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Disarmament DiplomacyIssue No. 45, April 2000New US Task Force to Assess Non-Proliferation Assistance to RussiaThe US Energy Department has established a "blue ribbon panel" to, in the words of a March 21 announcement, "review and assess" DOE "non-proliferation programs in Russia and recommend how its non-proliferation efforts can be enhanced." According to the statement: "The task force will…provide policy recommendations on how to support effectively US national security interests. The assessment will include, but not be limited to the following topics: Initiatives for the Proliferation Prevention Program; the Nuclear Cities Initiative; the Material Protection Control and Accounting Program; the Second Line of Defense Program; the HEU [highly-enriched uranium] Purchase Agreement; the International Nuclear Safety Program; and the Plutonium Disposition Program." Secretary Richardson enthused (March 21): "I look forward to a hard and fair examination of DOE's non-proliferation programs. The distinguished group of members elected to serve on this task force are experts in the field of Russian non-proliferation and national security…"The panel, which met for the first time on March 13, is co-chaired by Lloyd Cutler, former White House Counsel, and Howard Baker, former Senate Majority Leader (Republican). The other members are: Andrew Athy, Jr. (Chair, Secretary of Energy Advisory Board); Graham Allison (Harvard University); Brian Atwood (Director, Citizens International); Bruce Blair (President, Centre for Defense Intelligence); David Boren (President, Oklahoma University); Lynn Davis (Senior Fellow, Rand Corporation); Butler Derrick (former Representative); Susan Eisenhower (University of Maryland); Lee Hamilton (Director, Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars); Robert Hanfling (former Deputy Under Secretary of Energy); Gary Hart (former Senator); Jim McClure (former Representative and Senator); Sam Nunn (former Senator); Alan Simpson (Harvard University); David Skaggs (Aspen Institute); John Tuck (former Under Secretary of Energy). Report: Task Force created on non-proliferation programs in Russia, US Department of Energy Press Release R-00-079, March 21. © 2000 The Acronym Institute. |