TESTIMONY OF

CHUCK HAGEL
Senator from Nebraska

COMBATING PROLIFERATION OF
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION (WMD)
WITH NON-PROLIFERATION PROGRAMS

Hearing of the International Security, Proliferation and
Federal Services Subcommittee of the
Senate Governmental Affairs Committee

November 14, 2001

 

In April, I introduced the Nonproliferation Assistance Coordination Act to address the coordination of non-proliferation efforts in Russia and the former Soviet Union. Senators Lugar and Biden were original co-sponsors of this legislation.

The legislation I introduced was divided into eight sections. Section Four establishes a committee on nonproliferation assistance at the Assistant Secretary level or higher, to be chaired by a senior representative of the National Security Council and comprised of representatives from the Departments of State, Defense, Commerce and Energy. Section Five sets out the duties of the committee. Section Six relates to Administrative support. Section Seven protects confidentiality of information. This morning the Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave its support to the Nonproliferation Assistance Coordination Act, by including it as part of the Security Assistance Act we passed out of committee.

The actions of the Foreign Relations Committee earlier today, and this current hearing, recognize the timeliness of the issue of nonproliferation. It has been ten years since the Congress took the important step to help reduce the threat of nuclear chaos emerging from the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Under the foresight and leadership of Senators Nunn and Lugar, Congress established the Cooperative Threat Reduction program authorizing funding through the Department of Defense budget to assist with the safe and secure transportation, storage and dismantlement of nuclear, chemical and other weapons in the former Soviet Union. Thousands of nuclear warheads have been deactivated and missiles dismantled in Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Russia.

In the past ten years the Nunn-Lugar initiative has grown into a multi-pronged effort by the Departments of Defense, State and Energy to ensure that weapons of mass destruction, weapons-usable material and technology, and weapons-related knowledge in Russia and the Newly Independent States remain beyond the reach of terrorists and weapons- proliferating states. The investments we have made in this area have yielded an impressive return. By assisting Russia in this area we have reduced, not eliminated, nuclear threats we face in the United States and the world, and have enhanced our national security.

But just as the Nunn-Lugar initiative has changed over the last decade, so too has the world changed since the terrorist attacks of September 11th. Nonproliferation is one of the key components of the war on terrorism. On November 6th, President Bush stated:

"Al Qaeda operates in more than 60 nations, including some in Central and Eastern Europe. These terrorist groups seek to destabilize entire nations and regions. They are seeking chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Given the means, our enemies would be a threat to every nation and, eventually, to civilization itself."

Last January, a bipartisan task force led by former Senator Baker and former White House Counsel Lloyd Cutler released a report calling for improved coordination within the United States government on non- proliferation assistance to Russia. In particular, the report noted:

"Coordination within and among U.S. Government agencies is insufficient and must be improved. Although the Task Force focused on the DOE nonproliferation programs, the members heard from many interlocutors that the programs would be improved, as would the counterpart programs in other agencies, if there were more coordination at all levels among all U.S. Government programs."

This is what my legislation does: President Bush recognized the need for greater coordination in our domestic security policy, as evidenced by the appointment of Governor Ridge as Director of the Office for Homeland Security.

The Baker-Cutler report recommended establishing a new position for nonproliferation coordination within the National Security Council, or creating a high-policy level nonproliferation czar. My legislation does not impose such a mandate on the President, but instead calls for coordination of our nonproliferation programs through a senior level coordinating committee.

A second aspect of my legislation is the inclusion of efforts undertaken by private sector programs in this area, such as corporations and non-governmental organizations, or NGOs. This subcommittee will hear testimony today from the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a private organization founded by Ted Turner and former Senator Sam Nunn to reduce the threat from nuclear weapons. You will also hear of NGO efforts through testimony from a representative of the Russian Newly Independent States Nonproliferation Program at the Monterey Institute. Currently, this private spending is small but is registering positive results. It will continue to increase. We should ensure that government and non-government spending on non- proliferation programs compliment each other and are not duplicative.

Our previous efforts have yielded significant results. But there is far more work yet to do. Yesterday, Senator Dodd and I wrote in the New York Times that Presidents Bush and Putin should use the current summit as an opportunity to discuss "effective ways to ensure that weapons and materials of mass destruction in and around Russia remain safe, accounted for and secure."

The discussions between Presidents Bush and Putin are already yielding agreements in this area. Yesterday afternoon, President Bush noted that the United States and Russia will, "strengthen our efforts to cut off every possible source of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, materials and expertise." President Bush and Putin also announced yesterday that they will dramatically reduce nuclear arsenals in both countries. This will probably require more spending from the United States. If we in Congress are asked to spend more of our budget on this effort, we must ensure these funds are spent efficiently, effectively, and not on repetitive efforts.

I appreciate the Committee's review of this serious, timely and relevant issue. Thank You.