CIA: China continues nuke cooperation with Iran

WASHINGTON — The CIA says China has violated its pledge to end nuclear cooperation with Iran.

CIA officials have told members of Congress that Beijing continues to be involved in Iranian nuclear programs. This, despite a 1997 pledge to the Clinton administration that Beijing would honor a ban on proliferation to the Islamic republic.

A new CIA report distributed to Congress no longer repeats a previous assertion by U.S. intelligence that Beijing's pledge to end the transfer of nonconventional components and technology has been validated. The report lists Iran as being one of the most active importers of components and technology for nonconventional weapons programs.

In the previous CIA report on proliferation, the intelligence agency said "China's 1997 pledge not to engage in any new nuclear cooperation with Iran has apparently held."

The latest report was released two weeks after CIA Director George Tenet expressed doubts whether China was honoring its nonproliferation agreement. The new CIA report asserts that Iran wants to acquire nuclear material for its weapons program. It said Teheran has already acquired thousands of tons of chemical weapons as well as delivery systems.

The report said Russia continues to provide Iran with missile and nuclear technology. U.S. officials said the Russian role has become a leading concern for the Bush administration.

"Russia is engaged in activities that are helping countries to acquire weapons of mass destruction or missile technology against which the shield is actually working. This is not going to be a very cooperative relationship," U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said.

In its latest report, the CIA warns that Libya and Syria are achieving progress in their strategic weapons programs. The report said Libya is moving closer to the development of a medium-range ballistic missile and that Syria is developing a biological weapons program.

"It is highly probable that Syria also is developing an offensive biological warfare capability," the report said.