U.S. assistance in the destruction of Russia's chemical weapons

• Main Author: Mostoller, Eric Charles
• Other Authors: Yost, David S.
• Language: en_US
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2012
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/9354; http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA386920

The thesis examines the present status of Russia's chemical weapons destruction program, which is to be implemented according to the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). It assesses the magnitude of the challenges in destroying the world's largest chemical weapons stockpile, which is located at seven sites in western Russia. It also evaluates the environmental and international security concerns posed by the conditions at these sites and the disastrous implications of a failure of this chemical demilitarization program. The thesis then investigates the development of the pilot nerve agent destruction facility at Shchuchye, Russia, which has been the primary focus of U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction program support to the destruction of Russia's chemical weapons. In view of the decisions by the U.S. Congress to eliminate finding for this destruction facility in FY2OO0 and FY2001, the thesis examines the apparent causes of these decisions, including concerns about Russian commitment to fill implementation of the CWC. The thesis concludes with a review of arguments for continued U.S. and allied support for the destruction of Russia's chemical weapons.