DATE=3/3/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42758
TITLE=THE NUCLEAR THREAT
BYLINE= ED WARNER
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  WILL BE VOICED THURSDAY

INTRODUCTION:  AS THE COLD WAR ENDED, SO DID THE THREAT OF 
RUSSIAN-LAUNCHED NUCLEAR WEAPONS. BUT IT HAS BEEN REPLACED BY 
ANOTHER, PERHAPS EVEN MORE SERIOUS THREAT: THE SMUGGLING OF 
NUCLEAR MATERIALS OR KNOW-HOW OUT OF RUSSIA, TO OTHER COUNTRIES 
INTENT ON BUILDING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.  IN A SPEECH THIS
WEEK [MARCH 2], BILL RICHARDSON, THE U-S SECRETARY OF ENERGY, 
DESCRIBED THE GROWING THREAT AND AMERICAN EFFORTS TO RESPOND TO 
IT.  V-O-A'S ED WARNER REPORTS HIS VIEWS AND THOSE OF A LEADING 
ANALYST OF NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION. 

TEXT:  ALL IT TAKES IS A SMALL QUANTITY OF PLUTONIUM THE SIZE OF 
A SOFTBALL.  THAT WOULD MAKE A NUCLEAR BOMB THAT COULD DEVASTATE 
AN AREA SEVEN TIMES THE SIZE OF HIROSHIMA, THE JAPANESE CITY 
DESTROYED BY A U-S ATOMIC BOMB IN WORLD WAR TWO.

U-S SECRETARY OF ENERGY RICHARDSON MADE THAT POINT TO ILLUSTRATE 
THE DANGERS OF THE VAST QUANTITY OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS SCATTERED 
AROUND RUSSIA.  THERE ARE 10 SO-CALLED "NUCLEAR CITIES" IN RUSSIA
-- AREAS WHERE SOVIET SCIENTISTS LABORED FOR YEARS ON SECRET 
NUCLEAR PROGRAMS.  ANY ONE OF THESE HAS MORE PLUTONIUM THAN THE 
ENTIRE STOCKPILE OF FRANCE, CHINA AND GREAT BRITAIN COMBINED.

MR. RICHARDSON SAID HIS DEPARTMENT IS WORKING INTENSELY TO REDUCE
THE DANGER POSED BY THESE ENORMOUS HAZARDS: 

                  /// FIRST RICHARDSON ACT ///

         DOZENS OF DEDICATED [AMERICAN] ENERGY EXPERTS ARE AT 
         WORK IN RUSSIA, INSTALLING BASIC SAFEGUARDS, STANDARDS 
         AND PROCEDURES TO ARRANGE FOR THE LONG-TERM PROTECTION 
         OF THESE WEAPONS-GRADE MATERIALS.  OUR RUSSIAN 
         COUNTERPARTS HAVE SHOWN US EXTRAORDINARY GOOD WILL AND 
         COOPERATION.  WE NOW ARE COOPERATING AT VIRTUALLY EVERY 
         SINGLE SITE IN RUSSIA THAT STORES OR USES PLUTONIUM AND 
         HIGHLY-ENRICHED URANIUM.

                         /// END ACT ///

SECRETARY RICHARDSON HAS IDENTIFIED THE BIGGEST SECURITY THREAT 
TO THE UNITED STATES, SAYS JOSEPH CIRINCIONE, SENIOR ASSOCIATE OF
THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION PROJECT AT THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT 
IN WASHINGTON: 

                  /// FIRST CIRINCIONE ACT ///

         THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HAS TAKEN THE LEAD IN A NUMBER 
         OF AREAS, TRYING TO LOCK UP AND SECURE THE NUCLEAR 
         MATERIALS AND THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS THEMSELVES, FIND JOBS 
         FOR SOME OF THE [RUSSIAN] NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS AND 
         TECHNICIANS.  BUT THEIR PROGRAMS ARE UNDER-FUNDED. THEY 
         ARE SLOW IN EXECUTION.  THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM IS 
         MASSIVE, AND AS WELL-INTENTIONED AS D-O-E [DEPARTMENT OF
         ENERGY] PROGRAMS ARE, I AM AFRAID THEY ARE JUST  NOT  AT
         PRESENT UP TO THE TASK.

                         /// END ACT ///

MR. CIRINCIONE SAYS THE RUSSIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS HAS ADDED TO THE
DANGER.  SCIENTISTS, TECHNICIANS AND GUARDS AT NUCLEAR FACILITIES
HAVE  NOT  BEEN PAID IN MONTHS, AND ARE GROWING DESPERATE:

                  /// SECOND CIRINCIONE ACT ///

         WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO?  ARE THEY GOING TO BE FORCED 
         TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY LOOKING FOR WORK?  ARE THEY GOING 
         TO BE ENTICED BY PROMISES OF HIGH SALARIES TO GO TO 
         COUNTRIES LIKE IRAQ OR IRAN OR LIBYA?  AND IF SO, WILL 
         THEY BRING MORE THAN THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH THEM?  WILL 
         THEY ACTUALLY BRING THE MATERIAL THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A
         BOMB?  THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE WORRY WE FACE.

                         /// END ACT ///

MR. CIRINCIONE SAYS SOME UKRAINIANS IN THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY HAVE 
GONE ABROAD FOR JOBS, AND THERE ARE UNCONFIRMED REPORTS OF 
RUSSIAN NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS MOVING TO IRAQ AND IRAN.  IRANIANS ARE
ACTIVELY RECRUITING IN RUSSIA, HANDING OUT BUSINESS CARDS TO 
LIKELY PROSPECTS. 

IN HIS SPEECH, SECRETARY RICHARDSON DESCRIBED THE LESSER BUT 
STILL SERIOUS DANGER OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS.  HE 
NOTED THE LABORATORIES IN HIS DEPARTMENT ARE DEVELOPING 
EVER-SMALLER INSTRUMENTS CAPABLE OF DETECTING THE RELEASE OF 
BIOLOGICAL OR CHEMICAL AGENTS, AND THUS ALLOWING TIME TO 
COUNTERACT THEM: 

                  /// SECOND RICHARDSON ACT ///

         WITHIN THREE YEARS, I WANT OUR LABS TO DEVELOP 
         BIOLOGICAL-AGENT DETECTORS SMALL ENOUGH TO FIT INTO THE 
         HANDS OF A FIREMAN OR A COP THAT TELLS WITHIN SECONDS IF
         A CHEM-BIO AGENT IS PRESENT AND WHAT KIND OF AGENT IT 
         IS, SUCH AS ANTHRAX OR A PLAGUE VIRUS.  WITH THE RIGHT 
         DETECTION TOOLS, HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICIALS CAN ACT 
         QUICKLY TO TREAT VICTIMS AND PROTECT OTHERS FROM 
         EXPOSURE.

                        /// END ACT /// 

MR. CIRINCIONE SAYS THAT KIND OF PROGRESS IS POSSIBLE.  HE HAS 
GREAT RESPECT FOR THE AMERICAN LABORATORIES, AND AGREES WITH MR. 
RICHARDSON THAT A POTENTIAL MEDICAL NIGHTMARE COULD BE TURNED 
INTO A MANAGEABLE PROBLEM.   (SIGNED)

NEB/EW/WTW

03-Mar-99 6:49 PM EST (2349 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.