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Twenty-Five Nations To Join in Nonproliferation Exercise

U.S. lauds Gulf States for their resolve to curb spread of weapons of mass destruction

Twenty-five countries will take part in the first Persian Gulf exercise under the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) aimed at preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems, the State Department says.

The interdiction training exercise, called Leading Edge, will be held October 30 and 31, the department said in a statement issued October 27.

PSI is a voluntary group of nations working together to halt the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems and related materials to and from states and nonstate agents that raise proliferation concerns.

The statement noted that the exercise also will be the first held since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, and includes the participation of Japan and South Korea.

Resolution 1718, passed by a unanimous Security Council October 14 after North Korea held a nuclear test, imposes stringent, mandatory international sanctions on Pyongyang and demands an end to nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches to address what the council termed "a clear threat to international peace and security."

The State Department statement expresses U.S. appreciation for "the leadership of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE to ensure that the Gulf States will actively prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials."

It lauds "responsible nations from the region and around the globe" for demonstrating their resolve to work together to stop the spread of WMD.

Australia, Bahrain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States "provided operational assets for the live exercise phase including ships, aircraft and special teams to improve our combined capabilities to interdict shipments of proliferation concern and deter those who would trade in materials for such weapons," the department noted.

Participating in the exercise are: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

For additional information on the Proliferation Security Initiative, please see the State Department Web page.

Source: U.S. Department of State