NICOSIA [MENL] -- Iran has denied U.S. congressional reports that it is
developing an intercontinental ballistic missile with Russian aid that is
aimed at striking the United States.
The Kosar missile is purported to be powered with a version of Russia's
RD-216 liquid fuel booster engine, employed in the Soviet SS-5 ballistic
missiles. The RD-216 was developed by Energomash, a company under the direct
control of the Russian Space Agency.
IRNA reports that in a letter published Saturday by the Iranian defense
ministry, Iran denies any cooperation on defense projects.
"Iran has no hidden relations with other countries and considers
principle of transparency as main axis of introducing its defense
activities," the letter said. "The pro-militarism political groups in the U.
S are presenting false reports on Iran's defense activities so as to spend
capitals of American tax payers on development of ''futile'' military
programs and on helping Israel upgrade its military potential."
The Iranian response comes in the wake of congressional lobbying to
implement legislation limiting cooperation with and funding to the RSA.
House Science Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., said last
Wednesday that "Iran can already threaten U.S. allies and interests in the
Middle East. If the information on the Kosar missile is true, Iran 's
progress in developing a missile capable of reaching the United States
represents a sea change in the threat facing the U.S. mainland. That Iran is
making this progress with the assistance of Russian technology is
particularly disturbing."
Sensenbrenner was responding to testimony by Kenneth Timmerman,
president of Middle East Data Project, before the House Science subcommittee
on space and aeronautics. Timmerman said last Tuesday that the Islamic
regime in Teheran is preparing to test the Kosar missile this summer. He
said the missile will be more advanced than either the Shihab-3 or Shihab-4
now being developed. Russian government agencies, Timmerman said, have
ignored Clinton administration efforts to stop the flow of Russian
technology to Iran. Timmerman said RSA was the worst proliferator of missile
technology.
Sensebrenner said it is urgent for the U.S. to pass H.R. 1883
legislation which calls for suspending further payments to the Russian Space
Agency until positive nonproliferation behavior can be ascertained.
The legislation prevents the U.S. from "extraordinary payments in
connection with the International Space Station" (ISS) to the Russian Space
Agency (RSA) or entities under the RSA's jurisdiction unless the president
determines that it is the policy of the Russian government to oppose
proliferation to Iran or that the Russian government is taking all the
necessary steps to prevent the transfer from Russia to Iran of goods,
services, and technology useful in the development of weapons of mass
destruction and ballistic missiles."
A third condition is that during the preceding year, the RSA or any
entity under its jurisdiction has not made any transfers to Iran reportable
under the semi-annual report on proliferation to Iran. the legislation does
not prohibit Russian participation in the ISS program or affect its rights
and obligations as a partner in the program.
Also testifying before the committee, Henry Sokolsi Executive Director
of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, said he supports
implementation of the legislation.
As to the theory that stopping payments to the RSA will encourage the
Russians to look elsewhere -- possibly Iran -- for employment for their
rocketeers, Sokolski asked, "won't every U.S. dollar that's kept from
Russian participation in the International Space Station (or other space
activities) simply encourage Russia to try to make up the difference by
selling even more rocket know-how and hardware to the world's Irans?
Perhaps, but its hard to see how Russia could close the gap through such
additional sales since it already is having to heavily finance its Middle
Eastern and South West Asian nuclear and rocket exports as it is."
In conclusion, Sokolski said, "we may have to suspend business with
Russian space authorities to assure that U.S. cooperation does not end up
subsidizing Russian missile proliferation, but the reason U.S. satellite
makers and NASA ought to seek Russian space services is that they have
something attractive to offer, not that such business could keep Russia too
busy to proliferate.
