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CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE:
Closing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. World

Armed conflicts have become the leading cause of world hunger, followed closely by the effects of HIV/AIDS and global warming. These findings are in a new Food and Agriculture Organization report presented to an international meeting that reviewed hunger reduction policies such as food production and access.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/102562/index.html

The World Bank has revised their policy on indigenous peoples toward broader and more direct engagement, financing development programs that affect them "only where free, prior and informed consultation results in broad community support for the project by the affected Indigenous Peoples". The lack of economic and social progress among indigenous populations in Latin America, as described in a new study, contributed to this decision.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20509991~menuPK:34464~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/0,,contentMDK:20505834~pagePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:258554,00.html

A new website has been launched to track pledges for tsunami relief, accessible from:
http://www.reliefweb.int

The death toll of migratory birds killed by avian influenza in western China now exceeds 1,000. Although no human deaths have been reported in China, the more the virus spreads the greater the likelihood of a human pandemic.

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2. Africa

May 25 marked the 42nd Africa Day. UN Secretary General Annan reflected on the crucial activities needed for Africa to achieve security, development and human rights, which include implementing the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the Millennium Development Goals.
http://www.nepad.org/2005/files/home.php
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2005/sgsm9885.doc.htm
http://www.un.org/largerfreedom/
http://www.unmillenniumproject.org

Angolan separatists in the oil-rich Cabinda province again clashed with government forces. The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) claimed they killed 20 soldiers, but the government denies this.

Burundi plans to resume attacks against National Liberation Forces (FNL) rebels following an attack blamed on FNL in which five people were injured. Talks between FNL and the government will continue.

Central African Republic's former Prime Minister Martin Ziguele has lost the presidential election to coup leader Francois Bozize, who won 65 percent of the votes in the presidential run-off election.

Democratic Republic of Congo civilians were attacked by a Rwandan militia group known as Rastas. The Rastas killed 18 civilians, mutilated 11, and took about 50 hostages. Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militiamen were also involved.

Ivory Coast militia groups have agreed to begin implementing a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, which is part of the peace plan.

The Nigerian government has failed to prosecute those responsible for the massacre of some 900 people in clashes between Muslims and Christians in northern and central Nigeria, instead provoking violence to win votes. These allegations are described in "Revenge in the Name of Religion", a new report from Human Rights Watch.
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/05/23/nigeri10993.htm

Sudan's government continues to use force against civilian populations in Darfur, using forcible relocation and supporting militias that continue to attack civilians, including those who fled the fighting to take refuge in displaced persons camps. NATO has agreed to offer logistical and operational support to help the African Union increase its presence in Darfur.

Zimbabwe police paramilitary units launched massive operations against street traders, minibus taxis, and others participating in the informal economy, arresting more than 17,000 people as well as destroying their goods and the shanties in which they live.

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3. Americas

Bolivia's commander-in-chief of armed forces, Luis Aranda, denied the military is planning a coup. Protests against government energy have continued, fueling coup rumors.

Colombia has increased security around oil installations, including increased air patrol and specially trained soldiers. Rebel groups have often targeted oil installations, which has hurt oil output. Meanwhile, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels continued their offensive with attacks in the southern town of Puerto Rico, killing eleven police and politicians.

El Salvador and Nicaragua went on alert for al Qaeda members Altuwiti and Ahmed Salim Swedan, though there is no evidence the wanted men are there.

The US embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia has been closed after surveillance information and possible methods of attack were posted online by the Brigade Istimata International.

Washington Post reporters Scott Higham and Robert O'Harrow Jr. published a special report on "Homeland Security Contracting" in the May 22-23 issues. They reviewed how the " Contracting Rush For Security Led To Waste, Abuse" and "U.S. Border Security at a Crossroads: Technology Problems Limit Effectiveness of US-VISIT Program to Screen Foreigners".
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/05/20/LI2005052001091.html

The Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a new web tool, the Emergency Preparedness Resource Inventory, to help communities to assess their regional supply of critical resources, prepare for incident response, estimate gaps, and support future resource investment decisions.
http://www.ahrq.gov/research/epri/
http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2005/epripr.htm

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4. Asia Pacific

Australia increased security at its Cambodian embassy in Phnom Penh following a threat from a suspected terrorist group identified as Allah.

