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During
FY 1998, the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA)
continued to support missile nonproliferation efforts
and worked to prevent the acquisition of offensive
ballistic missile programs by other countries. ACDA
personnel also worked on Strategic Arms Reduction
Treaty (START) issues related to the use of excess
ballistic missiles for space launch purposes.
ACDA
continued to work in strengthening and expanding the
scope of the 32-nation Missile Technology Control
Regime (MTCR), which is intended to limit the risks
of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (that
is, nuclear,
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chemical,
and biological weapons) by controlling transfers that could
make a contribution to delivery systems (other than piloted
aircraft) for such weapons. During FY 1998, ACDA supported
the inclusion of three new members to the MTCR. Poland, the
Czech Republic, and the Ukraine were accepted at the MTCR
meeting in May 1998 and officially participated at the October
1998 plenary in Budapest, Hungary. ACDA continued to participate
in discussions focused on reformatting the MTCR Equipment
and Technology Annex to make it more useful and effective.
ACDA supported the implementation of U.S. sanctions against
India and Pakistan because of their recent activities in this
area.
ACDA
worked on the development of U.S. policy related to the
use of U.S. ballistic missiles made excess under the START
I and START II treaties. The United States intends to retain
such missiles for U.S. Government use or eliminate them.
ACDA has encouraged other governments with excess ballistic
missiles to adopt a similar policy. In addition, the START
I parties exchanged policy statements not to construct silo
launchers of intercontinental ballistic missiles at space
launch facilities located outside their national territories.
ACDA
continued to be an active member of several interagency
committees concerned with missile-related issues. At the
policy level, these include various committees chaired by
the National Security Council, such as the Interagency Working
Group on Nonproliferation and Export Controls and the Interagency
Working Group on Arms Control.
ACDA
participated in the Missile Trade Analysis Group, which
reviews intelligence related to international transfers
of missile-related items, and in the Missile Technology
Export Control Group, which reviews export license applications
subject to missile proliferation controls. ACDA actively
supported the efforts of the United Nations Special Commission
on Iraq to destroy or remove from Iraq any materials, equipment,
and facilities related to missiles with a range greater
than 150 kilometers. ACDA also participated in the Weapons
and Space Systems Intelligence Committee to ensure that
U.S. policy initiatives were based on accurate intelligence
assessments.
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