WASHINGTON Ñ The United States has asserted that Iran has exported
missile technology to Syria.
U.S. officials said Syria has become a key client for Iran's
newly-developed ballistic missile industry. They said Teheran is producing a
range of subsystems based on Scud-class missiles.
"Iran has established solid and liquid propellant capabilities and
already is beginning to proliferate missile production technologies to
Syria," Vice Admiral Thomas Wilson, director of the Defense Intelligence
Agency, said. "Iranian proliferation of complete missile systems may occur
in the future."
Wilson, in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday,
did not elaborate. But he said Iran's missile program has been facilitated
by aid from China, North Korea and Russia.
"Russia has exported ballistic missile and nuclear technology to Iran,"
Wilson said. "China has provided missile and other assistance to Iran and
Pakistan. North Korea remains a key source for ballistic missiles and
related components and materials."
Other U.S. officials said Iran has launched a missile factory in
cooperation with Syria to produce Scud-class missiles and components. The
factory has contributed to Syria's drive for self-sufficiency in the
production of such missiles as Scud C and Scud D.
The officials said Iran has also exported missile components and
technology to Libya. They said Iran is a leading contractor in a Libyan
program to produce a variant of a medium-range Scud-class missile.
"We are increasingly concerned about secondary proliferation from
maturing state-sponsored programs, such as those in Iran and North Korea,"
Assistant Secretary of State Carl Ford, responsible for intelligence, told
the Senate Foreign Relations Commitee on Tuesday.
Iran and Syria have also developed biological and chemical weapons.
Wilson said he envisions the use of such weapons in a regional conflict.
"More than two dozen states or non-state groups either have, or have an
interest in acquiring, chemical weapons, and there are a dozen countries
believed to have biological warfare programs," Wilson said. "I expect the
proliferation of chemical and biological weapons to continue and these
weapons could well be used in a regional conflict or terrorist attack over
the next decade."
CIA director George Tenet agreed with Wilson's assessment. He said Iran
and other missile proliferators are becoming more self-sufficient. Tenet
said
they are establishing advanced production capabilities by taking advantage
of both foreign assistance and the dual-use nature of WMD- and
missile-related technologies.
"This also allows them to conduct WMD- and missile-related research
under the guise of legitimate commercial or scientific activity," Tenet
said.