The Sultan of Brunei instituted the most sweeping government change since independence in 1984 by replacing four cabinet measures, seen as first steps towards reform.

Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yu cut short her visit to Japan before meeting with Prime Minister Koizumi because of dissatisfaction over Japanese comments about a controversial war shrine, and other disputes.

Indonesia's government and separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) opened a new round of peace talks, being held in Helsinki, Finland. The US has partially lifted the arms embargo against Indonesia to allow the sale of non-lethal items.

Malaysia is relaxing immigration rules to allow foreign workers, just weeks after a huge operation to expel them. The action was taken to relieve the labor shortage that followed the expulsions. However, officials in Sarawak state have asked to prevent single Chinese women from entering, in an attempt to reduce prostitution.

Uzbekistan continued its crackdown against opposition elements. Kyrgyzstan has undertaken to accept refugees from the fighting, although many have been turned away at the border.

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5. Europe

Beginning in Azerbaijan, a giant oil pipeline that will go from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, Turkey, has opened the first section. It should be fully operational by the end of the year.

In Bosnia, NATO troops raided the home of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to try to find information revealing his whereabouts. He has been on the run for eight years to avoid war crimes charges.

Kosovo continued to make steady progress despite a new government and lack of participation by Kosovo Serbs, according to the latest UN report.
http://mail.unmikonline.org
Serbia has repatriated the bodies of 64 civilians killed and hidden during the Kosovo war.

Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal inquiry into a major blackout, caused by a substation fire and explosion, halted the stock exchange, public transport, and other critical services in the capital, Moscow.

Spanish police continuing investigations into the 3/11 Madrid train bombings have arrested three men alleged to have sold drugs and guns to aid the attack. Basque separatist group ETA has been blames for bombings last weekend and a car bomb in Madrid this week. The car bomb injured 52 people and was taken as a sign that ETA is not willing to abandon violence and open negotiations with the Spanish government.

Northern Ireland's Independent Monitoring Commission issued its fifth report, which claims the Irish Republican Army (IRA) continues to recruit new members and train them in the use of firearms and explosives, and that the IRA is heavily involved in fuel and tobacco smuggling and money laundering. The downward trend in paramilitary violence has continued, with loyalist groups responsible for more violence than republican organizations.
http://www.independentmonitoringcommission.org/publications.cfm?id=25

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6. Middle East

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas met with US President Bush. The visit was symbolic of support for Abbas, and resulted in promises of $50 million in direct housing aid, but there was no forward motion to revive the road map peace plan. Reportedly for technical reasons, parliamentary elections scheduled for July 17 will be delayed. The International Labor Organization reports that unemployment among Palestinians in the occupied territories has reached nearly 26 percent, with less than half of working-age men and only 10 percent of women employed.
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2005/23.htm

Egyptians voted in a referendum that approved constitutional changes in favor of multi-candidate presidential elections by 83 percent, with a 54 percent turnout. Several opposition parties boycotted the referendum, which continues to pose many constraints on alternative candidates. There were several clashes between government and opposition supporters.

Iran has agreed to maintain its suspension of nuclear activities while new talks with European countries are underway. The World Trade Organization has agreed to engage in membership talks with Iran.

Iraq's insurgence continues unabated, with assassinations (including the head of a counterterrorism unit), car bombs, suicide bombs, improvised explosives, and ambushes that have killed dozens and injured more than 100. A massive anti-insurgency operation using more than 40,000 Iraqi soldiers is taking place in Baghdad. There are reports that al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has been injured US military commanders are planning to construct four large bases, probably around existing airfields, suggesting a more permanent presence.

Iraq's jailed ex-Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz insists on his innocence and claims he is held illegally, asking the world for help in letters printed by The Observer, a British newspaper.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/

Lebanon has gone to the polls in the first parliamentary elections in 30 years without Syrian troops in occupation. Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon was confirmed by UN military advisors, but they advise that they cannot be certain all intelligence agents have left.

Syria arrested all eight board members of the Jamal Atassi Forum for National Dialog, the only active political forum. Syria has also stopped all military and intelligence cooperation with the US.

