Disarmament or Retention. Is the Soviet Biological Weapons Programme Continuing in Russia.

摘要

After a brief background to the Biological Weapons Convention and the Soviet Non-compliance with it, the report sets out four categories of indicators and one constraint that are believed to reveal the status of the Russian biological weapon capabilities today-disarmament or retention. The four categories are historical behavior, observable disarmament measures in Russia, the Russian positions in multilateral negotiations relating to the BTWC and the costs and risks related to a breach of the BTWC. The constraint is a summary of Russia's present outlook. The categories are investigated individually with respect to their influence on BW policy and are then evaluated together in the light of the constraint. There is reason to suspect that the Soviet biological weapons program is continuing in Russia. The lack of transparency on past and present activities in suspected facilities together with the failure to convert the former BW program, suggest that the program might still be active. Furthermore, the Russian military doctrine and security concept and Russian positions in negotiations concerning the BTWC signal that Russia continues to see a role for BW in its national defense.