Weapons Non-Proliferation: Keeping Weapons of Mass Destruction Away From Terrorists
With access to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) – nuclear, chemical or biological – terrorists could kill untold numbers of people. Since 1991, U.S. government programs have targeted the greatest potential source of such weapons: the vast and largely unsecured stockpiles of the former Soviet Union. For less than a penny on the defense dollar, American programs secure and destroy those weapons, ensuring they can never fall into terrorist hands.
But surprisingly, these cost-effective national security efforts struggle under bureaucratic restrictions and funding shortfalls that hold back their full potential. BENS has a long history of working tirelessly to both highlight the “business sense” such programs make and supporting business-style reforms that streamline and maximize their efforts.
The Challenge
The BENS Approach
Our Work
History of Accomplishment
The Challenge:
In Russia, the former Soviet states, and other countries around the world, poorly guarded nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and materials make inviting targets for theft by or diversion to terrorists.
One site in Russia holds nearly 2 million shells and warheads, most man-portable, filled with lethal VX and sarin nerve agent; Soviet-era security had these weapons stored on wine racks in chicken coop-like structures, tracked only by clipboard records.
Other locations, including research reactors across the globe, store enough nuclear material to build a weapon, often under less security than at your local bank.
All are tempting targets for terrorists, including al Qaeda, which has a stated interest in obtaining WMD and using them against the United States.
back to top
The BENS Approach:
In response to such dangers, BENS actively supports the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, one of America’s best front-line defenses against WMD terrorism.
In addition to securing scores of weapons storage sites, CTR has deactivated or destroyed nearly 7000 nuclear warheads and hundreds of missiles, bombers, and submarines which once threatened the U.S.
At an annual cost of roughly one-tenth of one percent of the Defense Department budget – and with over 80 percent of funds awarded to American contractors – CTR represents an excellent example of “good security on the cheap.”
Similar programs in the Energy and State Departments, under the broader Nunn-Lugar “umbrella,” also secure and remove at-risk materials worldwide and enjoy BENS’ support.
back to top
Our Work:
BENS works with CTR and related projects in three areas (click links to read more):
Business best practices. A key component of BENS’ support has been to give the business perspective on ways to streamline and improve CTR. In 2003, BENS successfully opposed broad legislative requirements that would have disrupted many key CTR programs - threatening both U.S. security and sizeable project investments. In subsequent years, BENS has continued to advance business-style reforms to cut through legislative red tape and bureaucratic waste and quicken the pace of CTR projects. BENS members also took to the op-ed pages of major newspapers in 2004 and 2005 to offer concrete suggestions on ways to apply business know-how to CTR and other nonproliferation programs.
Chemical Weapons Destruction. Building on its previous efforts to win ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention, BENS is a strong supporter of CTR’s chemical weapons destruction project in Shchuch’ye, Russia. The Shchuch’ye stockpile holds nearly 2 million warheads and artillery shells filled with lethal VX and sarin nerve agent, many small enough to fit in a briefcase. Their portability and poor level of protection (most are stored in flimsy chicken coop-like structures) makes them a key target for security and elimination.
During 2001, Senator Richard Lugar, a CTR author, asked for BENS' assistance in restoring funding for this project, after a few in Congress objected and tried to hamper it. By partnering with the business community, Senator Lugar was able to gain enough support to restore funding for the facility. In 2003, Shchuch’ye was again threatened, and BENS reminded the House and Senate Armed Services Committees of its importance, helping ensure the program remained fully funded. Similar BENS efforts in 2004, 2005, and 2006 continued to ensure that Shchuch’ye received adequate funds and that burdensome restrictions on the project were reduced or waived.
Global WMD security and threat reduction. In addition to backing CTR’s crucial efforts within the former Soviet Union, BENS also works to enhance programs that protect and eliminate the deadliest weapons on a global basis. BENS backed the Energy Department’s creation of a “Global Threat Reduction Initiative” (GTRI) in 2004, aimed at securing at-risk fissile and radiological materials – the building blocks of nuclear and “dirty” bombs – around the world. BENS also supported Senator Lugar’s efforts to expand CTR’s reach beyond Soviet borders and has fought to remove a funding cap on such activities so that the program can meet any challenge, of any size, anywhere.
back to top
History of Accomplishment
1987 — BENS helped establish US-Soviet Risk Reduction Centers. Located in Washington and Moscow, and manned around the clock, they have proven to be a key in disarmament and effective arms control, as well as helping in efforts to decrease and reduce the threat of nuclear war.
