Syria Circumvents U.S. Attempts to Restrict Spread of Weapons Technology
Syria is believed to be acquiring Chinese missile technology through a circuitous route.
By Sue Lackey Special to ABCNEWS.com W A S H I N G T O N, Aug. 23
— Syria is circumventing U.S. restrictions to obtain missile technology that could make it a much wider threat throughout the Middle East, according to high-placed government and intelligence sources.
The missiles Syria is trying to build could strike targets throughout Israel and as far away as Ankara, Turkey, with chemical — and perhaps even nuclear — warheads.
Syria’s efforts could prove especially sensitive now, as Israel — under the new leadership of Prime Minister Ehud Barak — makes overtures to Syrian leader Hafez Assad toward restarting long-stalled peace talks.
From North Korea to Pakistan to …
Over the last decade, the Syrian government has attempted to upgrade its strategic defense system by acquiring the advanced M-9 medium-range ballistic missile directly from China. But under pressure from the Pentagon, the Chinese two years ago backed out of a deal to sell them the technology.
Now, say U.S. and Israeli intelligence sources, Syria is obtaining Chinese medium-range, mobile-launch missile technology through a circuitous route that involves Iran, Pakistan and North Korea.
“Some of the transfers have gone through Hong Kong, have gone through third-party ports like Kuala Lumpur, other places where the stuff can be moved, but not directly traced,” says Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Weldon participated in the Cox committee, which issued a report earlier this year that accused China of stealing U.S. nuclear and other secrets.
“Anyone who monitors our intelligence intercepts can see the daily reports of items that are about to be transferred to rogue states, and many of those transfers involve Syria. That means they now have tremendous leverage in any negotiation with Israel,” he adds.
The trail starts with Pakistan. China in 1992 sold 34 M-11 short-range ballistic missiles to Pakistan.
The Clinton administration imposed sanctions on China in August 1993, and lifted them in October 1994 after the State Department received assurances from China that it would no longer sell missiles.
China Keeps at it
But in December of 1994, intelligence intercepts from the National Security Agency — the main U.S. international monitoring arm — indicated a division of the government-owned China National Nuclear Corp. had completed a deal to provide 5,000 custom-made ring magnets, a key component in producing nuclear fuel, to Pakistan in violation of the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act.
“We didn’t actually sanction [the Chinese] in that case,” says a proliferation expert with President Clinton’s National Security Council, “although we did suspend the activities of the Export-Import Bank in China, a much broader sanction than one particular Chinese entity. (The Export-Import Bank deferred loan approvals for American businessmen operating in China for 30 days in 1996).
“We decided that the activity that took place, which involved providing ring magnets to Pakistan, was something the company did but the Chinese government had not approved,” the expert said. “The Chinese have made certain commitments about what their policies are with respect to missile transfers, and we remain concerned that the Chinese export control system is not adequate to fulfill those commitments.”
Pakistan continued to acquire sophisticated M-9 missile components from China and the Nodong missile from North Korea, which utilizes Chinese-based technology, say U.S. and Israeli sources.
Iran, facing potential nuclear and chemical threats from both Iraq and Israel, also acquired Nodong missile technology from North Korea and M-9 technology from Pakistan, using it to develop its indigenous Shahab-class missiles, the most sophisticated of which may be able to reach Europe within a decade.
Final Link in Chain
Pakistan, which tested its first nuclear device in 1998, is capable of buying the missiles needed for delivery of nuclear payloads, but lacks the ability to produce them. With China under close watch since the U.S. espionage scandal broke, Pakistan turned to a loose alliance with Iran, and continued to purchase Chinese and North Korean technology supplied through third-party transfers, say senior U.S. intelligence sources.
“Pakistan has essentially no indigenous production capability;” says John Pike of the Federation of American Scientists. “North Korea has developed the [missile] program, Iran is attempting to finish it, and Pakistan is helping them pay for it.”
The Syrians, say the sources, then turned to Iran, which supplied its with assistance in developing its medium-range strategic missile system in an effort to contain Israel and its neighbor Turkey.
Syrian officials in Washington did not return repeated requests for comment.
