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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

INDEX
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1998
Briefer: JAMES B. FOLEY

RUSSIA/IRAN
5-6	Reported Russian Assistance to Iran in Developing BW Capability

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
OFF-CAMERA DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB # 134
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1998, 1:30 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

.............

QUESTION: Did you see the article in the Times about Russians helping Iran develop a biological weapons capability?

MR. FOLEY: I did.

QUESTION: Any comment?

MR. FOLEY: Yes, we do not comment on intelligence matters.

QUESTION: Is that the best you can do?

MR. FOLEY: I can do more. The US Government remains concerned about Iranian attempts to obtain any weapons of mass destruction technology from Russia or other countries. Russia's economic problems have negatively affected its weapons scientific community, and we are concerned about the possibility that scientists and engineers will be hired by Iran or other countries of proliferation concern.

As you know, the US Government has provided over $30 million in assistance to former Soviet bio-technology institutes from Fiscal Year '92 through '98, through a number of programs designed to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and delivery system expertise from the former Soviet Union, and to secure weapons material. Nearly $2 million more has been allocated for these activities in Fiscal Year '99.

I can go through with you what those programs are - there are four or five of them, some administered by the Defense Department, some by the Department of Energy. I believe Mr. Bacon has some more specific information on those programs. But the ultimate aim of these programs, though, is to help prevent the diversion of Russian expertise in this area to countries of proliferation concern, and to help encourage the transformation of some of this expertise from the military to the civilian mode inside Russia itself.

QUESTION: Is there a clear understanding that the Iranians are trying to develop biological weapons, even though they signed the 1972 convention?

MR. FOLEY: Well, first of all, let me say that the dual-use nature of biotechnology makes it very difficult to distinguish legitimate research from weapons research. Iran is on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, and is also a country which the United States believes is developing a biological weapons capability. Therefore, any attempt by Iran to develop such weapons will be counter to their BWC commitments.

QUESTION: Can you say whether all these programs are actually working? I mean, if you have instances where scientists are -

MR. FOLEY: Well, I'm not in a position to judge - at least standing here today - whether we believe there is any leakage. Certainly, as I indicated, there is serious economic difficulties in Russia, and these difficulties have impacted on scientists who work in these areas of concern. I can't give you a judgment as to whether our assistance has helped make this potential leakage impermeable. It's an ongoing matter of concern, and that's why we have these programs; and these programs, I think, are well-understood and supported in Congress, because they meet a critical US national security interest, and so we're going to continue funding them.

QUESTION: One of the complaints about Iran is that they have been trying to develop weapons of mass destruction. But I don't think you've said specifically that the Iranians are trying to develop biological weapons.

MR. FOLEY: I just said it.

QUESTION: All right --

MR. FOLEY: Iran is on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, and is also a country the US believes is developing biological weapons capability.

......................

(The briefing concluded at 1:50 P.M.)

[end of document]