World Tribune.com
Get 15% off when you register!

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

Return toWorld Tribune.com Front Cover
Your window on the world

Contact World Tribune.com at world@worldtribune.com