The program "Reducing the level of threat" consumes $ 1 billion annually

Charles J. Hanley, 01 July 2002

Moscow, July 1, 2002. In the "Islands of Secrets" throughout Russia, specialists from the United States with the money of American taxpayers set constipation and video surveillance systems, strengthen the walls, create databases for accounting and train guards - one long -standing enemy is trying to ensure the preservation of the nuclear weapons of another enemy. When American experts first came to the Kurchatov Institute in Moscow, where 10 tons of weapons uranium are stored, the security guard in the lobby simply made them a hand that allows them. Today, the passage of people to the territory is controlled by special accessories, video cameras and radioactive radiation detectors. At the objects of nuclear weapons behind the Ural mountains, hundreds of concrete blocks weighing 1 ton are installed over previously open tanks where weapons of plutonium is stored - and again American dollars are required to provide protection from nuclear thieves.

The “Reducing level of the threat” - a historical American -Russian initiative, which costs $ 1 billion annually - provides a consistent increase in the physical protection of nuclear heads of missiles and nuclear bombs, as well as dividing materials for their manufacture, which, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, began to be poorly protected. Last week, the leaders of the "Big Eight" (seven industrialized countries of the world and Russia - approx. Per.) Agreed to allocate an additional $ 20 billion in the coming 10 years to increase the safety of storage of weapons of mass destruction (OMP) in Russia, especially its weapon plutonium reserves. The United States will allocate half of this amount, and the other half - the rest of the Western countries of the "big eight".

Before the commissioning of modernized security systems at all nuclear weapons are still far away. Many doors to the rooms where plutonium and highly enriched uranium are still not equipped with video surveillance systems and detectors. Of the more than 600 tons of Russian dividing materials suitable for the manufacture of nuclear bombs, more than half is still stored in rooms where the main modernization of security systems has not been carried out: there are no strong constipation, fortified windows and reliable accounting.

Everything still depends on people who, as you know, are inclined to make mistakes. At the Kurchatov Institute, an American computerized accounting system was installed, which "glucose" during the year: from the database, data from the parties of dividing materials suitable for the manufacture of nuclear bombs periodically disappeared. Simple problems of the human factor in the field of nuclear weapons can lead to disaster.

The facts of the real disappearance of dividing arms of weapons quality from a number of former Soviet nuclear complexes are known. Several nuclear thieves were detained. The most serious one in 1998 was two outsiders in collusion with the employees of the enterprise an attempt to carry out 41 pounds (1 pound = 0.453592 kg) of dividing materials from one Ural facility, including weapons of plutonium. Probably, this amount of materials would be enough for the manufacture of nuclear ammunition. It was not possible to find out for whom these materials were intended. “They were caught directly in the protected territory,” said Yuri Volodin, a specialist in non -proliferation of the OMP from the Russian department that regulates the issues of atomic energy. When asked if there were serious losses of dividing materials, Mr. Volodin refused to answer, referring to a state secret.

Issues of this kind occupy a prominent place in discussions around the world, especially after the events of September 11; In Moscow and Washington, negotiations are underway to build up efforts to protect nuclear weapons and materials from potential thieves. Colonel General Igor Valinkin, responsible for the Russian nuclear arsenal, emphasized this threat when he stated that the terrorists were noticed twice during the past year (he did not say who) who carried out the reconnaissance of Russian nuclear weapons and materials.

The Pentagon (US Department of Defense) is also involved in the programs for reducing the threat of threat, along with the US Department of Energy and the State Department of the United States. In this regard, up to 2000 American experts come to Russia annually. The Pentagon helps finance the dismantling of Russian nuclear ammunition, as well as build fences and install security systems at Russian nuclear weapons. It also modernizes the means of transporting nuclear weapons and materials, supplying armored railway cars and trucks to Russia.

Americans finance the modernization of object security systems, supplying personnel identification systems, strengthening entrances, passing and walls of buildings in nuclear research institutes, at nuclear fuel production plants, nuclear nuclear storage facilities and other similar facilities. The State Department provides a program designed to keep Russian scientists who are paid little, from temptation to work for foreign governments or organizations with nuclear ambitions.

US administration officials say that they will finish measures to improve the safety of Russian nuclear weapons by 2008, and possibly earlier. “We joined the race with the times,” says Joseph Cirincione, a specialist in non -proliferation of the OMP from the Carnegie Foundation for the international world. “Will we have time to increase safety before these dividing materials fall into improper hands?” Americans are also concerned about the problem of "distribution of people." After the closing of many Russian nuclear facilities planned in the next decade, thousands of highly qualified nuclear specialists will be left without work. “This is our biggest concern,” says Alexander Pikaev from the Moscow branch of the Carnegie Foundation.

Abbreviated translation: Fedotov Victor, inosmi.ru
Published on the website inosmi.ru: 02 July 2002, 10:19
Original publication: 'Loose nukes' worry us

The Americans are concerned about the possibility of theft of Russian nuclear weapons ("The Washington Times", USA)