Combating Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

An additional benefit to the Bureau of Census will be a significant reduction in errors onthe SEDs. Several reviews of SEDs have revealed that one of every two SEDs containssome type of error. Due to the built-in validation functions of the AES, shipments clearedthrough AES have an error rate of about 7 percent.Customs International ProgramsThe U.S. Customs Service runs a number of programs with the customs services of othercountries. These usually involve the provision of training, equipment, or both to membersof foreign customs agenciesUnder Project Amber, which first received funding in 1994, the Customs Service offersbasic and advanced training courses to customs officials in Eastern Europe and the Balticstates. These courses stress identification, detection, interdiction, and investigations. Thecourses include both classroom work and exercises in the field, and they are tailored totake into account the specific problems of the target country. The State Department’s Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Fund, established by the Freedom Support Act, providesfunding for the program. In 1996, Congress authorized the purchase of specialized x-rayvans with nuclear detection capabilities. The United States provides these vans to customsagencies in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.The countries that have received training under Project Amber include the Czech Republic,Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia. X-ray van training has beencompleted in all of those countries as well as in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Malta,Romania, and Slovenia.Project Amber is scheduled to terminate at the end of fiscal year 2000, although there aresome efforts underway to extend it.The Department of Defense/U.S. Customs Service Counterproliferation Training Programwas authorized by the fiscal year 1997 National Defense Authorization Act. Its basictraining course builds on Project Amber, stressing border interdiction methods and theproper use of interdiction equipment.The program also includes a course at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, wherethe Department of Energy’s Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency ResponseTraining Center is located. Officials from six former Soviet republics and four EasternEuropean countries have taken the course, which is called the RADACAD InternationalBorder Security Training. These officials have returned to their countries equipped to passon their training to their colleagues.91