Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=11/26/02

TYPE=INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

TITLE=WADE BOESE

NUMBER=3-438

BYLINE=SUSAN YACKEE

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

/// EDITORS: THIS INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE IN DALET UNDER SOD/ENGLISH NEWS NOW INTERVIEWS IN THE FOLDER FOR TODAY OR YESTERDAY ///

MR. BOESE: This time I think it is important to resolve the allegations. It is incumbent upon Ukraine to prove that it did not transfer these systems. At the same time, it sounds like China needs to be a little bit more forthcoming, if they have received assistance from Ukraine, to at least give some indication that they are in China so that this can kind of clear the air.

At this time where the story stands is that the Ukrainians have said that they have exported a number of these early-warning systems, the Kolchuga system, for export to Russia as well as to China. And they said they sent four systems to China. But I have not seen anything from China confirming that they have actually received the systems or that they have them. And the United States Government is asking for Ukraine to prove that it actually shipped these systems to China.

So, at this time it is kind of necessary for both Ukraine and China to try and clear the air here.

MS. YACKEE: How serious would it be if this transfer did take place?

MR. BOESE: It is serious in the sense that it is obviously breaking international law. All of these countries have sworn, through a U.N. arms embargo, to prohibit arms sales to Iraq, since August 1990, when it invaded Kuwait. So, it is very serious in the sense that these countries need to abide by the very laws that they passed.

At the same time, militarily, if you are looking at it from a U.S. perspective, these systems could be somewhat troublesome if they were actually in Iraq if the United States decided to take military action against Iraq if it doesn't comply with the U.N. resolution. At the same time, it will be necessary, if there is military action against Iraq, and if Ukraine transferred the systems, that Ukraine share as much information about those systems as possible with the U.S. Government so we can counter the potential that Iraq could use them against us.

MS. YACKEE: You say this could be troublesome if there is a war. In what way? How can these radar systems be used?

MR. BOESE: Well, they are not actually a radar system. They are more of a passive early-warning system, in the sense that they gather electronic signals. So, it is believed that these are a system similar to the ones that the Serbs used. When NATO went to war with the Serbs in 1999 to force them to remove their troops out of Kosovo, you will recall they had luck in shooting down two U.S. fighters, I believe. And one was a Stealth aircraft.

Some say that may have been a lucky shot; others suggest maybe that plane was transmitting electronic signals and they were able to locate it because they had this passive system that identified a box or an area in which the plane was flying through and they shot at that general, typical location. So, it could prove troublesome for U.S. pilots if these systems actually are on the ground in Iraq.

The fundamental problem here is that a lot of the countries from Eastern Europe lack the proper export controls. They do not have them in place to guard against individuals or companies from illegally shipping arms. Even though some of these governments may want to abide by U.N. resolutions or agree to abide by an arms embargo, it is somewhat difficult to make sure with any certainty that no individuals or companies within their territories are breaking those laws.

And that is one of the things the United States Government is pressing many of these countries to do -- to reform their export control processes so that it is a little bit more difficult for illegal sales to happen.

(End of interview.)

NEB/