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7. South Asia

Afghan insurgents continue high levels of activity. US forces say they killed twelve last weekend The new Afghan Special narcotics Force (ASNF) says it has already made good progress with two major raids in the south and east. President Karzai met with US President Bush, who refuses to hand over military command to the Afghan government.

Indian police in Delhi are on alert following two bomb attacks last Sunday against cinemas showing a film condemned by some Sikhs.

In the northeastern state of Assam, the separatist National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) has agreed a ceasefire with the Indian government.

India's northern Bihar state was the scene of clashes between police and opposition supporters that led to nearly a thousand arrests. February elections led to a hung state assembly and federal control, but an early election is being considered.

Pakistan hosted a visit from leaders of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, a moderate organization that favors an independent Kashmir. Kashmiri militants from the Jamiat-ul Mujahideen criticized the visit as hurting the separatist movement. Pakistan authorities have made further arrests of alleged militants near the Afghan border. Near the capital, Islamabad, a suicide bombing at a Muslim shrine killed at least 18 people and injured 50. Responsibility and motive are unknown. A bombing in Waziristan, at the home of a tribal leader, killed two women and four children. The motive and responsibility are unknown.

Sir Lankan Tamils have suffered political killings that should be investigated by an independent commission, according to a new Human Rights Watch report.

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8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

CipherTrust reported that in May their researchers found an average of 172,009 new zombies identified each day. Approximately 20 percent of the new zombies originated in the United States and 15 percent originated in China, representing a slight shift from research conducted during late March and early April which identified that approximately 20 percent of the 157,000 new zombies at that time originated in China. The origin of the zombie machines may change on a daily basis as machines can be infected anywhere in the world. CipherTrust has found that over the past three months, the largest percent of zombie originations have altered between China and the United States. In addition, during the first three weeks of May, approximately 26 percent of daily new zombies originated in the European Union, including six percent, five percent and three percent of new zombies originated in Germany, France and the United Kingdom, respectively. In response to this rising threat the company has launched the ZombieMeter(SM) that tracks worldwide zombie activity in real-time from the CipherTrust homepage.
http://www.ciphertrust.com/company/press_and_events/article.php?id=0000474

An international campaign, "Operation Spam Zombies" was launched by participants from more than 20 countries, incorporating 20 members of the London Action Plan and 16 additional government agencies. They have contacted Internet Service Providers around the world asking them to employ protective measures such as:

A survey commissioned by Intervoice finds that 75 percent of Americans believe that their identity is no more secure than one year ago. The research, compiled by TNS, surveyed attitudes in the UK and US and found:

Fears of identity theft seem justified given the continued rise in serious incidents, particularly those arising from trusted financial partners. Last week several major banks have begun customer notification of data theft that was caused by insider sale (at $10 per account) of the personal records of up to 676,000 customers. Phishers have taken advantage of these incidents in the messages used in their own attacks.

The Trojan.Pgpcoder program exploits a known Microsoft Internet Explorer vulnerability to lock up files on a computer then demands $200 for the decryption key. This is another example of the increasing use of online extortion.
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/trojan.pgpcoder.html
http://www.websensesecuritylabs.com/alerts/alert.php?AlertID=194
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS04-023.mspx

The US Government Accountability Office issued "Department of Homeland Security Faces Challenges in Fulfilling Cybersecurity Responsibilities", a new report citing problems with organizational stability and authority, hiring and contracting issues, awareness of roles and capabilities, partnerships, information sharing, etc. They warn that "until if confronts and resolves these underlying challenges and implements its plans, DHS will have difficulty achieving significant results in strengthening the cybersecurity of our critical infrastructures".
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-434

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9. Finance

The European Parliament has approved the Third Directive on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering of terrorist financing. For the first time, such regulations will apply to all EU countries. Measures include customer identification and suspicious activity reports and bans anonymous accounts.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/company/financial-crime/index_en.htm

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "Operation Wave Runner" has resulted in 11 indictments and eight arrests involving a Black Market Peso Exchange drug money-laundering scheme that covered the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and South and Central America. ICE also announced 140 arrests, 138 criminal indictments, and seizure of more than $25.5 million in operations targeting illegal money transmitters and underground hawalas
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsreleases/articles/sanjuan052305.htm
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsreleases/articles/hawalas052305.htm

