WASHINGTON Ñ Cuba has been marketing biological weapons components
and technology to Middle East clients since the mid-1980s, a senior administration officials said. Tuesday.
"Cuba has been involved in discussions with other rogue states, with
Iran and Libya, in ways that we find very troubling," the official said.
The Bush administration is monitoring talks between
Cuba and such prospective clients as Iran and Libya for the transfer and
technology as well as components of weapons of mass destruction, Middle East Newsline reported.
"It's not clear what Cuba has gotten out of this relationship [with Iran],"
a U.S. intelligence source said. "It is clear that Iran has obtained a
considerable amount of weapons technology. In many cases, Russia has used
Cuba as a front for technology that Moscow cannot transfer."
At first, officials said, Iran and Libya sought help from their longtime
suppliers such as China and Russia. But when those two countries hesitated
the Middle East countries turned to Cuba. Russia introduced Iran, Iraq and
Libya to Cuban suppliers in the mid-1980s.
The officials said Washington has not yet determined whether Cuba
actually exported biological weapons components or technology to Libya. But
they said U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Cuba has
transferred dual-use WMD as well as advanced electronic aerospace components
to Iran.
Officials said Cuba has been violating the Biological Weapons Convention
by offering expertise and components related to biological weapons to Iran
and Libya. They said Teheran and Tripoli have developed chemical weapons and
are looking for help in completing biological warheads for missiles.
The senior administration official said the United States has also
raised the issue of Iran's biological weapons program with Russia. He said
Washington has discussed allegations that Moscow is helping Iran's ballistic
missile and chemical weapons program as well as building a nuclear
infrastructure that could be used for the production of chemical weapons.
For its part, officials said, Iran has offered to invest in Cuba's defense
industries.