Study: U.S. incentives inadequate to stop Russia-Iran nuke ties
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, April 11, 2001
WASHINGTON — The United States has failed to provide sufficient
incentives for Russia to end its missile and nuclear cooperation with Iran,
a new study says.
But the study said Washington could increase influence over
Russia's nuclear programs in Iran, Middle East Newsline reports. The study, published by Alexander
Pikayev,
director of the non-proliferation project of the Moscow-based office of the
Carnegie Endowment for Peace, argues that so far Washington has yet to
provide sufficient incentives for Moscow to stop the transfer of missile and
nuclear technology to Teheran.
The most difficult sphere is that of the transfer of missile technology.
Pikayev said Moscow feels that it has paid a high price for arms control
accords, particularly the Missile Technology Control Regime. The MTCR bans
the export of missiles with a range of 300 kilometers or a payload of half a
ton.
"The Russians note that the scale of the cooperation has been much more
limited than expected and has failed to offset the losses of Russian missile
producers caused by the MTCR restrictions," Pikayev said. "Many enterprises
in the missile/aerospace sector have reaped no benefit from U.S./Russian
cooperation, and have had to contract with Third World countries in order to
survive."
Pikayev said U.S. sanctions imposed on Russian firms determined to have
sold missile components to Iran have resulted in a redirection of efforts by
the Russian missile sector toward non-Western markets.
The United States might have greater success in stopping Russian nuclear
programs in Iran. Pikayev said Russia could earn up to $20 billion in
importing spent nuclear fuel from the United States and its allies. This
influence could be used to stop Russian plans to complete the nuclear
reactor at Bushehr and build an additional plant.
"If it succeeds, the nuclear industry stands to make up to $20 billion
during the first decade from spent
fuel imports," the report said. "However, since a significant portion of
internationally available spent fuel contains U.S.-made components,
Washington could, if it so wished, make trade with Iran again an issue and
legislate against deliveries to Russia, thus halving Moscow’s projected
benefits."
Wednesday, April 11, 2001
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