Officials: China helping Russia with Iranian missiles

WASHINGTON -- China is believed to be cooperating with Russia to complete the development of Iran's Shihab-3 missile.

U.S. officials said Iran apparently reached agreement with China for Beijing's help in supplying the components and technology required to complete the Shihab-3 missile, which resulted in the successful test on July 15.

The officials said China is being recruited not only to help complete the Shihab-3 program, but missiles of longer range, such as the Shihab-4 and Shihab-5, Middle East Newsline reported. They said that Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing last month during a visit by Iranian President Mohammed Khatami.

The officials said China has so far sold to Iran technology as well as guidance systems, gyroscopes, accelerometers and specialty steel. The components were bought soon after the 1998 Shihab-3 test failed as the missile exploded in mid-flight.

China has denied helping Iran's Shihab-3 and other missile programs.

The U.S. officials said China is working with Russia on the missile programs. Russia is said to be the prime contractor of the Shihab-4 program, which is based on the SS-4 missile. This Shihab-4 is expected to be far more accurate and and to have a longer-range than its predecessor, based on the North Korean No-Dong missile.

Washington has been pressing Beijing and Moscow to end its missile technology exports to Teheran. But privately U.S. officials are skeptical whether this will yield results.

On Monday, the U.S. Energy Department announced that former Soviet biological weapons scientists will be recruited to work on four civilian biological research projects. They include projects to prevent food contamination, improve effectiveness of bioactive materials, alternative to chemical pesticides and the establishment of an ecological center for Russia.

"It is in the U.S. national interest to help these scientists find ways to put their talents to work in non-defense related research," Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said. "These are former weapons scientists whose skills would be attractive to hostile states and terrorists bent on acquiring weapons of mass destruction."