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US Unclear if Russia Complying with Chemical, Biological Weapons Pacts

   VOA News 29 July 2010
   In  this  photo  taken 21 Jan 2010, construction on a plant to destroy
   shell containing mustard agent is underway at the Pueblo Army Chemical
   Storage facility in Pueblo, Colo.

Photo: AP

   In  this  photo  taken 21 Jan 2010, construction on a plant to destroy
   shell containing mustard agent is underway at the Pueblo Army Chemical
   Storage facility in Pueblo, Colo.

   A  State Department report says the United States is uncertain whether
   Russia has fully complied with international treaties banning chemical
   and biological weapons.
   The  department  Wednesday  released  its  [1]Compliance  Report  - an
   unclassified  condensed version of a much more detailed report it sent
   to  Congress.   It says a lack of information from Russia has made it
   unclear  if  Moscow has fully complied with its obligations to get rid
   of all biological weapons.
   The  State  Department  also  says  it is still not sure if Russia has
   declared its stockpile of chemical weapons.
   Russia  has  not  yet  replied  to  the  report, which could have some
   bearing  on  the  U.S.  Senate's  decision  whether  to ratify the new
   nuclear  arms  treaty  signed earlier this year between Russia and the
   United States.
   The  report  says Russia complied with what the State Department calls
   the  "central  limits" of the 1991 START nuclear arms treaty.  But it
   says some of the more complex compliance questions remained unresolved
   when the treaty expired in December.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP.

References

   1. http://www.state.gov/t/vci/rls/rpt/c9721.htm

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