OT - Wars and Rumors of Wars - China Supplies Iran's Nukes -

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China continues to supply technology for Iran's nukes, missiles

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM - Friday, February 4, 2000

WASHINGTON -- Despite repeated pledges, China continues to supply Iran with technology and equipment for Teheran's missile and nuclear weapons programs, the CIA said in a report to Congress.

The report said Iran actively sought technology and equipment for weapons of mass destruction programs last year from suppliers in Russia, China, North Korea and western Europe. The report said that during 1999 China and Russia supplied "a considerable amount and a wide variety of ballistic missile-related goods and technology to Iran."

"In doing so, Teheran is attempting to develop an indigeous capability to produce various types of weapons -- nuclear, chemical and biological -- and their delivery systems," said the report to Congress by the CIA's Non-Proliferation Center. "Teheran is using these goods and technologies to support current production programs and to achieve its goal of becoming self-sufficient in the production of ballistic missiles."

The CIA referred to several Iranian ballistic missile programs. The report said Iran could probably deploy a limited number of Shihab-3 missiles in a crisis. The missile, tested in July 1998, has a range of 1,300 kilometers and can strike Israel, Turkey and Gulf countries.

The CIA said Iran is also working on Shihab-4, with an estimated range of up to 2,500 kilometers, and plans the Shihab-5, with a range of 5,500 kilometers.

The CIA said Iran could eventually turn into a missile exporter. "Iran, in the next few years, may be able to supply not only complete Scuds, but also Shihab 3s, and related technology, and perhaps even more advanced technologies, if Teheran continues to achieve assistance from Russia, China and North Korea."

The report said Syria and Iraq may soon emerge as suppliers of missile-related technology after initially offering technology and equipment related to shorter-range ballistic missiles.

"But as their domestic infrastructures and expertise develop, they will be able to offer a broader range of technologies that could include longer-range missiles and related technology," the report said.

China and Russia have also helped Iran develop its chemical weapons and nuclear programs, the report said. The CIA said the nuclear program is civilian but could be used for weapons.

"Iran is attempting to establish a complete nuclear fuel cycle for its civilian energy program," the report said. "In that guise, it seeks to obtain whole facilities, such as a uranium conversion facility, that in fact could be used in any number of ways in support of efforts to produce fissile material needed for a nuclear weapon."

"Despite international efforts to curtail the flow of critical technologies and equipment, Teheran continues to seek fissile material and technology for weapons development and has set up an elaborate system of military and civilian organizations to support its effort."

In Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Russia must control its export of nuclear technology and called on Iran to end development of weapons of mass destruction. "Far more needs to be done to address this serious problem -- a commitment at all levels to better implementation, better enforcement, better control of exports,'' Ms. Albright said in a speech to Russia's diplomacy academy on Wednesday.

Ms. Albright said that despite Russian improvement in controls the United States remains concerned about the spread of nuclear and ballistic missile capability in the Middle East and on the Korean peninsula.

-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), February 04, 2000


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