U.S., Russia agree on nuclear detection plan http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0137369320070601
Fri Jun 1, 2007
By Carl Giacomo, Diplomatic Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Russia have agreed on a plan to accelerate installation of radiation detection devices at 350 Russian border crossings so the system to prevent nuclear smuggling is fully operational by 2011, U.S. officials said on Friday.
"This announcement is a major cooperative step in counter-proliferation work in Russia," which contains a major portion of the world's nuclear material, said Will Tobey, deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration, a part of the U.S. Energy Department.
"It will help us prevent smuggling into and out of the region," he told Reuters in an interview.
Russia identified more than 480 cases of illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive material in 2006. While U.S. officials said these cases were not believed to involve weapons-grade nuclear material, the number of cases underscores the scope of the problem.
Another U.S. official said the detection system could have an important application in efforts to prevent desperately poor North Korea, which last year tested its first nuclear device, from selling nuclear weapons or fuel. "On the Russian border with North Korea we have detectors ... so we are able to monitor not only what is going into Russia, but also what might be coming out of North Korea," the official said.
North Korea also has land borders with China and South Korea. Although U.S.-Russian ties are increasingly tense over a number of major issues, Tobey said efforts to combat the threat of nuclear proliferation "is a bright spot of cooperation" with Moscow.
SLOW PACE
The two countries, which have the world's largest nuclear weapons arsenals, have been working to equip Russia's border crossings -- including airports, seaports, railways and land crossings -- with fixed portal radiation monitors and hand-held detection instruments since 1998.
Between 1998 and 2006, installations were completed at about 176 crossing points, half by the United States and half by Russia.
Under the new agreement -- which inscribes the commitments in writing for the first time -- that pace will be greatly accelerated and Russia will share the cost, Tobey said.
By the end of 2007, the total border crossings outfitted with nuclear detection equipment is expected to be 200 and all of the 350 Russian crossings are to be equipped by 2011 -- six years ahead of previous targets, he said.
Tobey said the U.S. share is about $140 million and the Russian cost, borne by the Russian Federal Customs Service, is about equal. One feature of the new agreement is Russia's pledge to maintain the detection equipment after installations are complete.
Training for Russian customs officials is also part of the program. U.S. experts have long been concerned that Russian nuclear technology -- fissile material and weapons -- could be stolen or sold from Russian facilities, many of which are poorly secured and maintained. The United States has spent millions of dollars to try to remedy this problem.
Tobey declined to speculate on why so few border detection installations were completed in the past.
He said the Russians have become increasingly comfortable in working with Americans on the detection program and are increasingly focused on the nuclear proliferation threat.
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