[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 82 (Friday, June 24, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 24, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        RUSSIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS

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                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 1994

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, a recent New York Times article reveals 
that administration officials believe that Russia is continuing to 
develop advanced chemical weapons, despite assurances to the contrary. 
I do not know why anyone would be surprised by this, Mr. Speaker. We 
already know that Russia is in violation of the CFE accords, as well as 
the Biological Weapons Convention.
  Let the record also show, Mr. Speaker, that what worries the Clinton 
administration most is not the security threat from these weapons or 
the dubious light that this finding sheds on our so-called partnership 
with Russia. No, as the article states, what worries the Clinton team 
most is that this new evidence might give ammunition to those of us in 
Congress who might oppose the global treaty on chemical arms, to be 
debated in the Senate shortly.
  How typical of this administration's foreign policy, Mr. Speaker. 
National interests, security threats, and well-grounded alliances mean 
nothing, but appearances mean everything.
  I would hope that the Senate would take a good look at the Russian 
chemical program before ratification. Regardless of how the debate on 
this treaty unfolds however, this news underscores the importance of 
the Senate adopting the Kyl amendment to the Defense authorization 
bill, which would deny any DOD funds from being used for the purpose of 
helping Russia destroy weaponry to meet her treaty obligations. If 
either the Senate or the conferees do not adopt the Kyl amendment, they 
will have to explain to their constituents why they voted to give 
American defense dollars to a country that is spending a lot of money 
in violation of several treaties and agreements.
  Conventional weapons, biological weapons, and now chemical weapons. 
How about three strikes and you're out for Russia, Mr. Speaker?

                [From the New York Times, June 23, 1994]

      Russia Hides Effort To Develop Deadly Poison Gas, U.S. Says

                         (By Michael R. Gordon)

       Washington.--Russia is concealing efforts to develop 
     advanced chemical weapons, despite its pledge to disclose 
     details of its poison gas program to the United States, 
     Clinton Administration officials said today.
       That assessment illustrates the problems that Washington 
     has in dealing with the new Russia, as Moscow has pledged to 
     cooperate with the West, but has been dragging its feet on 
     putting some important arms control accords into effect.
       It also has important ramifications for the Senate, which 
     is considering whether to approve a global treaty banning 
     poison gas. Suspicions about Russia's poison gas program and 
     Moscow's difficulties in devising an effective plan to 
     destroy the stocks--at 40,000 tons, the largest arsenal in 
     the world--have become an important issue in the Senate 
     debate.


                            Exchange of Data

       Administration officials said Washington's concerns arose 
     in recent weeks when Russian and American officials carried 
     out a long-planned exchange of data on their past efforts to 
     develop, produce and stockpile chemical weapons.
       Administration officials looked forward to receiving the 
     information--the most comprehensive accounting of the Russian 
     chemical weapons program--with more than usual interest: 
     American intelligence has long concluded that the Russians 
     have worked to develop binary chemical weapons, but Moscow 
     has never formally acknowledged the effort. Binary weapons 
     are an advanced munition in which two different types of 
     chemical agents are mixed together to produce a deadly type 
     of poison gas.
       ``We have long believed the Russians have been pursuing a 
     binary weapons capability,'' a senior Administration official 
     said, referring to Russian efforts to develop and test the 
     weapons.


                      Assertion by Russian Chemist

       The American concerns over Russian's chemical program were 
     also underscored when Vil Mirzayanov, a Russian chemist, was 
     charged by Russian authorities with revealing state secrets 
     after he asserted Moscow had not only developed binary 
     weapons but had produced an especially potent type.
       Mr. Mirzayanov also asserted that the Russian military and 
     civilian officials who invented the binary weapons planned to 
     cite a technically in the global agreement banning poison gas 
     to keep working on them.
       Mr. Mirzayanov was jailed in 1992 and 1993. Washington 
     protested his arrest, and Russian authorities have since 
     dismissed the case against him.
       Some Administration officials are skeptical about some of 
     the Mr. Mirzayanov's more alarming claims, but American 
     officials believe his statements that Russia has sought to 
     develop binary weapons are credible.


                       not disclosed information

       In any event, Administration officials who are reviewing 
     the new Russian information say there is an important gap in 
     the data--there is nothing in it about binary weapons.
       ``Our preliminary assessment is that the Russians have not 
     disclosed information about what we believe to be a binary 
     chemical weapons program,'' an Administration official said.
       Some officials say the failure to provide the information 
     could be an oversight or the result of bureaucratic 
     confusion. But since Washington has asked Moscow to provide a 
     full accounting of the binary program as a result of Mr. 
     Mirzayanov's assertions, the weight of opinion among 
     Administration experts is that Russia is well aware of 
     American concerns and is concealing data about the program.
       One official said Washington planned to go back to the 
     Russians and insist on a clarification of the matter. ``We 
     plan to seek urgent consultations,'' an official said.
       The exchange of data, which is the focus of the dispute, 
     was called for by a understanding on chemical weapons that 
     the United States and Russia hammered out in 1989.


                            may help critics

       The agreement on sharing the data is not part of the global 
     treaty banning chemical weapons. But Administration officials 
     are nonetheless concerned that the dispute over the gaps in 
     the data may be used as ammunition by Congressional critics 
     of the global treaty, some of whom have argued the accord 
     cannot be effectively verified.
       Supporters of the chemical weapons treaty argue, however, 
     that the accord will strengthen the legal barriers against 
     possible cheating and put pressure on the Russians to provide 
     a more thorough accounting of their chemical weapons program.
       So far the Administration's effort to build support in the 
     Senate for the treaty have gone smoothly. John Holum, the 
     director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, said 
     today that he hoped the Senate will approve the accord by 
     early July.
       Seven nations have already ratified the treaty. If 65 
     nations ratify the treaty by mid-July, the accord would 
     legally take effect next January.

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