Posted on 01/03/2002 2:49:00 PM PST by OKCSubmariner
China's main nuclear weapons center is using U.S. supercomputers illegally to simulate warhead detonations without actual underground tests, The Washington Times has learned.
U.S.-origin high-performance computers are being used at the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics, the main nuclear weapons facility in Beijing. The facility is viewed by officials as China's version of Los Alamos National Laboratory, according to Clinton administration intelligence officials.
The use of U.S. supercomputers - with computational speeds of billions of operations per second or faster - at the nuclear facility was outlined in a report classified "top-secret" and circulated among senior U.S. national security officials last month, said the officials who have seen it. They discussed some elements of the report on the condition of anonymity. Disclosure of the use of U.S. computers to help develop China's nuclear arms comes as the Clinton administration and Congress are considering new measures to loosen exports of American-made high-performance computers.
An amendment to the current defense authorization bill President Clinton signed in February further relaxed export rules on advanced computers, allowing U.S. manufacturers to begin selling faster systems on Aug. 15.
Officials did not identify the U.S. manufacturers of the systems or how they were obtained.
Supercomputer sales have been restricted because they are crucial elements for designing and developing nuclear weapons, missiles and advanced conventional arms, according to defense officials.
Additionally, the U.S. intelligence community reported last month that China is expanding a nuclear research facility at Mianyang. The so-called "Science City" there is working on both nuclear weapons and civilian energy research, the intelligence officials said.
The reported supercomputer use at the nuclear facility is the third time China's government has been detected diverting U.S.-origin computers to defense facilities.
In 1997, China agreed to return a Silicon Graphics supercomputer that was illegally diverted through a Hong Kong front company to a Chinese defense facility.
A White House National Security Council spokesman declined to comment, citing a policy of not talking about intelligence matters.
A U.S. intelligence official who was not familiar with the report said that it has been difficult for U.S. intelligence agencies to learn whether China is using complete U.S. advanced computers, or whether they are using a combination of U.S. components and homemade systems.
According to Clinton administration officials, the president hopes to dramatically ease export control on high-powered computers.
An amendment to the current defense authorization bill sponsored by Sen. Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, would make it easier for the president to change the export rules by reducing a congressional notification period from 180 days to 30 days.
The argument of some officials who support the changes is that the systems are so widely available that controlling them is futile.
Other officials who oppose the decontrol note that the United States produced the best and fastest supercomputers and that they should not be exported to countries that could use them against the United States, like China.
A Senate national security aide said the administration "failed completely" to win Chinese government cooperation in checking on the end use of U.S. computers sold during the 1990s.
"That's why the Chinese know that they can use these computers with impunity," the aide said, noting that the relaxation of controls "has been a disaster for U.S. national security."
Stephen Bryen, a Pentagon export-control official during the Reagan administration, said he predicted in the early 1990s that U.S. supercomputers would be used by China for developing advanced nuclear weapons.
"That's been the great worry about transfers of supercomputers," he said. "That they would be able to design a new generation of smaller warheads that can fit on smaller missiles or which can be MIRVed" - multiple, independently targetable re-entry vehicles, or multiple warheads.
Mr. Bryen said in an interview that the United States was able to radically reduce the number of actual underground nuclear tests needed for developing new warheads, from several hundred to about five.
"This is not good news for us because the Chinese can do a lot of this covertly," he said. "It will be hard for us to know their capabilities, and we will have a difficult time understanding the threat."
The report by the special House committee that investigated Chinese spying and technology acquisition stated that there is limited information on China's use of U.S. supercomputers. However, the report said that the panel "judges that the People's Republic of China has been using high performance computers for nuclear weapons applications."
The report stated that under relaxed export rules, China may have purchased as many as 603 high-speed computers between 1996 and 1998.
Following the illegal diversion to defense use of several U.S. supercomputers by Russia and China, Congress in 1998 passed a law requiring tighter restrictions.
The law required exporters to notify the government before selling supercomputers to nations like China and Russia.
The U.S. computer industry opposed the requirement and has lobbied instead for further relaxation of controls as computer computational capabilities increased.
In July, Mr. Clinton loosened the restrictions further to allow exports of machines capable of 6.5 billion operations per second, and in February announced he will allow sales of computers that carry out 12.5 billion operations per second.
According to the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics was identified in June 1997 as an "entity of concern," a designation that warned American exporters that the institute was involved in defense programs.
Jade, since there is no hurry - - - and since we're all enjoying this discussion so much
tell me me now, who do you trust more - democrat Presidents or Republican Presidents. - just curious."
[I remember in the past - sometime in the not to distant past, some official in Communist China stated something like this:
"We sure do like your President Clinton."
