RUSSIA - Feb. 24 - US Senate Approves Legislation.

The US Senate approves legislation designed to punish Russia and other countries if they help Iran develop weapons of mass destruction. In a move many senators hope will aid reformers who won a big victory over hard-liners in Iran's parliamentary elections, the Senate votes 98-0 to hand Pres. Clinton's administration the discretionary authority to impose sanctions on any country that supplies nuclear, biological or chemical weapons equipment or technology to Tehran. (The US House of Representatives in 1999 approved similar legislation, aimed at prodding the Clinton administration toward a more aggressive stance on Russian weapons proliferation to Iran.) The Clinton arbitration says it thought the new legislation was unnecessary. David Leavy, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, says: "We believe we have all the tools we need to address the problem of proliferation to Iran, and we've demonstrated in previous cases that we're prepared to impose penalties on violators. So we believe additional legislation is not necessary". (Bipartisan support for the legislation grew out of Republican criticism of the administration's policy and intelligence reports that Russian firms, scientists and academics are top providers of sophisticated weapons technology and materiel to Iran. Yet the bill was passed amid hopeful signs of a possible easing of tensions between Washington and Tehran.) Senate Republican leader Trent Lott of Mississippi says: "I think that this is an indication from us that we want Russia to stop providing this technology and information and it will be helpful to the [Iranian] reformers in saying, within their own country to those that are pushing forward with this nuclear capability and other mass destruction capabilities, that they should stop doing that". He adds: "It is a clear message to Russia that they must do more to stop providing technology and information and assistance in a variety of ways on missile capabilities and weapons of mass destruction to Iran". (Congress has become increasingly frustrated with intelligence reports of technology transfers and weapons supplies to Iran by Russian scientists, companies and other entities. The Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] also warned in 1999 that Iran is closer to amassing a nuclear arsenal than previously thought.) The new legislation requires Clinton to submit reports to Congress every 6 months identifying countries that assist Iran in developing missiles and weapons systems. These countries would face a range of punitive measures including sanctions and the suspension of economic or military assistance at the US president's discretion. (Clinton vetoed a similar bill in 1998 that, unlike the current legislation, required mandatory sanctions against those aiding missile development in Iran.) The White House also threatens to veto the latest measure, arguing that it would hurt efforts to convince Russia to join the non-proliferation effort. The Senates modify the bill to make it more palatable to the White House by giving the president the discretion to impose sanctions instead of making them mandatory. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut Democrat, says: "It started out stronger when we first introduced the initial legislation, but in the process of trying to get something done, we have modified it". Nevertheless, he "sends a message to our friends in Russia about the intensity of our concern about their part in helping Iran develop weapons of mass destruction". The legislation also stipulates that the US should not make payments to help the Russians build the International Space Station, unless Russia shows it is opposing proliferation to Iran. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein says: "If Russia and the Russian Space Agency co-operates with the US on proliferation then I believe we can work in partnership with them to increase commercial space launch and to provide funding for the International Space Station".