US Rejects Proposals For Enforcing Germ-Warfare Treaty [article]

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US Rejects Proposals For Enforcing Germ-Warfare Treaty

By

CNSNews.com Morning Editor

July 25, 2001

London (CNSNews.com) - The United States Wednesday announced its rejection

of draft international proposals for enforcing a 30-year-old ban on using

biological weapons, saying they would " put national security and

confidential business information at risk. "

The decision, announced by the chief U.S. negotiator at talks in Geneva,

Mahley, is likely to set back efforts to have an agreement in place

by the end of the year.

The 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), which was signed in

Washington, London and Moscow, prohibits the development, production and

stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons. Unlike other similar

agreements, however, it contains no mechanism to ensure compliance, such as

on-site verification procedures.

United Nations monitors' inspections of weapons sites in Iraq after the 1991

Gulf War found that the treaty had done nothing to hamper Baghdad's germ

warfare program. Suddenly, the compliance and verification issues became

pressing.

An " ad-hoc group " has thus been working since 1994 to come up with a

protocol aimed at enforcing the ban.

The current session, which opened in Geneva earlier this week, is the

24\super th \nosupersub round of talks since then. The Bush administration

decision's comes at a time proponents hoped the process was in its final

stages, with November the target date for an agreement, followed by a

special conference to adopt the protocol.

Other countries also have problems with the proposals - many of them

relating to concerns about protecting their industries' legitimate secrets -

but have until now agreed to continue negotiating on the proposed text.

But Mahley said the U.S. was " unable to support the current text, even with

changes. "

The draft protocol, he said, would not improve the parties' ability to

verify compliance, or do enough to deter those countries seeking to develop

germ-based weapons.

Mahley reiterated Washington's continued commitment to the 1972 treaty, and

said the U.S. would present " new, affirmative ideas " for enforcing it.

" There is no basis for a claim that the United States does not support

multilateral instruments for dealing with weapons of mass destruction and

missile threats. To be valuable, however, we believe any approach must focus

on effective, innovative measures. "

The talks have been chaired by Hungarian diplomat Tibor Toth, who expressed

the hope Wednesday the U.S. may change its stance over time.

A British observer of the BTWC negotiations, Prof. Graham Pearson, said

Wednesday it was " a sad day " when one of the three depositories of the

original convention decided to reject the protocol being negotiated.

But he noted that over the past three days, more than 50 of the 55 states

involved in the Geneva talks had indicated that they see the proposed text

as the basis on which negotiations can be wrapped up this year.

Pearson, a former head of the UK government's chemical and biological

defense establishment , called the U.S. decision " short-sighted. "

Pearson earlier this month presented written testimony to the U.S.

congressional subcommittee on national security, veteran affairs and

international relations.

At least three unstable Middle Eastern states are believed by Western

experts to be developing or already have access to germ-based weapons.

The frightening extent of Iraq's germ warfare capability emerged after

Saddam Hussein's son-in-law defected to Jordan in the late 1990s, providing

data which the Chemical and Biological Weapons Chronicle said " showed that

Iraq possessed anthrax, which induces fatal flu-like symptoms; a carcinogen

called aflatoxin; ricin, which generates liver and kidney failure as well as

genetic problems; enterovirus, which causes blindness; and botulinum, one of

the deadliest substances on earth. "

The Clinton administration accused Chinese companies of cooperating with

Iran's germ warfare program

And Israeli experts on non-conventional warfare have warned that Syria

possesses an arsenal of deadly nerve gases as well as anthrax.

Specialists say biological weapons are cheap, easily manufactured and even

more deadly than chemical weapons.

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