The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is a serious challenge facing the entire civilized world. This past year we have witnessed the replacement of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) inspection regime in Iraq with a new mechanism, the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission under the leadership of the Swedish diplomat Hans Blix. The JCPA believes that the international community must ensure that this new body will effectively enforce the requirements placed on Iraq by the United Nations Security Council in the wake of Operation Desert Storm. In addition, Russia must be persuaded to stop the flow of missile and weapons technologies to Iran. In March 2000, President Clinton signed into law the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000, which requires the president to report to Congress credible information on any entity providing dangerous technologies to Iran and directs him either to sanction those entities or explain why he chooses not to do so. The law also provides that before the United States transfers additional funds to the Russian Space Agency, the president must certify that the Russian government opposes and is actively seeking to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in Iran, and that no body under the jurisdiction of the Russian Space Agency is cooperating with Iran’s missile program. The threat of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons comes not only from rogue states, but from small mobile terrorist groups as well, such as the one led by Osama bin Laden. The United States and Israel are working together to develop responses to new kinds of terrorist threats, such as "cyberterrorism," which involves the potential disruption of sophisticated military and civilian computer systems.

The JCPA was disappointed that the Senate failed to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty signed by President Clinton in 1996. With both India and Pakistan engaging in nuclear tests, it is imperative that the United States and international community take firm measures to prevent the emergence of a new nuclear arms race. This is of special concern in the volatile Indian sub-continent, which last year saw a bloodless coup in Pakistan and a near war in Kashmir.

Unfortunately, there has been little progress in the investigation of the bombings in Buenos Aires of the Israeli embassy in 1992 and the Jewish community services building (AMIA) two years later. The JCPA is encouraged that Argentina’s new president, Fernando de la Rua, has pledged to intensify efforts to bring to justice those responsible for these heinous crimes. A trial will likely begin in 2000 of some twenty Buenos Aires police officers accused of assisting the perpetrators of the AMIA attack. The JCPA will be closely following the proceedings in this case and supporting efforts by Argentinian Jewry to gain the attention of international human rights and legal experts as well as the media to this important issue.

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