Simon Kareri, a Kenyan who oversaw the Equatorial Guinean money at Riggs Bank, has been arrested with his wife, in connection with alleged embezzlement and kickbacks connected to Equatorial Guinea.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/26/AR2005052601746.html

Formal regulation of London shipbrokers is likely as money-laundering legislation is strengthened is the topic of an article by Julian Bray, writing in Lloyds List.
http://www.lloydslist.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=LLPortal/Lloyds

Illegal logging costs about $10 billion each year in lost revenue, as well as causing enormous environmental and social damage. These findings were discussed in a UN meeting on forest protection.
http://www.un.org/esa/forests/session-highlevel.html

The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held hearings on "Counterfeit Goods: Easy Cash for Criminals and Terrorists".
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=241

A new report from risk and insurance firm Marsh finds that nearly half of large and mid-sized U.S. businesses obtained insurance to cover property terrorism risks during 2004, a dramatic increase from the 2003 average of 27 percent. Smaller companies (with total insured values less than $100 million) were much less likely to purchase this coverage. Rates varied by region: 53 percent of firms in the Northeast and Midwest; 47 percent in the South, and 34 percent in the West. The highest take-up rates were in Boston with 69 percent followed by Washington, DC (60 percent); Chicago (58 percent); Dallas (57 percent), and New York City (54 percent). Despite risks associated with the energy industry, only 23 percent of businesses in Houston purchased terrorism insurance in 2004. Within specific industrial sectors, financial institutions, real-estate firms, and health-care facilities had the highest overall take-up rates, each exceeding 60 percent. Given limited stand-alone property terrorism insurance, Mr. Ludin of Marsh warned that extension of US government terrorism" insurance was essential: "If TRIA is not extended, the stand-alone insurance market is unlikely to have sufficient capacity to satisfy all of the expected demand at commercially viable prices....Further, under those circumstances it's unrealistic to expect insurers to maintain their present terrorism capacity or to expect the reinsurance market to fill the void".
http://www.marsh.com/MarshPortal/PortalMain?PID=AppShowNewsByName&t=1116876669796&8=News&6=NewsPRTerrorismInsuranceReport&4=AppShowNewsByName&2=PressRelease&1=News

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10. Human Rights

Amnesty International released its 2005 Annual Report, calling on foreign governments to uphold their obligations under international law by investigating US officials implicated in the development or implementation of interrogation techniques that constitute torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. They warned that officials implicated in these crimes - at least a dozen - are subject to investigation and possible arrest by other nations while traveling abroad. The report also condemns failure to act over international crises such as in Darfur, Sudan. It highlights the lack of accountability in Haiti and Democratic Republic of Congo, abuses by Russian forces in Chechnya, increased brutality against civilians in Iraq and elsewhere, indifference to violence against women, slow progress in the Millennium Development goals, and the lack of full independent investigation into US detainee abuse.
http://www.amnestyusa.org/annualreport/index.html

The US Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Jose Medellin, sentenced to death in Texas, who claimed his rights had been violated when he was not allowed consular access. The court ruled that Medellin would have to exhaust all avenues in Texas before their intervention was appropriate. Last year, the International Court of Justice ruled that his conviction, and those of 50 other Mexicans, violated the Vienna Convention. Death row inmate Gregory Scott Johnson was put to death in Indiana after the governor determined there was evidence that he was not a medically appropriate donor for his sister, who needs a liver transplant.

Iraq has reinstituted the death penalty, purportedly as a way to control the insurgency.

The American Civil Liberties Unity has posted Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that detail detainee abuse and abuse of the Koran.
http://www.aclu.org

The Australian government is reviewing 201 detainee cases to review whether they have been wrongfully held under the country's punitive immigration rules. The investigation was prompted by several high profile cases, including a 3-year-old child who has spent her entire life in detention and exhibits serious mental health problems.

Australians marked National Sorry Day on May 26, which commemorates the removal of Aboriginal children from their families between 1910 and the 1970s, creating what is known as the "Stolen Generation".

