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State Department Seeks to Maintain Funds
for Nonproliferation Efforts in the Former Soviet Union
Global Security Newswire
March 12, 2004

The U.S. State Department’s fiscal 2005 budget plan maintains existing funding levels for a program designed to prevent former Soviet scientists from transferring their WMD expertise to countries of concern to the United States, despite evidence of a growing risk that some might do just that, the Russian-American Nuclear Security Advisory Council said yesterday (see GSN, March 11).

The State Department has requested $108 million for nonproliferation efforts in Russia and other former Soviet states, according to a council analysis. That includes $50.5 million for the department’s Nonproliferation of WMD Expertise program, a slight increase of $300,000 over current funding. While the State Department has sought to maintain constant funding for the program, RANSAC said, its budget justification documents include a reference from a 2003 survey that found that 20 percent of former Soviet scientists with WMD expertise questioned would consider working for countries such as Iran and North Korea.

The State Department’s fiscal 2005 budget request also contains $10.6 million to help Russia and other former Soviet states develop improved export controls and border security, an increase of $500,000 from this year’s funding, according to RANSAC. The department has also requested $34.5 million for the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund, an increase of $4.5 million (RANSAC release, March 11).