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September 9, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Russia Denies U.S. Access on Bioweapons"
Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) (09/08/02) P. A25; Warrick, Joby
Russia continues to renege on a promise to share bioweaponry secrets with American researchers, according to Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), nor will it allow a congressional delegation to visit a military-run biological research laboratory. During an August visit to Russia by Lugar, who is behind legislation to expand U.S.-Russian initiatives to halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the rejections served to underscore the bureaucratic differences of opinion in relationship to the war on terrorism between President Bush and Vladimir Putin. Lugar acknowledged that attempts to resolve an ongoing dispute between the United States and Russia regarding a genetically altered strain of anthrax developed at the Russian State Research Center for Applied Microbiology in Obolensk, were also unsuccessful. American scientists have been eager to learn whether U.S. vaccines will work against the strain, as it is supposed to be highly resistant to current anthrax vaccines; however, so far Russia has not released the microbes, citing laws that restrict the export of dangerous pathogens. Russia has also continued to refuse U.S. inspections of four laboratories controlled by the Defense Ministry, despite the U.S. funding to upgrade security and retraining of scientists, which has just served to increase suspicions that Russia is veiling continued research in biological weapons despite its denials.
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