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Cuba trading bio-chem tech with Iran, Iraq, Syria

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, June 11, 2002

WASHINGTON Ñ The United States has determined that Cuba is cooperating with such countries as Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Libya in the development of both biological and chemical weapons.

Assistant Secretary of State Carl Ford said Cuba both exports and imports weapons of mass destruction technology with Middle East rogue states. He said the United States has evidence of Cuban exports of dual-use biological weapons technology to Iran, Iraq, Syria and Libya.

"So that while I'm concerned about what Cuba and its biotechnological capability may be providing other countries like Iran," Ford told a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee last week, "I'm also concerned about their associations with countries that also have a chemical or biological warfare capability."

U.S. officials said Libya and Syria have chemical weapons facilities and are especially interested in advancing their nascent biological weapons programs, Middle East Newsline reported.

"There can be an exchange of ideas, exchange of capabilities and [the U.S. is] watching very carefully what they're up to in Iran and Iraq, Syria, Libya, wherever else they may be talking to people," Ford said.

Ford, who heads the intelligence and research section of the State Department, said Cuba has not provided technology for the weaponization of biological or chemical agents.

Cuba is a signatory to the Biological Weapons Convention. Officials said Havana possesses limited offensive biological warfare research and development capabilities, in what appears to be a violation of the treaty.

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