Russians smuggling nuke materials through 9 border crossings
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, March 9, 2000
WASHINGTON -- Officials said the United States has identified nine points along the
Russian border where nuclear material is being smuggled south to
Iran and from there to North Korea. They said they have raised the issue
with Russian authorities and are appealing for congressional funding to
secure the border points.
Rose Gottemoeller, acting U.S. State Department deputy administrator for
defense nuclear nonproliferation, told a congressional subcommittee on
Emerging Threats and Capabilities that the first line of defense is to guard
Russian and other nuclear facilities in the former Soviet Union slated for
shutdown. This includes removing hundreds of tons of plutonium and other
fissile material and finding jobs for thousands of scientists and
technicians being laid off from the plants.
"Our second line of defense program is working to help Russia prevent
unauthorized nuclear trade at nine key border crossing points and
transportation centers -- many of them possible transit points to Iran or
North Korea," Ms. Gottemoeller said on Monday. "By the end of calendar year
2000, we plan to place radiation detection equipment at all nine points. We
are also developing a detection equipment training manual, which will guide
the work of more than 30,000 front-line Russian customs officials."
Ms. Gottemoeller said that in addition to Iran and North Korea terrorist
organization are also interested in obtaining weapons-grade plutonium and
expertise. She pointed to recent thefts of nuclear material from the Russian
navy.
Officials said a key danger is that unprotected Russian and former
Soviet civilian nuclear installations have been targeted by nuclear
smugglers. They said smugglers appear to be stealing fissile material
produced in nuclear reactors.
But the officials said Russian cooperation in ending the transfer of
nuclear material or technology to Iran has been spotty. They said the
government insists on the right to complete the Iranian reactor at Bushehr.
As a result, officials said the Clinton administration has decided to
limit bilateral research with Russia in developing
modern nuclear reactor technologies and fuels.
Thursday, March 9, 2000
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