1991 — Recognizing the role of the private sector in controlling arms exports, BENS issued the report BENS Principles: Guidelines for Exports, which called upon the international business community to place national security first amongst their list of responsibilities.
1992 — The White House endorsed BENS’ private-sector engagement and BENS Principles was praised in letters from National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and Ambassador Ron Lehman.
1993 — With BENS supplying the model, the Clinton Administration issued an executive order calling for a review of the export control system. Additionally, President Clinton released a fact sheet, “Nonproliferation and Export Control Policy,” which included many of BENS’ positions, including streamlining U.S. nonproliferation export controls and making them more efficient.
1994 — BENS published a special report entitled Creating a New Export Control System, which assessed Congressional proposals to re-write the Export Administration Act. As a result of its efforts and expertise, BENS worked with key Congressional staff and Senator Jim Sasser to rewrite the expired Act.
1995 — In a letter to President Clinton, BENS members voiced support for a worldwide comprehensive test ban.
1995 — BENS successfully advocated an indefinite extension of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
1996 — The START II Treaty, supported by BENS, was ratified by the Senate. Building on START I, the START II treaty further reduced nuclear warheads and banned the use of multiple warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles.
1996 — The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty opened for signature in New York and was initially signed by 71 nations. The United States did not and has not signed the treaty. To date, 178 states have signed and 144 have ratified the treaty. It will enter into force 180 days after ratification from all 44 mandatory states, 8 of which are remaining: US, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, Egypt, Indonesia, and Iran.
1996 — BENS laid the groundwork for ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention by forming a coalition of chemical, biological, pharmaceutical and business experts to inform the Senate about the importance of the convention.
1997 — The Senate ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention.
1997 — The U.S. utilized the Chemical Weapons Convention to impose sanctions on several Chinese companies that had sold chemical technologies to Iran.
1997 — BENS helped defeat efforts to kill the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and urged Congress to fully fund the program to ensure proper implementation. Congress funded the program at S381.5 million for fiscal year 1998, $17.9 million above 1997 appropriations. In the following years, Congress continued to adequately fund Nunn-Lugar.
1997 — BENS released a special report entitled Nunn-Lugar: New Solutions for Today's Nuclear Threats.
1997 — BENS set forth threat reduction proposals in two publications, Assessing the Biological Weapons Threat and Biological Weapons: Defense Improves, but the Threat Remains.
1999 — BENS releases Hill Advisory The Comprehensive Test Ban: A Solid Plus for National Security and Science.
1999 — BENS publishes report entitled BENS Study Concludes U.S. Is Improving Its Defense Against Bioterrorism.
1999 — BENS issued a special report, DoD's Fledgling "Anti-Doomsday" Agency Takes Wing, and update, The Defense Threat Reduction Agency: Counterproliferation Incorporated?, both on the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
2001 — At the request of Senator Richard Lugar, BENS successfully helped restore funding for Nunn-Lugar’s chemical weapons disposal project in Shchuch’ye, Russia.
2003 — BENS successfully opposed legislative requirements that would have disrupted key components of the Nunn-Lugar program.
2004 — BENS backed the Department of Energy in its creation of a Global Threat Reduction Initiative.
2004-2005 — BENS members advocated business-minded improvements to Nunn-Lugar and other non-proliferation programs in the op-ed sections of major newspapers.
2008 — As a result of the culmination of years of effort, a major package of reforms backed by BENS to strengthen America’s flagship nonproliferation effort became law. Restrictions removed from the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program were described as “red tape that we can do without” by Senator Richard Lugar. Other provisions gave the Nunn-Lugar program greater ability to expand beyond the former Soviet Union and provide nearly $100 million in new funds to secure nuclear and biological materials around the world.
2009 — The chemical weapons disposal project in Shchuch’ye, Russia, begins destroying nearly 2 million deadly chemical artillery shells.
back to top
