Cablegate: Action Request: Encouraging Russian Participation

VZCZCXYZ0009
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #7089 1172003
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271957Z APR 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 9187
INFO RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0905
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY

UNCLAS STATE 057089

SIPDIS

SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP MNUC ASEC ENRG KCRM PARM TRGY RS
SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST: ENCOURAGING RUSSIAN PARTICIPATION
IN NUCLEAR FORENSICS EXERCISE

REF: A. A) STATE 049322

B. B) 2006 MOSCOW 9019

1. Please see action request in para 4.

2. (SBU) BACKGROUND: An international group of experts
created by the G8, the Nuclear Smuggling International
Technical Working Group (ITWG), will be conducting a
round-robin practical exercise in the near future. This
exercise is the third such round-robin exercise conducted by
the ITWG. The first round-robin exercise in 1999 involved
the analysis and interpretation of a plutonium sample. The
second round-robin exercise in 2002 involved the analysis and
interpretation of a highly enriched uranium (HEU) sample.
These round robins strengthen scientific support for law
enforcement actions to prevent nuclear smuggling and promote
necessary international cooperation in the field.

3. (SBU) PURPOSE: The purpose of these round-robin exercises
is to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of nuclear
forensic techniques and methods, including: (1) Prioritizing
analytical techniques and methods; (2) Evaluating attribution
capabilities; and (3) Examining the utility of existing data
and knowledge bases. These goals will be accomplished by the
upcoming exercise involving a scenario in which two seizures
occur and laboratories then analyze nuclear material. Each
laboratory will develop analytical results, interpret the
results in the context of available information, prepare a
report documenting these results, and participate with the
other laboratories in a post-project evaluation meeting. So
far, laboratories from ten countries have agreed to
participate.

4. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: As a Co-Chair of the ITWG and
organizer of the round robin, the United States would like to
encourage Russian participation in the upcoming exercise.
While Russia laboratories have not participated in the past
and RosAtom reps only occasionally attend ITWG annual
meetings, the ITWG's efforts directly support the Global
Initiative to Combat Terrorism and the International
Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.
In addition, they build on efforts by experts from A.A.
Bochvar All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for
Inorganic Materials and Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory under the Counter-Terrorism Working Group to
advance bilateral cooperation in nuclear forensics (Ref B).
Embassy is requested to encourage Russian participation,
preferably that of the Bochvar Institute, in the upcoming
round-robin. At the moment we do not have specific dates for
the next round-robin, but believe it will be held in the
upcoming months. If Russia is concerned about p
articipating in a multilateral venue, it may be possible to
pursue it bilaterally.

5. CONTACT: Please contact ISN/CTR Michael Curry at
202-736-7692 with further questions.
RICE

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