Illogic in the Nuclear Arena : Why does White House oppose tightening technology exports to untrustworthy nations?

Even as chilling revelations about Iraq’s advanced nuclear weapons programs continue to emerge, the Bush Administration is working to block Congress from imposing stricter controls over nuclear technology exports to untrustworthy countries. It makes no sense.

The Administration says it opposes legislation to toughen existing controls over nuclear technology exports because it regards the effort as congressional “micromanagement” of foreign and trade affairs. In fact, Congress is acting out of a demonstrated and compelling need. Iraq, as on-site inspections and seizures of documents by U.N. inspectors have made frighteningly clear, was able to use its considerable oil wealth to acquire the means for building its own nuclear arsenal. Experts say it may have been little more than a year away from producing a nuclear device. Indeed, had Israel not bombed the Osirak reactor near Baghdad in 1981, it’s conceivable that Iraq might long since have become a nuclear power. The technology that has gone into the Iraqi effort in almost every case was imported. What congressional backers of tighter nuclear export controls want is to make acquisition of such technology more difficult. Does this signify a compulsion to micromanage? We think it shows a prudent interest in seeking a safer and more stable world.

The Administration makes a feeble case at best for opposing tighter controls. One measure before Congress would embargo exports of dual-use nuclear technology to countries that support terrorism. The targeted states include Syria and Iran. But the Administration is aghast. Such an action, the State Department warns, could hinder the Middle East peace process and efforts to gain the release of Western hostages in Lebanon. This argument comes uncomfortably close to suggesting that a threat of Syrian or Iranian blackmail should be allowed to influence the American legislative process.

Rather than trying to hobble Congress’ efforts to better control nuclear technology transfers, the Administration ought to be eagerly seeking help from its allies and others to impose stricter international controls over nuclear exports. It cost billions of dollars last winter to try--unsuccessfully as we now know--to cripple Iraq’s nuclear facilities. Surely it would be infinitely safer and vastly more cost-effective to prevent dangerous states like Iraq, Syria, Iran and Libya from acquiring nuclear weapons technology in the first place.

Non-proliferation is not just a goal but an increasingly urgent necessity. It’s odd indeed that Congress should be so far ahead of the Bush Administration in recognizing that fact.