Proliferation in Asia needs management

The Wall Street Journal ^ | July 24 | Editor

[John Carey]

Asia's WMD Laggards July 24, 2006; Page A14 The Wall Street Journal In the wake of Pyongyang's missile tests this month, the U.N. Security Council passed a unanimous resolution that "requires" member states to work to halt the proliferation of WMD and missile technology to or from North Korea. As it happens, there's a multilateral operation already up and running if more nations would join the effort. Since its creation three years ago, the Proliferation Security Initiative has quickly become the world's most effective check (short of regime change) against WMD traffickers. A U.S.-led initiative, PSI is a new, flexible form of multinational cooperation. Instead of signing a treaty, countries agree to a statement of principles, in effect pledging to stop proliferation whenever and wherever they can. The document doesn't impinge on national sovereignty; if nations don't want to participate in a particular operation, they don't have to. In the meantime, PSI not only formalizes cooperation that was already occurring among responsible states, it also creates inter-agency links within signatory governments.

[John Carey]

Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI):
A Key to World Security
By John E. Carey
Special to The Washington Times
Sunday December 28, 2003

Libyan Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's unconditional surrender of his weapons of mass destruction and his willingness to open his country to international inspectors follows years of economic sanctions and diplomacy. One little known factor in the effort to achieve these results concerns the implementation of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).

The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is a cooperative effort of 16 nations led by the U.S. and U.K. dedicated to stopping the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), the components necessary to research and develop WMD and their delivery vehicles such as ballistic missiles. At an early meeting of the PSI countries, representatives resolved to take active measures to stop the flow of WMD, missiles and related items to and from proliferators. This reflected the international alarm at the growing trade in WMD, missiles and related items, including the risk that these products and technologies might be sold or transferred to terrorists.

Rather than replacing diplomacy, intelligence and international investigative efforts, PSI takes international cooperation meant to stop proliferation a step further and into the realm of seizure.

Currently the U.S., U.K., Spain, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Turkey, and Singapore participate in the PSI. More nations may choose to join.

There are at least three levels of substantive activities important to PSI:

First: Meetings to engage; discuss; and agree to goals, methods, technologies and practices to stop the flow of WMD and their delivery vehicles.

Second: Training exercises to broaden international cooperation and skill levels in detecting shipments and conducting actual operations to seize WMD and their delivery vehicles during shipment. These exercises can be “table top” or Command Post Exercises (CPX) to hone skills in command & control, intelligence sharing and evaluation, etc. These exercises can also be international cooperative demonstrations to train deployed forces.

Third: Actual seizure operations.

There have already been a handful of actual seizures, modeled after the Spanish Navy’s seizure of the North Korean ship So San in the Arabian Sea near Yemen in early December 2002. This ship was caught red handed transferring North Korean missile and weapon technology into the Middle East.

During 2003, representatives of PSI nations assembled and met in Madrid in June, at Brisbane in July, at Paris in September, at London in October, and in the U.S. in December. The level of U.S. commitment in the effort is apparent. The President’s National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice, and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz lead the effort for America. U.S. participants include the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Military Services and various intelligence and counter-proliferation groups.

During 2003, several PSI training activities were conduction world-wide, including
an Australian led maritime interdiction exercise in the Coral Sea in September, a Spanish led maritime interdiction training exercise in the Mediterranean in October, a French led maritime interdiction training exercise in the Mediterranean in November and an Italian led air interception training exercise in December.

Several “table top” or Command Post Exercises (CPX) to test and evaluate Command and Control were also held during 2003.

Planned training exercises during 2004 include a U.S. led maritime interdiction training exercise in Middle East or South Asian waters early in 2004 and a Polish led ground interdiction exercise in early 2004. In the spring, three additional exercises are scheduled including an Italian led maritime interdiction exercise in the Mediterranean, a French led air interception exercise, and a German led ground and air interdiction exercise.

Economic sanctions, diplomacy and world condemnation following the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 wore Muammar Gaddafi down. The Proliferation Security Initiative meant that in all probability, Gaddafi had fewer and fewer opportunities to transfer and profit from his WMD and missiles.

At a time when the United Nations and other international bodies and agreements offer necessary but sometimes ineffective rules, restrictions and inspection measures, the Proliferation Security Initiative offers real, cooperative international action to stop the proliferation of WMD, their delivery vehicles, and enabling technologies.


Mr. Carey is President, International Defense Consultants, Inc. He has been a consultant to the U.S. Department of State during the development of the Proliferation Security Initiative.
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