22 June 1998
Source: http://www.usia.gov/current/news/latest/98062202.glt.html?/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml


USIS Washington File
_________________________________

22 June 1998

TEXT: RUBIN CITES PLASTIC EXPLOSIVES MARKING CONVENTION

(Convention enters into force for U.S. and others)  (1530)

Washington -- State Department Spokesman James Rubin says that a
convention seeking international cooperation in the control and
handling of plastic explosives has entered into force -- marking a
major step in the campaign to combat international terrorism.

Negotiated in the wake of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in December
1988, the convention mandates the use of selected chemical marking
agents in the manufacture of plastic explosives to facilitate their
detection by commercially available mechanical detectors and canines.

To date, 51 nations have signed the convention and 38 have ratified,
accepted, approved or acceded to it. The U.S. Senate ratified the
convention in 1993.

Rubin said that parties to the convention are committed to an
international control regime aimed at diminishing and eliminating the
availability of very difficult-to-detect explosives -- unmarked
plastic explosives -- that have been attractive to terrorists over the
years.

Rubin added, however, that the convention can do little to impact
plastic explosives that may already be in the hands of terrorists.

"Action against that threat can only come from advances in explosive
detection technologies...better training and procedures for inspectors
and security personnel, and international implementation of agreed
upgraded security standards for checking baggage and cargo," he said.

Rubin also called on all nations -- that have not yet done so -- to
become party to this convention and to 10 other antiterrorism
conventions, including the newest one, the International Convention
for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, which opened for signature
last January.


Following is the text of Rubin's statement:

(begin text)

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE

June 22, 1998


STATEMENT BY JAMES P. RUBIN, SPOKESMAN


Plastic Explosives Marking Convention

Yesterday, June 21, 1998, marked another major step in the campaign by
the United States and many other nations to join together to combat
the threat posed by international terrorism. On that date, the
Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of
Detection entered into force for those nations that have ratified the
Convention so far.

Negotiated in the wake of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in December
1988, the Convention seeks international cooperation in the control
and handling of plastic explosives. It mandates the use of selected
chemical marking agents in the manufacture of plastic explosives to
facilitate their detection by commercially available mechanical
detectors and canines.

To date, 51 nations have signed the Convention and 38 have ratified,
accepted, approved, or acceded to it. The United States signed the
Convention on March 1, 1991 and obtained US Senate advice and consent
to ratification on November 20,1993. Following passage of legislation
by the US Congress that implements the Convention on April 24, 1996
(contained in the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act), the
United States deposited its instrument of ratification with the
international Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal on April 9,
1997.

Anticipating US ratification of the Convention, the US Army, which
manufactures nearly 95 percent of the plastic explosives produced by
the United States, began marking plastic explosives in the
manufacturing phase beginning in 1995.

The Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms (ATF) has issued temporary regulations to implement the
pertinent provisions of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty
Act of 1996. These regulations address requirements for marking and
storing plastic explosives and for transactions involving marked and
unmarked plastic explosives. Now that the Convention has entered into
force, ATF will re-issue the regulations in final form.

This Convention is but one step in a long-range international effort
to combat terrorist use of explosives. States Parties to this
Convention commit to an international control regime ultimately aimed
at diminishing and eliminating the availability of a very
difficult-to-detect explosive form (unmarked plastic explosives) that
has been attractive to terrorists over the years.

This Convention can do little to impact plastic explosives that may
already be in the hands of terrorists. Action against that threat can
only come from advances in explosive detection technologies (some of
which have already been realized), better training and procedures for
inspectors and security personnel, and international implementation of
agreed upgraded security standards for checking baggage and cargo.

The Convention, however, signals the intention of the international
community to cooperate in practical ways to begin to address the
problem posed specifically by plastic explosives, and by explosives in
general. To that end, it should be applauded and joined by all nations
that seek to cooperate in combating this threat.

The United States calls upon all other nations that have yet to become
party to this Convention to do so in order to strengthen even further
the international control regime on plastic explosives. We also call
for all nations that have not yet done so to become party to the other
ten antiterrorism conventions, including the newest one, the
International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings,
which opened for signature last January.


Marking Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection

-- In the wake of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland in
December 1988, the United States and a number of other nations began a
dedicated effort to examine plastic explosives and to identify some
means to make such explosives more detectable.

-- Working under the auspices of the United Nations, and specifically
within the structure of the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO), the United States and 40 other member states negotiated and
adopted a Convention in March 1991 to address this problem.

-- The Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose
of Detection requires States Parties to mark plastic explosives they
manufacture with a chemical agent which can be detected by
commercially available vapor/particle trace detectors and canines.
Four such chemical agents are identified in the Convention.

-- The Convention also requires states to import and export only
marked plastic explosives, to ensure that they have effective controls
over stockpiles of existing plastic explosives, and requires states to
mark, use up, or destroy within 15 years their military stockpiles of
unmarked plastic explosives (3 years for stockpiles held by
non-military entities).

-- Between 1989 and 1995, the United States and many other nations
conducted major testing and evaluation programs involving plastic
explosives and candidate chemical marking agents to determine which
were suitable, compatible and safe for the project at hand.

-- After extensive testing by the US Army (which manufactures nearly
95 percent of the plastic explosives produced in this country), the
United States has selected 2,3 dimethyl-2,3 dinitrobutane (DMNB) as
its marking agent.

-- Following hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on
the results of the US testing program and the Convention's
requirements, the US Senate provided its advice and consent to
ratification for the Convention on November 20, 1993.

-- Efforts to bring implementing legislation for the provisions of the
Convention before the US Congress for consideration and passage began
in 1994 and were finally successful in the 1996 Congressional session.

-- The US implementing legislation for the Convention is contained in
Title VI of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act. The
President signed that legislation on April 24, 1996. The provisions of
Title VI took effect in the United States on April 24, 1997.

-- The Convention came into force internationally on June 21, 1998
which is 60 days following accession or ratification of the Convention
by the 35th state, provided that five ratifying states declare
themselves to be producers of plastic explosives. Ghana was the 35th
state.

-- So far, 38 nations (including some 11 major plastic explosive
manufacturing states) have ratified the Convention.

-- The 38 nations that have ratified the Convention to date include:
Algeria, Bahrain, Cameroon, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, Ecuador,
Eritrea, Estonia, France, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malta, Mexico, Monaco,
The Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Peru, Republic of Moldova, Saudi
Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab
Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Zambia.

-- Eleven states (Canada, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Japan,
Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States)
have declared themselves to be producer states for plastic explosives.


International Conventions to Combat Terrorism

-- 1998 international Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist
Bombing;

-- 1991 Montreal Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for
the Purposes of Detection;

-- 1988 Rome Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against
the Safety of Maritime Navigation;

-- 1988 Rome Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the
Safety of Fixed Platforms on the Continental Shelf;

-- 1988 Montreal Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of
Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation;

-- 1979 New York Convention Against the Taking of Hostages;

-- 1979 Vienna Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear
Materials;

-- 1973 New York Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes
Against Internationally Protected Persons;

-- 1971 Montreal Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts
Against the Safety of Civil Aviation;

-- 1970 The Hague Convention for the Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft; and

-- 1963 Tokyo Convention on Offenses and Certain Other Acts Committed
On Board Aircraft.

(end text)