DATE=11/6/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41783
TITLE=RUSSIA / U-S / NUKES
BYLINE=ANDRE DE NESNERA
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO: THE UNITED STATES IS TRAINING RUSSIAN CUSTOMS OFFICIALS IN
AN EFFORT TO PREVENT THE SMUGGLING OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND 
MATERIALS FROM RUSSIA.  BUT AS V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ANDRE DE 
NESNERA REPORTS FROM WASHINGTON, ONE DEFENSE AND SECURITY EXPERT 
BELIEVES THE PROGRAM IS TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. 

TEXT:  SINCE THE BREAKUP OF THE SOVIET UNION, WESTERN GOVERNMENTS
HAVE BEEN CONCERNED THAT NUCLEAR WARHEADS AND MATERIALS COULD BE 
SMUGGLED OUT AND POTENTIALLY SOLD TO TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS OR 
COUNTRIES LIKE LIBYA AND IRAQ. 

THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN IN THE FOREFRONT OF EFFORTS TO LIMIT 
NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION IN THE COUNTRIES OF THE FORMER SOVIET 
UNION.  FOR EXAMPLE, WASHINGTON HAS SPENT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS TO HELP REMOVE UKRAINE'S NUCLEAR ARSENAL AND HAS BEEN 
WORKING WITH RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES TO IMPROVE THE COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR
SAFETY STANDARDS. 

THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 30-THOUSAND RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY 
TROOPS GUARDING THE COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR FACILITIES.  AS RUSSIA'S 
ECONOMIC CRISIS PERSISTS -- AND SOLDIERS CONTINUE TO BE UNPAID 
FOR MONTHS -- WESTERN MILITARY ANALYSTS SAY THE TEMPTATION TO 
SELL NUCLEAR MATERIALS MAY INCREASE.

IN THE LATEST EFFORT TO COMBAT THE POTENTIAL SMUGGLING OF NUCLEAR
MATERIALS FROM RUSSIA, THE U-S CUSTOMS SERVICE HAS ANNOUNCED 
PLANS TO TRAIN ABOUT 30 RUSSIAN CUSTOMS OFFICERS. THEY WILL COME 
TO THE UNITED STATES FOR SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE THE END OF THIS 
YEAR -- AND OTHER TRAINING SESSIONS ARE PLANNED IN THE FUTURE.  
IN ADDITION, THE UNITED STATES WILL GIVE RUSSIA EARLY NEXT YEAR 
THREE SMALL X-RAY VANS WITH NUCLEAR DETECTION CAPABILITIES.

MICHAEL O'HANLON IS A DEFENSE EXPERT AT THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION
-- A WASHINGTON-BASED RESEARCH CENTER.  HE SAYS THE ECONOMIC 
SITUATION FACING THE RUSSIAN MILITARY IS SERIOUS.

                      // O'HANLON ACT //  

         THE BASIC PROBLEM IS THAT YOU HAVE A COUNTRY WITH ITS 
         ARMED FORCES AND SECURITY FORCES DECAYING IN THE SENSE 
         THEY ARE  NOT  GETTING PAID, THEY ARE  NOT  EATING WELL.
         THEY HAVE ALL SORTS OF ECONOMIC INCENTIVES TO FALL DOWN 
         ON THE JOB, RANGING ALL THE WAY FROM JUST  NOT  SHOWING 
         UP FOR WORK -- SO THEY CAN WORK IN THEIR FAMILY GARDEN 
         TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE -- ALL THE WAY UP TO SELLING 
         THE WEAPONS IF A FEW OF THEM GET ORGANIZED AND MEET THE 
         RIGHT PERSON WHO WANTS THEM.  SO IT IS  NOT  A GOOD 
         SITUATION. YOU DO  NOT  WANT HUNGRY PEOPLE GUARDING 
         NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

                         // END ACT // 

MR. O'HANLON QUESTIONS WHETHER THE LATEST EFFORT BY THE UNITED 
STATES TO TRAIN RUSSIAN CUSTOMS OFFICERS IN DETECTING NUCLEAR 
MATERIALS WILL BE EFFECTIVE.

                     // 2ND O'HANLON ACT // 

         AS WE KNOW FROM DRUG TRAFFICKING IN THIS COUNTRY, YOU 
         CANNOT INTERCEPT SMALL PACKAGES RELIABLY AT A COUNTRY'S 
         BORDERS,  NO  MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR EQUIPMENT. WE 
         CERTAINLY HAVE STATE-OF-THE-ART NEUTRON MONITORING 
         EQUIPMENT AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT HERE IN THIS 
         COUNTRY, BUT THAT IS  NOT  GOOD ENOUGH TO STOP MOST OF 
         THE DRUGS -- AND THERE IS LITTLE REASON TO THINK IT 
         SHOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH IN RUSSIA TO STOP THE MAJORITY OF 
         ANY NUCLEAR MATERIALS THAT MIGHT BE SHIPPED THROUGH THE 
         BORDERS.  

                         // END ACT //  

THE AMERICAN DEFENSE EXPERT OFFERS A MUCH MORE RADICAL PLAN: 
PAYING THE SALARIES OF RUSSIAN SECURITY PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE FOR
SAFEGUARDING THE COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR SITES.

                     // 3RD O'HANLON ACT // 

         THAT IS  NOT  A THOUGHT THAT TENDS TO GO DOWN WELL WITH 
         AMERICAN POLITICIANS, TO BE PAYING RUSSIAN TROOPS FOR 
         THEIR SERVICES.  ON THE OTHER HAND, WE ARE ALREADY 
         PAYING RUSSIAN WEAPONS SCIENTISTS TO DO OTHER KINDS OF 
         RESEARCH.  // OPT // AND EVEN THOUGH WE ARE INTERESTED 
         IN THEIR RESEARCH, THE REAL REASON IS THAT WE DO  NOT  
         WANT THEM TO DO THE WRONG THING WITH THEIR KNOWLEDGE.  
         AND IN THE CASE OF THESE SECURITY GUARDS, WE DO  NOT  
         WANT THEM TO DO THE WRONG THING WITH THEIR ACCESS. // 
         END OPT // SO I THINK THE SITUATION IS ANALOGOUS : IF WE
         ARE PREPARED TO PAY RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS, WE SHOULD ALSO 
         THINK ABOUT PAYING RUSSIAN SECURITY GUARDS WHO GUARD 
         THESE NUCLEAR MATERIALS.

                         // END ACT // 

MICHAEL O'HANLON FROM THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION BELIEVES THAT 
WOULD BE MONEY WELL SPENT GIVEN RUSSIA'S CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS 
AND THE HARDSHIPS FACED BY THE COUNTRY'S ONCE POWERFUL MILITARY. 
(SIGNED)

NEB/ADEN/KL

06-Nov-98 10:58 AM EST (1558 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.