[perhaps our good friend Registered would like to chime in too - since Registered has insight on what is really happening to our country:
"The decision not to do so went to the very top of the White House, according to former administration sources So why is Bill getting the blame for this?
WE ALL KNOW who was actually running policy in the White House..."
41 posted on 1/5/02 4:59 PM Pacific by Registered
"To me, this is a stunningly sad development!"
Why, ChaseR?! Is Dubyuh or the GOP not allowed to receive contributions from folks who want less government intervention in the MarketPlace or--RIGHTLY--believe that American Security was increasingly AT RISK each day that the Lib'ral RATS were allowed to retain the Oval Office?
"Mudboy Slim, I'm just curious, what do you think of Jades posts here this morning and do you Mud, give much them the credibility that I'm starting to give them???"
As you know, I've got great respect for Ms. Jade and many things she posts, but IMHO, there is a tendency for good folks to fall prey to a certain "they all do it" mentality when discussing the rancid underbelly of Cold War Geo-Politickin'. Osama bil Clinton is but a Symptom of the LeftWing's more-sinister disease of PowerLust...and Ms. Jade is incorrectly linking the Weilding of Power with the Lusting for Power when she implies that folks like Dubyuh are as to blame for the EVIL--including 9/11/01--in America as folks like Clinton!! RATcat's similarly self-deluded, IMHO...too much trollin' the Leftist Propaganda Rags, I reckon!!
FReegards...MUD
Black Jade, would you kindly inform everyone - as to why you chose the this word: "disturbing" -thank you Jade.
FReegards...Steve
Looking at it that way, the way you've correctly stated your piece - why, absolutely - of course, I agree with you your premise that Bush should be able to accept those donations. Yes!
(what I want to accomplish here this morning - is to get Everyone - to discuss the horrible allegations in #30 and #31 - the implications left in all readers minds - after digesting posts #30 and #31 - are horrid for our country .... simple as that - I just want more FR posters and lurkers to understand what all is in these posts #30 and #31, thanks for your quick reply this morning Mud, nice to see you again and Happy New Year to you and yours)
Likewise, I'm sure...MUD
I'm not being picky, but it now seems to me...
- - that Jade, has now clearly drawn a line in the sand - on her view of President Bush and his past and current policy towards the Communist Chinese.
Perhaps Black Jade will come back and separate the sand pebbles even more for all of us.
my error, in these references to Jade this morning, I've used both her and his, my fault, it's too early for all of this, but these posts #30 and #31 - had to be examined immediately.
*****
Mud courageously states:
"As you know, I've got great respect for Ms. Jade and many things she posts, but IMHO, there is a tendency - - - for good folks - - - to fall prey to
a certain "they all do it" mentality when discussing the rancid underbelly of Cold War Geo-Politickin'.
I'm not being picky, but it now seems to me...
- - that Jade, has now clearly drawn a line in the sand - on her view of President Bush and his past and current policy towards the Communist Chinese.
Perhaps Black Jade will come back and separate the sand pebbles even more for all of us.
Black Jade, have you "fallen prey" today? Just curious. I like what you've posted the last couple days, but I'm stymied here this morning...thank you.
"Daddy Bush has a huge debt to the Chinese and sonny is paying it off. We are merely the "fodder"."
34 posted on 1/6/02 5:59 AM Pacific by rubbertramp
BLACK JADE, let me put it to you, do YOU JADE, CONCUR WITH...rubbertramps - - assessment?????
(if nothing else, perhaps - you and I Mud, have now helped Black Jade - so that she won't "fall prey" anymore...anyway.......
*******
To:LarryLied ;bluetoad;onedoug;OKCSubmariner;kevin;maceman;Melinator;Hopalong;super175; color_tear...
This is good news... Is it?
(Black Jade, speaking to LarryLied)
No, this isn't good news! OKCSubmariner just gave us some reasons why it isn't. No analogy to what Clinton did. First of all, he took bribes to ease export controls.
Larry, let's get real. Just what would you call this, if it isn't bribery? Bush lifts limits on computer exports :"Computer manufacturers have opposed the limits. They point out that the United States has restricted its exports, but other countries have not. This has allowed North Korea to get its hands on fast computers, while leaving U.S. manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage. High-tech companies welcomed the move....
Intel, as the world's largest chipmaker, stands to benefit from the move. With the increase, systems that use many Intel processors strung together to make more powerful computers can be exported, translating into more potential sales for Intel."Now why does the administration care so much about what Intel and other US high tech firms think about restrictions on high tech exports? Are you also going to tell us that Intel had nothing to do with Bush's decision to support the PRC's entrance into the WTO?
21 posted on 1/6/02 4:56 AM Pacific by Black Jade
Bush Eases Computer Exports
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.