Reuters - 06.11.02

 

from Johnson's Russia List

 

US Official Says Russia Must Curb Dangerous Exports

By Evelyn Leopold

 

Reuters

 

UNITED NATIONS - The future of Washington's relationship with Moscow depends largely on whether Russia stops exporting dangerous weapons materials to Iran and other "rogue states," a senior U.S. official said.

 

Russia possesses a variety of weapons of mass destruction and delivery systems for them and "has pursued policies that have led and continue to lead to proliferation of those weapons," said John Bolton, the undersecretary of state in charge of arms control.

 

"The quality of relationship with Russia really depends fundamentally on how they address this question in the future," Bolton told a meeting of B'nai B'rith International's Council on United Nations Affairs on Monday.

 

Washington has complained for years that Moscow is giving Iran missile technology, while Russia has said that any help it provides Tehran is purely for civilian purposes. Bolton has said repeatedly that the Bush Administration is putting a high priority on drying up sources of technology that so-called "rogue states" can use to develop dangerous weapons.

 

He said the United States was most willing to draw Russia closer into a NATO defense system, to the benefit of Moscow as well as the Western allies.

 

"But it is critical if that is to happen that Russian policies on proliferation questions must come into alignment with the policies of the NATO allies and the democratic nations as a whole," Bolton said.

Fundamentally, he said, it was in Russia's interest to curb the spread of nuclear arms materials or ballistic missiles, especially to Iran.

 

"It cannot be long-term in Russia's own interests to have a nuclear-capable ballistic missile equipped Iran just south of its border. It cannot be in Russia's interests to have any of the rogue states that seek weapons of mass destruction to acquire them," he said.

 

Calling on Russia to help the world stop proliferation, Bolton tied Russia's sales of technology to materials that could be used by terrorists, whether in the United States or on Moscow's own borders.

 

"I think if we are able to make progress on this front, that will be a very substantial contribution to reducing the threat that terrorists pose for us by the ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction in international markets and from state sponsors of terrorism," he said.

 

"This is an important test for us in the future not only for relationship with Russia but for the overall campaign against the spread of weapons of mass destruction and for a world that is safer from terrorism." he said.