Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 24, March 1998

Russia Rejects Call for Supercomputer Inquiry

In late October, the US expressed concern at the possible diversion by Russia of IBM supercomputers, exported for civil use, to a nuclear-weapons laboratory (see Disarmament Diplomacy No. 20, November 1997). On 10 March, State Department spokesperson James Foley described reports that Russia had turned down US requests for an inquiry into the affair as "generally accurate": "There was an attempt made to seek Russian cooperation that did not succeed."

Foley added that the US would continue to press the issue, and by no means considered that "the end of the line" had been reached.

Reports: Russia said to block US computer probe, Reuters, 10 March; Russia blocks supercomputer probe, Associated Press, 11 March.

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