DoD News Briefing
Tuesday, December 15, 1998 - 1:40 p.m.
Presenter: Mr. Kenneth H. Bacon, ASD PA
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Q: Can you comment on the continued flow of Russian technology to Iran's nuclear program? And can you provide the building's best estimate on when Iran could first conceivably produce a nuclear weapon?
A: In general, the flow of technology is disturbing. We have brought this up with Russian officials at the highest level including President Yeltsin as well as Prime Minister Chernomyrdin and now Prime Minister Primakov.
We have made the point to the Russians that Iran is much closer to Russia than it is to the United States, and that an increase in Iran's military capability, particularly its weapons of mass destruction capability, could be endangering Russian security, as well as security in the region.
We have done more than talk to the Russians about this. We have imposed some disciplinary measures on certain firms and dealings with certain firms. We also have a positive program with the Russians to help them dismantle their own nuclear weapons and also to help them employ scientists and others who used to work in the weapons program.
We currently have a program called the International Science and Technology Center in Russia that employs approximately 17,000 scientists and engineers formerly engaged in the weapons business, and now they're working on medical issues, nuclear waste disposal projects, biological means to generate energy through photosynthesis and environmental work. This is all being undertaken to try to reduce the temptation for these people to find employment in the wrong places.
In terms of how long it will take, could take the Iranians to develop a nuclear weapon, I'll have to go back and check. I remember that Secretary Perry spoke about this several times, and spoke about it in terms of a number of years, but that was always based on an internally developed weapon.
To the extent that they can purchase either goods or services from abroad, that can accelerate the time it would take them to develop an atomic weapon.
Q: In general terms, is it a near term threat, medium term, long term?
A: I think I would just--I have not checked recently on those estimates, and rather than give you a misleading answer, I'd rather not guess.
Q: I just wanted to follow this up. Ken, I asked about the Bushehr reactor last Thursday, and there's an article in the Wall Street Journal today about there being evidence, pretty convincing evidence that the Russian's Minatom, that's Mr. Adamov's organization, is selling at least two Russian nuclear research institutes, are quietly negotiating to sell Iran a 40 megawatt heavy water research reactor and a uranium conversion facility that will help, be building blocks for a long range Iranian effort to manufacture plutonium. Or enriched uranium for bombs. Is this a revelation, do you think it's correct? And is it of great concern to the Pentagon?
A: The general topic of technology transfer, particularly in the nuclear area to Iran, is very disturbing to us. It's something that we have been discussing with the Russians for some time, as I said, at the highest levels. There have been a series of talks on this from the President on down and we will continue to push this issue.
As the Wall Street Journal article, I thought, pointed out, it is a tricky issue because of the economic problems that Russia is facing today, and particularly because the people who work in their nuclear ministry, their atomic ministry, used to be at the top of the heap in terms of their recognition, their pay, their stature in the old Soviet Union, and in the last ten years they have seen much of their business go away, and many of them have to look elsewhere to get income. That's one of the reasons why we have set up a program at the International Science and Technology Center in Russia to employ some of these people. But it's also one of the risks we're trying to head off by trying to convince them not to sell equipment or technology to Iran.
Q: You said earlier that disciplinary measures against certain firms have been taken. Can you confirm this Washington Times report that the U.S. has decided to economically sanction two of those entities? One of them is, I think, the acronym of NIKIET or something like that? The other is...
A: I cannot confirm those specifics because our negotiations with the Russian government and with particular firms right now are private. At the appropriate time we may be able to make some announcements, but not now.
But as appropriate, when we believe we have conclusive information about a proliferating activity by certain firms, we do take action against those firms.
Q: Are there any firms that are currently under sanction?
A: There are. I believe there are seven currently. I believe there are seven currently under sanction.
...............http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec1998/t12151998_t1215asd.html
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