The UK has been accused of crippling health care in sun-Saharan Africa by encouraging medical staff to leave for the west.

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11. Law and Legal Issues

Marcus Jason Boreland has pleaded not guilty d in Northern Ireland to charges of possessing information likely to be use to terrorists.

Ronald Allen Grecula was arrested during an FBI undercover operation in Pennsylvania, where he has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda through the attempted sale of an explosive device.

Sean Gerard Hoey has been formally charged in Northern Ireland court on more than 30 charges in connection with the murders of 29 people in the 1998 Omagh bombing.

Bislan Ismailov, a suspected Chechen separatist, was arrested in France in connection with the murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh. Dutch prosecutors have requested his extradition.

Juvenal Kajelijeli, a former militia leader in Rwanda, had been sentenced to two concurrent life terms for genocide and extermination plus 15 years for direct and public incitement to commit genocide. The war crime tribunal's appeal chamber found violation of his rights during arrest and detention before trial and so has converted the sentence into a single 45-year term, with credit for time served.

Jayampathi Karunasenawere, DM Sepala Dissanayake, MA Samee and RM Premananda had been sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court in July 2003 but an appeal to the Supreme Court has now freed the men, acquitting them of involvement in the killing of 27 Tamils in October 2000.

Yusac Pakage and Philep Karma, both independence activists, were sentenced to 10 and 15 years in prison, respectively, for flying the West Papuan flag on the Indonesian province of Papua, which is considered an act of treason.

Frzana Khan, Palvinder Singh and Mohammed Ajmal Khan have been charged in the UK with conspiracy to provide financing and arms to Lashkar-e Tayyiba.

Yvon Neptune, former Prime Minister of Haiti, has been charged by the interim government with ordering the killing of political opponents weeks before the overthrown of President Aristide.

Arnaldo Otegi, spokesman for the banned Basque nationalist Batasuna party, was detained on suspicion of leadership in Basque separatist group ETA. He can be released on payment of a fine.

Alexander Rabinovitch was convicted in Israeli court of planning bombings directed against Israeli Arab residents of Haifa, attempted murder, conspiracy, and manufacturing illegal weapons. He was also found guilty of providing military explosives from the army unit in which he served to a friend, Eliran Golan, who is on trial for at least nine bombings and attempted bombings.

Mitja Ribicic, a communist official in Tito's Yugoslavia, has been charged in Slovenia with genocide against suspected Nazi collaborators at the end of World War II.

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12. Transportation

Washington-Reagan Airport in the District of Colombia will be reopened for general aviation, including pre-cleared corporate aircraft, charter flights and on-demand operations. This route had been closed following 9/11 because it offers close access to government facilities.
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4518

US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld denied reports that he gave military authorities the authority to shoot down a Cessna 150 that has wandered into restricted airspace. The small plane had been directed to use a transmission frequency that was jammed at the time.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has joined regional colleagues in rejecting private armed escorts in the Malacca Strait, where bordering nations prefer to control the maritime areas under their domain.

Two assessments from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) find crippling flaws in maritime security. "Cargo Security: Partnership Program Grants Importers Reduced Scrutiny with Limited Assurance of Improved Security" and "Container Security: A Flexible Staffing Model and Minimum Equipment Requirements Would Improve Overseas Targeting and Inspection Efforts" highlight a range of serious security shortcomings regarding both cargo and ports.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-404
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-557

The British Home Office has again issued plans for a national identity card that would incorporate biometric data, although the use of this technology has been highly problematic.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk
The US has requested a common standard that would allow ready sharing of this information.

