10/19/95 16:38 202 334 1730

CISAC +++ LEDERBERG 002-003

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND ARMS CONTROL
2101 Constitution Avenue Washington, D.C. 20418

October 19, 1995

TO: Members of the BW Group
FROM: Jo Husbands

SUBJECT: November 14th BW Group meeting

Our meeting on November 14th is an important one and could have significant impact
for the future of the Group. Please confirm your attendance with La’Faye as soon as
possible, as well as any hotel needs. We already know that Matt Meselson cannot be with us
in person, but we will try to hook him in by speaker phone for at least parts of the
discussion.

To be sure that we have time for adequate discussion of the key issues, 1 have
tentatively cut some potentially interesting issues (such as a briefing on Iraq) out of the
agenda. As the draft agenda included with this fax indicates, we will be taking up:

(1) Current prospects for CW and BW arms control. The current climate,
especially on Capitol Hill, seems quite gloomy for the CWC and for the use of continuing
suspicions about Russia’s BW program for various political purposes, including tying up the
Nunn-Lugar program. This is the context in which we must operate and we will take some
time at the beginning of the meeting to discuss it briefly.

(2) BW conversion assistance to Russia. John Steinbruner believes that we now
have reasonable prospects of being asked by DOD to take on the task of designing the kind
of comprehensive conversion assistance program for former Russian BW facilities that we
have been urging the U.S. government to undertake. We should have an indication by the
time we meet of whether -- and if so, when -- this is likely to come to pass. If we get any
news sooner, we will of course let you know.

(3) Maintaining an international consensus against BW. Josh remains interested
in our addressing the problem of sustaining the international consensus against the use of
BW, which would clearly broaden our focus beyond Russia.

(4) Responses to the threat of BW terrorism. Bob Chanock strongly believes that
we should take up the subject of what can be done to prepare the U.S. to respond to the use
of BW by terrorists. As I understand the issue, there does seem to be a potential role for
our Group or for the Academy in raising consciousness and in exploring altematives. We
will try to get someone to come in to talk about the status of current U.S. government
efforts,

We look forward to any comments on the draft agenda and to seeing you in-
November.
10/19/95

9:30
10:00

10:15

10:45

12:45

1:30

4:00

4:30

16:38 202 334 1730

CISAC 22+ LEDERBERG 003/003

DRAFT AGENDA 10/19

Working Group on Biological Weapons Control
Planning Meeting

Room 280, NAS Building
2101 Constitution Avenue N.W.
November 14, 1995
Continental breakfast available

Meeting begins

— updates; announcements

The current political climate [This will be a brief overview of the current
prospects for CWC and the ways in which BW is becomilg tied to the fate of
other arms control and assistance programs, particularly the CWC and Nunn-
Lugar aid.]

Assistance for conversion of former Russian BW facilities

-- status of current U.S. conversion assistance CISTC, national labs, NASA)
[we may invite someone like Anne Harrington to join us}

--. status of proposed NAS/NRC project and plans for the future

Lunch

Broader issues/potential new activities
_. gystaining an international consensus on the unacceptability of BW

_. threat of BW terrorism
o the problem

+«% possible guest: Kyle Olson (I understand that he has done a great
deal of work on the Japanese cult and its BW and CW programs)

o the response
*** possible guests: Frank Young; Brian Maby; others?

_- role for the BW Group or the NAS/NRC?

Summary and assigmments

‘Adjoum