DATE=12/14/1999
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=TOXIC WEAPONS THREAT
NUMBER=5-44981
BYLINE=ED WARNER
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Nuclear weapons remain the greatest threat to
the world, but chemical and biological agents also
pose a danger, especially those produced in the Soviet
Union that may not be under adequate control today.
V-O-A's Ed Warner reports the Henry L. Stimson Center
in Washington recently held a discussion of these
weapons of mass destruction and of U-S efforts to deal
with them.
TEXT: They were among the most privileged elite of
the Soviet Union: big salaries, the best health care,
subsidized housing, and generous vacations. All they
had to do was produce ever more inventive forms of
deadly toxic weapons.
Amy Smithson of the Henry L. Stimson Center says the
Soviet scientists and engineers were stunningly
successful:
// SMITHSON ACT //
Soviets worked with over 50-agents, weaponizing
successfully anthrax, plague, small pox,
tularemia, brucellosis, among other agents.
They genetically altered diseases to make them
resistant to antibiotics, and they began
crafting disease combinations. The USSR also
produced thousands of tons of anthrax, plague,
and small pox to be delivered aboard ballistic
missiles, and, oh yes, they had 10-thousand
scientists working on agents that would
devastate crops and livestock.
// END ACT //
Then came the collapse of the Soviet Union. The
masters of weaponry were suddenly without jobs as
funds were cut to five-percent of Soviet levels.
Tens-of-thousands began looking desperately for other
work.
During a discussion at Washington's Henry L. Stimson
Center, Ms. Smithson said the United States considers
10-thousand-500 of these unemployed experts to pose a
proliferation risk. A few may have taken their skills
to countries like Iran, Iraq, and North Korea, which
are eager to acquire chemical and biological weapons.
The Director of Russia's Institute of Immunological
Engineering, Vladimir Zavyalov, said the possibility
of weapons' experts leaving Russia is a threat:
// ZAVYALOV ACT //
Of course, the most dangerous is the brain drain
because knowledge is most important. It is not
such a huge number, but the best scientists left
Russia. Probably it is not so dangerous because
they left Russia for the United States, the
United Kingdom and other western countries.
// END ACT //
Amy Smithson says some hard-line holdovers continue to
work on weapons in Russia, perhaps at four locations
still off limits to outside observers. President
Boris Yeltsin has issued orders to stop such work, but
they may be ignored as his influence has waned:
// SMITHSON ACT //
Quite frankly, Moscow needs to clean house.
These individuals that ran the offensive weapons
program and are still in positions of authority
and are hindering efforts to transform these
institutes to peaceful and commercial purposes
should no longer have their jobs.
// END ACT //
Ms. Smithson complains that a miniscule percentage of
the U-S Defense Department budget is devoted to
getting control of Russia's toxic weaponry. In
addition, she says it takes far too long to fund
programs to retrain or reassign weapons' experts to
other jobs.
But Mr. Zavyalov says Russians are making great
strides in chemical and biological research for non-
military purposes:
// ZAVYALOV ACT //
In my institute, we have very excellent
researchers who are working in Russia and do not
leave Russia for abroad. We now have
revolutionary discoveries for biotechnology -
the development of a totally new technology of
production of antibiotics, for example, new
vaccines.
// END ACT //
Mr. Zavyalov says former weapons makers will achieve
more fame and satisfaction in these peacetime
pursuits. (SIGNED)
NEB/EW/RAE
14-Dec-1999 12:24 PM EDT (14-Dec-1999 1724 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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