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13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) released a new weapon effects calculator to show the impact of a nuclear weapon detonation in 25 US cities.
http://www.fas.org/main/content.jsp?formAction=297&contentId=367

"US Weapons at War 2005: Promoting Freedom or Fueling Conflict? US Military Aid and Arms Transfers Since September 11", by the World Policy Institute, finds that a majority of US arms sales to the developing world go to regimes defined as undemocratic by the State Department and that US-supplied arms are involved in a majority of the world?s active conflicts.
http://www.worldpolicy.org/projects/arms/reports/PRWaW052505.html
http:// www.worldpolicy.org/projects/arms/reports/wawjune2005.html

The World Health Organization (WHO) concluded its annual session with the adoption of revised International Health Regulations that govern national and international response to disease outbreaks, and several other public health measures. Th new rules give WHO more powers to combat these threats, including reporting requirements and the ability for WHO to intervene in public health emergencies of international concern.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2005/pr_wha06/en/index.html

International experts writing in Nature warn of the effects of a flu pandemic, which could affect a fifth of the world's population and kill more than seven million people in the first few months, with massive impacts on global society. Both this report and a US Government Accountability Office report cite lack of preparedness in pandemic response.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-760T

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14. Recently Published

Jasper Becker, "Rogue Regime: Kim Jong Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea", Oxford University Press

Marla Cone, "Silent Snow: The Slow Poisoning of the Arctic", Grove

John A. Glusman, "Conduct Under Fire: Four American Doctors and Their Fight for Life as Prisoners of the Japanese, 1941-1945", Viking

David Hunt, "They Just Don't Get It: How Washington Is Still Compromising Your Safety - And What You Can Do About It", Crown Forum

Flynt Leverett, editor, "The Road Ahead: Middle East Policy in the Bush Administration's Second Term Planning Papers from the Saban Center for Middle East Policy", Brookings Institution Press.
http://www.brookings.edu/press/books/theroadahead.htm

Maurice Sartre, transl by Catherine Porter et al, "The Middle East Under Rome", Harvard University Press

Michael Sledge, "Soldier Dead: How We Recover, Identify, Bury and Honor Our Military Fallen", Columbia University Press

Mike Tucker, "Among Warriors in Iraq: True Grit, Special Ops, and Raiding in Mosul and Fallujah", Lyons

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Closing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is an international treaty designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology; promote cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy; and achieve nuclear, general and complete disarmament. Every five years there is a review conference of the treaty. The seventh review opened in New York on May 2 and concluded on the 27th. (The opening was covered in the May 8 Newsletter.)

It was clear from the beginning that things were not going well and that attendees had widely divergent views. The agenda was not agreed until May 11. It established three main committees:

At the end of the meetings, Main Committee I Chair Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat submitted papers on disarmament they had been discussing, but told the plenary that the papers "do not reflect fully the views of all state parties, nevertheless the committee agreed to annex the papers" to the final report. Main Committee II Chair Laszlo Molnar said they had been unable to reach consensus to attach the draft committee report and forward it to the plenary. Similarly, Committee II Chair Elisabet Borsiin-Bonnier reported no consensus on substantive matters and therefore the report given the plenary was "primarily of a technical nature".

The conference plenary approved the technical components of the final report, which included no recommendations. Conference president Sergio de Queiroz Duarte changed the title of the final document from "conclusions and recommendations of the conference" to "conclusions of the conference". He also decided not to make a final statement during the wrap-up plenary because he felt it would be difficult in light of the "wide divergence of views" among the State parties. Despite this, he said it was important to gather and discuss national issues and interests.

Putting a positive light on these failures, Duarte told a press briefing that although the conference had accomplished very little in terms of results, agreements or final decisions, there had been some progress "in the ways issues were discussed and the interest that delegations had shown in those discussions and?documents presented". He added that it is perhaps too early to tell if the failure of the conference undermined the 35-year-old NPT and said "We'll have to wait and see".

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a statement in which he "very much regrets" that the meeting closed without substantive agreement, noting that the States parties "missed a vital opportunity to strengthen our collective security against the many nuclear threats to which all States and all peoples are vulnerable". He warned that the State parties' "inability to strengthen their collective efforts is bound to weaken the Treaty and the broader NPT-based regime over time" and noted the next opportunity to renew these efforts will be in September.

Given that, while the conference was underway, the US made progress in approving and funding new tactical nuclear weapons and weapons in space, the future of non-proliferation looks grim indeed.

Perhaps nearly 60 years after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki people have forgotten the threat. If history has not served as a guide, perhaps some contemporary efforts will serve as a wake-up call. We urge you to watch "Last Best Chance": and read the background material used in producing the film. It is online at http://www.saferworld.org/

Additional Resources:

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