U.S.-Russia pact targets nuclear terrorism

The negotiations come in the wake of a U.S. intelligence report concluding that the Russians have been upgrading the security of their nuclear weapons at military bases and of their weapons-grade nuclear materials at production facilities, but that "risks remain" because of what occurred in the past.

"We assess that undetected smuggling has occurred, and we are concerned about the total amount of [nuclear] material that could have been diverted or stolen in the last 13 years," said the National Intelligence Council (NIC) report, completed in November and made available to The Washington Post yesterday.

'Risk remains'
The NIC, composed of representatives from the CIA, the Pentagon, the Energy Department and other intelligence agencies, noted in the report that the "risk remains" that terrorists could seize weapons or materials. It quoted Russian authorities as saying they "twice thwarted terrorist efforts to reconnoiter nuclear weapons storage sites in 2002." In addition, Chechen groups were reported to have been seen "at several major railroad stations in the Moscow region, apparently interested in a special train used for transporting nuclear 'bombs.' "

Under questioning by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) at a hearing last week, CIA Director Porter J. Goss said he could not rule out the possibility that Russian nuclear material has made its way into terrorist hands. "I can't account for some of the material, so I can't make the assurance about its whereabouts," Goss testified.

The NIC expressed doubt that Moscow could keep up to date the sophisticated security systems being installed with U.S. help. "We are concerned that Russia may not be able to sustain U.S. provided security upgrades of facilities over the long-term, given the cost and technical sophistication of at least some of the equipment involved," the report said.

The NIC raised another concern that has dogged the joint security program over the years. U.S. experts have been barred from visiting key facilities in the Russian nuclear weapons complex where much of the most dangerous material is stored.

The agreement to be announced today would commit both countries to closer cooperation, including sharing "best practices" for security at nuclear facilities and creating a senior bilateral group to coordinate nuclear security issues, U.S. officials said. The two countries would develop a plan to provide low-enriched uranium for research reactors in other countries that now use highly enriched uranium that can be processed into weapons-grade fuel.

The centerpiece of the pact would speed up security measures at Russian nuclear facilities, setting a goal of finishing most of them by 2008, when both presidents will be finishing their second and final terms, instead of 2012, the current target.

'Enormous urgency'
With U.S. help, Russian facilities have been equipped with double electrified barbed-wire fences and monitors covering about 300 tons of weapons-grade material, said Charles B. Curtis, president of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. But another 300 tons remain uncovered by new security measures, leaving them vulnerable.

"It only takes kilograms, handfuls of kilograms, to make a nuclear device, and so there's an enormous urgency to get this job done at a more rapid pace," Curtis said.

Concern over Russian nuclear security has risen in Congress. "There's been a lot of blowback from the Hill on this subject and it's caught a lot of attention inside the administration," said William E. Hoehn, director of the Washington office of the Russian American Nuclear Security Advisory Council.

In a speech yesterday, Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.) said, "We must insist that Russia conduct a full inventory of its nuclear material."

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