11 October 2002
U.S. Concerned About Russian Aid to Syrian Weapons Programs
(Taken question from the Oct. 10 State Department briefing) (180)
Following is the official answer to a question taken at the October 10
regular State Department briefing; the answer was posted October 11.
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
October 11, 2002
Taken Question from October 10, 2002 Daily Press Briefing
Syria's Weapons of Mass Destruction Program
Question: What is the basis for the concern expressed by Under
Secretary Bolton in his recent testimony about Syria's nuclear
program?
Answer: It is a matter of public record that the United States is
concerned about Russian cooperation with Syria's nuclear and missile
programs. Broader access to the expertise of Russian entities could
provide opportunities for Syria to expand its indigenous capabilities,
should it decide to pursue nuclear weapons.
While Iran's programs for weapons of mass destruction are much larger
than Syria's, and we have therefore devoted a great deal of attention
to Russian cooperation with Iran's Weapons of Mass Destruction
programs, the more general problem of Weapons of Mass Destruction
development and proliferation is an area of key concern for this
Administration.
We are concerned about proliferant states gaining access to Russian
technology and expertise, and Syria is a country of concern in this
regard.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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