 80 pages of detailed information. 

Nov 10 2005 [N] France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States have formulated a new proposal that would allow Iran to conduct limited nuclear activities while outsourcing all uranium enrichment to Russia, the New York Times reports. 

Nov 10 2005 [B] Scientists call for greater oversight of efforts to recreate the Spanish flu, which killed up to 50 million people in 1918. The virus could be live within six months. Canadian scientists plan to reproduce the virus at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, in order to study the lethality of the agent.

Nov 11 2005 [C] The U.S. Senate restates its policy on using tear gas in combat. The amendment, which passed in a 98-1 vote, says that riot control agents “are not chemical weapons” and “are legitimate, legal, and nonlethal alternatives to the use of lethal force.” Therefore, they “may be employed by members of the Armed Forces in defensive military modes to save lives.” 

Nov 11 2005 [N, O] The latest round of Six Party Talks, while reaffirming North Korea’s desire to denuclearize the Korean peninsula, ends without further progress.  

Nov 13 2005 [B] A NATO report issued today finds that Russian biological weapons are poorly guarded and could be obtained by terrorists. The report was presented to the science committee at NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly session. It concludes that stopping terrorists from accessing the Russian weapons is Europe’s greatest security challenge. 

Nov 16 2005 [B] Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention gave their fellow member countries an additional year to enact the domestic legislative and administrative measures required to implement the treaty. The new deadline is December 2006. In addition, Libya was given more time to eliminate its chemical weapon stockpiles.  

Nov 17 2005 [N] Iran is again processing uranium, despite an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution in September calling on it to halt all sensitive nuclear activities. Tehran notified the International Atomic Energy Agency that it would begin converting 150 drums of yellow cake at the Isfahan facility. The conversion is a beginning step in the uranium enrichment process. The move ignores a Sept. 24 IAEA Board of Governors resolution calling on Tehran to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activity. 

Nov 18 2005 [N] The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that for the first time, Iran has conceded receiving documents on nuclear weapon production from the black-market nuclear network operated by former top Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan.

Nov 17 2005 [M] A U.S. Navy Aegis warship shoots down a mock warhead over the Pacific Ocean. It is the sixth successful intercept for the sea-based missile defense system since testing began in 2002. Previous intercept tests have used Scud-like missiles carrying mock warheads; this trial is the first using a warhead that had separated from a medium-range missile.

Nov 21 2005 [N] An exiled Iranian dissident alleges that Iran is working on nuclear warheads and nuclear-capable missiles at a single, large-scale site under Tehran. Former National Council of Resistance of Iran spokesman Alireza Jafarzadeh presents the allegations at a press conference organized by the Iran Policy Committee.

Nov 23 2005 [N] The United States and its partners in the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization terminate a 10-year-old project to build a light-water reactor in North Korea. The Agreed Framework had been frozen since 2002 after the United States charged Pyongyang with having a clandestine nuclear weapons program.

Dec 1 2005 [C] Russia opens a new chemical weapons destruction facility in the Udmurtia region of the country. The facility, the second to begin operation in Russia, is scheduled to destroy 6,349 tons of lewisite (a blistering chemical agent) by the end of 2007. The site’s destruction capacity is 2,500 tons of lewisite per year. Operations are scheduled to begin by the end of the year.

Dec 2 2005 [C] Iranian victims of an alleged 1987 Iraqi chemical weapons attack testify this week in the trial of a Dutch businessman suspected of supplying precursor agents to the regime of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Frans van Anraat, 63, is charged with complicity in war crimes and genocide carried out by Hussein against Kurds in Iraq and Iran. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Dec 5 2005 [N] Top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani reaffirms Tehran’s intention to maintain its uranium enrichment program within the country. He adds that meetings are still planned with Great Britain, Germany, and France to address fears that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapons program.

Dec 6 2005 [N, O] North Korea announces that it would not participate in six-nation talks on its nuclear weapons programs unless the United States ends sanctions against several of its firms suspected of illicit activities, including supporting WMD proliferation.

Dec 12 2005 [N, O] International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei calls on the United States to pledge that it would not attack Iran, as an incentive for a negotiated solution to Tehran’s nuclear standoff with the West.

Dec 13 2005 [N, O] The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization has been ordered to withdraw all workers from a nuclear reactor site in North Korea by early next month, the JoongAng Daily reports. The order from Pyongyang will force the organization to abandon equipment and materials at the construction site for the unfinished Kumho nuclear energy plant, South Korean and KEDO officials tell the newspaper. 

Dec 14 2005 [R] The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration removed 220 radioactive samples from the Georgia Institute of Technology to ensure that the material could not be stolen to produce a radiological weapon. The material was shipped to the Nevada Test Site for disposal.

Dec 19 2005 [N] Henk Slebos is sentenced to one-year in prison for illicit transfers of dual-use nuclear technology to Pakistan between 1999 and 2002. A Dutch court rules that the Dutch businessman sold prohibited equipment to former top Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan for use in Islamabad’s nuclear weapons program.

Dec 20 2005 [N] North Korea announces plans to build a light water nuclear reactor construction project. North Korea claims that this undertaking will come from indigenous nuclear technology, and the facilities will be entirely of North Korean design. South Korean experts remain skeptical as to whether or not this will be feasible for North Korea. 

Dec 22 2005 [N] The University of California will continue to manage Los Alamos National Laboratory; it won the recent seven year contract for control of the facility in a competition that included  the University of Texas and Lockheed Martin, The University of California has managed the facility since the 1940s when the United States designed and built the first nuclear weapons.

Dec 23 2005 [N] Five people were exposed to Plutonium-239 at Los Alamos National Laboratory after an alarm indicated that there had been a release of the material. Plutonium 239 is particularly dangerous if inhaled; the extent of contamination has not yet been determined. 

Dec 23 2005 [N] A Dutch court sentences businessman Frans van Anraat to 15 years in prison for supplying ingredients for chemical weapons that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein used to kill thousands of Kurds in Iraq and Iran. The court convicts Van Anraat of  war crime charges, but found him not guilty of genocide. 

Dec 27 2005 [C, M] The United States places sanctions on six Chinese government-run companies, two Indian firms, and one Austrian company, for supplying missile goods and chemical-arms materials to Iran. The sanctions were imposed under the Iran Nonproliferation Act, imposed by the U.S. Congress in 2000.

Dec 28 2005 [N] Pakistan begins constructing a new nuclear power plant in Punjab province. Pakistani officials say that Chashma-2, located south of the capital Islamabad, is for peaceful purposes and will follow International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

 

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This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2008 by MIIS.