U.S. warns about weapons of mass destruction

Cohen displays a new, lightweight protective suit for soldiers working in areas where chemical weapons are a threat.

November 25, 1997
Web posted at: 12:58 p.m. EST (1758 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen on Tuesday again warned about the danger of Iraq's chemical and biological weapons program, but emphasized that the problem was much bigger since "more than 25 countries have or may be developing" weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them.

"Iraq continues to evade and deceive U.N. inspectors who are working to destroy Iraq's program to build these weapons of mass destruction," Cohen told a news conference during the presentation of a Pentagon report on such weapons.

The United Nations suspects that Iraq may have produced as much as 200 tons of the deadly nerve gas VX, "enough to kill every living human being on the face of the planet," according to Cohen.

Cohen further said that, if current inspection and diplomatic efforts fail and there is eventually a military strike against Iraq "you can conclude... it won't be a pin prick."

Report: More than 25 nations involved

Cohen made clear that the problem of weapons of mass destruction -- which include nuclear, chemical and biological weapons (NBC) -- was worldwide.

	Cohen describes:
The threat that nuclear, chemical and biological weapons pose to the world... AIFF or WAV (323 K / 30 sec. audio) and how the United States plans to guard against attacks at home. AIFF or WAV (272 K / 25 sec. audio)

He discussed the Pentagon's 1997 report ("Proliferation: Threat and Response"), which says that "More than 25 countries have -- or may be developing -- NBC weapons and the means to deliver them; a larger number are capable of producing such weapons, potentially on short notice." Among the nations named are North Korea, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

The Pentagon declined to list some of the other nations mentioned in the report, calling the information classified.

The report concludes that the threat from chemical, biological and nuclear weapons continues to grow, as does the possibility that chemical or biological weapons may be used by terrorist groups.

Halting spread of dangerous technology

Watch Cohen's entire news conference

The Pentagon stressed the importance of combating the spread of such dangerous weapons by stopping the spread of technology at the source.

Of grave concern is the sale of "dual-use" technology that can be used for civilian and military purposes.

An example cited by a Pentagon official who asked not to be named is equipment manufactured for the production of beer. The equipment, he said, can be converted easily to produce biological weapons.

The Pentagon has pointed out that materials involved in the production of weapons of mass destruction often have benign uses that help disguise the weapons programs.

"Castor beans can be made to make castor oil," Cohen said. "It can be used for fluids in vehicles. It can also be used to extract a very deadly poison, a few drops of which can also kill you, and for which there is no antidote."

New protection measures in U.S.

Cohen also described efforts to improve detection equipment, and new protective suits for troops on the battlefield.

China, North Korea and Iran are among the nations named in the Pentagon report

Vaccines and inoculations rank high on the list of preventive steps being taken by the Defense Department. Also in the works are specialized weapons, including nuclear weapons that are designed to destroy difficult-to-strike facilities.

Also cited by Cohen were "Cooperative Threat Reduction" programs like the recent purchase by the United States of advanced Soviet-made fighter jets capable of delivering nuclear weapons. The United States bought those jets from the former Soviet republic of Moldova to prevent what Washington considers rogue nations from buying them.

The chemical or biological threat from domestic terrorism is also of increasing concern to the Pentagon. The Army and Marine Corps are working to educate and train local jurisdictions throughout the United States in the handling of such catastrophes.

The Army is training representatives of more than 125 U.S. cities in emergency chemical and biological response, Cohen said. The Marine Corps has also provided specialists to municipalities for training purposes.

Correspondent Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report.

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• Full text of "Proliferation: Threat and Response" report
• Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense
• U.S. Chemical-Biological Defense Systems Program Office

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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