DATE=3/19/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-39308
TITLE=WHO HAS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION?
BYLINE= ED WARNER
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRODUCTION: THE LATEST STAND-OFF WITH IRAQ FOCUSED ON ITS
POSSIBLE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. BUT IRAQ IS NOT THE ONLY
COUNTRY WITH SUCH POTENTIAL. AN ESTIMATED TEN OTHER NATIONS HAVE
THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS AND MAY HAVE THEM AVAILABLE. VOA'S ED WARNER REPORTS.
TEXT: THE COMBINED TERRORS OF NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS ARE AVAILABLE TO ELEVEN NATIONS, ACCORDING TO THE
MONTEREY INSTITUTE'S CENTER FOR NON-PROLIFERATION STUDIES AND THE
HENRY L. STIMSON CENTER. THESE COUNTRIES ARE CHINA, EGYPT, IRAN,
IRAQ, ISRAEL, LIBYA, NORTH KOREA, RUSSIA, SYRIA, TAIWAN AND THE
UNITED STATES.
DESPITE MUCH CURRENT CONCERN WITH CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS, NUCLEAR ONES STILL POSE THE GREATEST DANGER. THERE ARE
FIVE DECLARED NUCLEAR POWERS: BRITAIN, CHINA, FRANCE, RUSSIA AND
THE UNITED STATES. THREE OTHERS ARE ASSUMED TO HAVE THEM OR AT
LEAST THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE THEM QUICKLY: ISRAEL, INDIA AND
PAKISTAN.
JOHN PARACHINI OF THE MONTEREY INSTITUTE SAYS THE GOOD NEWS IS
SOME COUNTRIES HAVE CONSIDERED ACQUIRING NUCLEAR WEAPONS, THEN
THOUGHT BETTER OF IT. ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, SOUTH AFRICA AND SWEDEN
ARE CONSIDERED ROLL-BACK STATES. WITH THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET
UNION, BELARUS, KAZAKHSTAN AND UKRAINE REMOVED THEIR NUCLEAR
WEAPONS TO RUSSIA:
// PARACHINI ACT //
NUCLEAR WEAPONS REQUIRE AN ENORMOUS INDUSTRIAL AND
SCIENTIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE. IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY AND A
HANDFUL OF COUNTRIES WENT DOWN THE PROCESS OF THINKING
ABOUT IT AND THEN THOUGHT THAT THEIR RESOURCES COULD BE
ALLOCATED TO OTHER THINGS, THEIR SECURITY CONCERNS COULD
BE ADDRESSED IN OTHER WAYS.
// END ACT //
MR PARACHINI SAYS, UNFORTUNATELY, NON-NUCLEAR NATIONS THEN LOOK
FOR LESS COSTLY ALTERNATIVES; NAMELY, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL. HE
CITES THREE SUCH COUNTRIES: ETHIOPIA, MYANMAR AND VIETNAM.
AMY SMITHSON, A SENIOR ASSOCIATE AT THE HENRY L. STIMSON CENTER,
NOTES THE DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS:
// SMITHSON ACT //
IT IS COMPARATIVELY EASY TO ACQUIRE CHEMICAL AND
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS AS OPPOSED TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS. THE
INGREDIENTS IN THE TECHNOLOGY ARE BEING USED ON THE OPEN
MARKET PLACE TO MAKE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS; FOR EXAMPLE,
THE TECHNOLOGY USED TO MAKE PHARMACEUTICALS, TO MAKE
BALL POINT PEN INK, FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES. THESE
CHEMICALS ARE THE SAME ONES THAT CAN BE USED TO MAKE
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
// END ACT //
WHILE THE TREATY AGAINST BIOLOGICAL WEAPONRY IS WEAK, AMY
SMITHSON SAYS A BAN ON CHEMICAL WEAPONS IS WORKING. IN LESS THAN
A YEAR, EIGHT COUNTRIES HAVE GIVEN UP THEIR CHEMICAL WEAPONS
PROGRAMS AND OPENED THEM TO INTERNATIONAL INSPECTION.
MR. PARACHINI SAYS THE UNITED STATES HAS TAKEN THE LEAD IN
GETTING RID OF BOTH CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS:
// PARACHINI ACT //
WE DO STILL HAVE A VERY LARGE CHEMICAL WEAPONS STOCKPILE
THAT UNDER THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION WE ARE
REQUIRED TO DESTROY. WE ARE SPENDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
EACH YEAR TO BUILD FACILITIES THAT WILL SAFELY DESTROY
THIS AGENT, AND INDEED A GREAT DEAL OF IT HAS BEEN
DESTROYED OUT ON AN ISLAND IN THE PACIFIC, AND WE ARE
DESTROYING IT EVERY DAY PRACTICALLY OUT IN A FACILITY IN
UTAH.
// END ACT //
MR PARACHINI SAYS, WHILE THE UNITED STATES IS LARGELY IN
COMPLIANCE, THE U-S CONGRESS HAS NOT APPROVED LEGISLATION FULLY
IMPLEMENTING THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION. THAT MAKES IT
HARDER TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL
INSPECTION.
SINCE WORLD WAR TWO, IRAQ IS THE ONLY NATION KNOWN TO HAVE USED A
WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION. TO PREVENT FURTHER USE, ANALYSTS SAY
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST REMAIN ALERT AND UNITED AGAINST
ANY SUCH THREAT. (SIGNED)
NEB/EW/PLM
19-Mar-98 6:13 PM EST (2313 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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