Russia gets help on weapons control.(Brief Article)

2002 MAR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A foundation led by Ted Turner and former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn will spend $6 million helping Russia reduce threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Included in the funding will be $1.3 million earmarked for former biological weapons scientists working on a brucellosis vaccine and $250,000 for a feasibility study for a new hepatitis vaccine.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative project should help secure and dismantle weapons of mass destruction, prevent their spread and bolster cooperation between scientists on antiterrorism issues, Nunn said Friday.

It also will help create civilian jobs for scientists in Russia's weapons industry so they are less likely to be lured by rogue nations trying to start their own weapons programs.

"Russia has enormous technical and scientific expertise, and Russia and the United States must join together in a global effort to secure weapons materials and weapons know-how," said Nunn, a Georgia Democrat who led the Senate Armed Services Committee before retiring in 1997.

The announcement came after CIA Director George Tenet told Congress that Russia remains a leading supplier of nuclear technology and missiles to countries hostile to the United States, and is "the first choice of nations seeking nuclear technology and training."

The CIA report to Congress, covering the first half of 2001, said the Russian government's "commitment, willingness, and ability to curb proliferation-related transfers remain uncertain."

Russia's Foreign Ministry responded angrily to the report, saying it caused "not only extreme surprise but also serious concern."