FAS | News | USA | 1998 |||| Index | Search |

January 1998 United States Special Weapons
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Missile
Proliferation News

• [EXCERPT] U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing -- JANUARY 16, 1998 -- CUBA Status of Announcement on Suspension of Helms-Burton Sanctions IRAQ Withdrawal of UNSCOM 227 (Scott Ritter)/International Community's united front Long-term Monitoring/US and Iraq Goals IRAN EU Position on keeping Iran from Obtaining Weapons of Mass Destruction
• [EXCERPT] U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing -- JANUARY 14, 1998 -- IRAQ UN Security Council presidential statement Level of U.S. patience with Iraqi non-compliance/Time frame for continued diplomatic efforts No connection between Russian-brokered agreement in November and the current composition of UNSCOM teams Possibility of additional sanctions or steps Status of other inspection teams Other options for U.S./Diplomatic discussions with allies Effect of sanctions on Saddam Hussein/Iraqi quest to obtain weapons of mass destruction Congressional views on current situation U.S. reaction to Tariq Aziz' press conference U.S.-Turkey dialogue about Operation Northern Watch Reports of chemical and biological warfare tests on humans GERMANY/TURKEY German prosecutor's designation of PKK as criminal, not terrorist, organization BALTIC STATES Charter of Partnership and the possibility of NATO membership in the future
• [EXCERPT] U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing -- JANUARY 12, 1998 -- IRAQ UNSCOM inspectors, inspections : Iraq may not pick and choose No connection seen with Iraqi behavior and Iran Inspectors chosen by UN on basis of professional expertise Nationality of UNSCOM inspectors varied Inspection delays hurt Iraqi people Views of UN Security Council members Policy overview on Iraqi sanctions Iraqi non-compliance an issue for the UN Iraq discussed during Under Secretary Pickering's trip to France Certain sites' access denied to UNSCOM for months Amb. Butler to travel to Iraq later this week UNSCOM team makeup, activities US reaction: No options ruled out IRAN Basics of US policy Use of existing channels for US-Iran contacts People-to-people exchanges NON-PROLIFERATION ISSUES US policy defended RUSSIA Amb. Wisner's trip to Moscow ongoing US and Russia agreed on preventing spread of weapons of mass destruction BALTICS US-Baltic charter of partnership to be signed on Friday US policy on NATO membership
• LAWMAKERS RENEWING CALL FOR A NATIONWIDE MISSILE DEFENSE VOA 12-Jan-98
• [EXCERPT] DoD News Briefing Thursday, January 8, 1998 - "We agree that Iran is not a nuclear power. But we also believe that Iran is attempting to pursue the development of nuclear weapons technology." There are no current plans to reduce the size of US forces in the Gulf. There was a program called the Clementine 2 which would have gone up and looked at asteroids, and that program was canceled,
• TRANSCRIPT: NEWSHOUR INTERVIEW ON NUCLEAR POLICY US Information Agency 08 January 1998 (NSC's Robert Bell and Bruce Blair, Brookings fellow)
• TRANSNATIONAL PROLIFERATION THREAT VOA 08 January 1998
• U.S. AND 'GREAT GAME': TWO RIVALS SCORE, ONE TEAMMATE DISGRUNTLED US Information Agency - Foreign Media Reaction Report 08 January 1998
• U.S. STATUS AS SUPERPOWER: GOOD; SHOULD BE BETTER; BAD AND UGLY US Information Agency - Foreign Media Reaction Report 07 January 1998
• THE THREAT OF PROLIFERATION VOA 03 January 1998
• EDITORIAL: TRANSNATIONAL PROLIFERATION THREAT VOA 03 January 1998

FAS | News | USA | 1998 |||| Index | Search |