Senate OKs Bill Against Iran’s Weapons Allies

The Senate, with grudging White House acceptance, unanimously approved legislation Thursday designed to punish Russia and other countries suspected of helping Iran develop long-range ballistic missiles or nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

The measure, a weaker version of one passed by the House, would require President Clinton to cut off weapons sales or economic aid to countries that transfer sensitive technology to Tehran--except in cases where he believes that imposing such penalties would hurt U.S. national security.

The bill would also suspend some payments the United States owes Russia for its part in developing the International Space Station until Clinton certifies that Moscow is cooperating in halting the proliferation of weapons technology to Iran.

The bill passed, 98-0, with California’s two senators, Democrats Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, among those voting in support. The House vote on a similar bill last fall was 419 to 0.

The Senate action comes as the Clinton administration is trying to avoid worsening tensions with Russia as that country prepares for a presidential election next month. The White House is also seeking to lend encouragement to Iran’s moderate political faction, which won control of the nation’s parliament in last week’s election.

But the strong Democratic support in both houses for the sanctions bill was dramatic evidence that both parties are frustrated by Moscow’s continuing willingness to flout U.S. wishes on the proliferation issue--and by the administration’s reluctance to step up pressure on the Russians.

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) said the measure “sends a message to the administration” about “the broad bipartisan support here in Congress and about the need for tougher action.”

Clinton had long opposed a more stringent version of the bill, but in the face of a GOP agreement to soften some provisions--as well as a clear signal sent by Democratic lawmakers--he indicated that he would sign the revamped measure, assuming that the House will accept it.

The House is expected to rubber-stamp the Senate measure early next week and send the bill to the president.

The action caps a three-year battle between the White House and congressional Republicans over GOP demands that Clinton get tough with Russia over weapons proliferation.

The president vetoed a sterner bill in 1998, avoiding a congressional override only by imposing modest sanctions on seven Russian government agencies that U.S. officials said were supplying Iran with weapons technology. Three more agencies were targeted in 1999.

Russian scientists, companies and other entities are widely regarded as a likely source of much of Iran’s nuclear technology. Other countries suspected of helping Iran develop weapons of mass destruction include China and North Korea.

The CIA warned last month that Iran may now be able to make a nuclear weapon--a major change from its previous assessment that Tehran had not yet fully developed that capability.

Despite the heightened worry over the Iranian threat, Senate leaders softened some provisions from the earlier bill to give the president more discretion on whether to impose sanctions.

Foreign policy experts were divided over the revised measure’s likely impact. John Wollstahl, an analyst at the Carnegie Institute, warned that the measure “has the potential to damage our security relationship with Russia,” depending on how the bill is enacted.

At the same time, he said, critics of the administration have a point in complaining that “the United States has to be more attentive and more focused on what Russia is doing with regard to providing such technology to Iran.”

Henry D. Sokolski, head of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, said the measure was long needed and provided the minimum necessary protection. “Finally, there’s agreement that we should at least not subsidize proliferators,” he said.