By Lisa Friedman,
Tri-Valley Herald,
30 September 2002

U.S. to forgive portion of Russian debt in deal Tauscher authors $300 million bill

Washington -- The U.S. will forgive Russia $300 million in debt in exchange for the former superpower`s securing nuclear material under a bill authored by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo, and headed to President Bush`s desk.

Russia possesses about 95 percent of the world`s nuclear weapons and materials outside of the United States, but doesn`t have a reliable system of accounting for its nuclear arsenal. Defense leaders have cited the danger of loose weapons or weaponry expertise falling into the hands of terrorists as one of the greatest threats to U.S. national security.

Under the provision, the United States can excuse a portion of Russia`s approximate $3.8 billion Soviet-era debt to America. In exchange, Russia will spend that money on programs to ensure that nuclear warheads, material and other weapons of mass destruction are secured.

Tauscher called the debt swap "a tool that would both help stabilize the Russian economy and find new sources of funding for the critical programs that keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of Saddam and al-Qaida."

The measure is part of the State Department authorization bill already passed by the Senate and passed by the House in a voice vote last week.

Also passed in the same bill was a provision penned by Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, urging the president to encourage a dialogue between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama.

Also included in the Tibetan Policy Act are provisions to promote economic development on the Tibetan plateau through trade promotion. The bill also requires the State Department to provide Tibetan language training to foreign service officers.

"It will send a strong signal to the Chinese government that the United States has not forgotten the plight of the Tibetan people," Lantos said.