Good afternoon. I would like to welcome everyone to today's hearing. As you know, last week the Committee approved a substitute amendment to S. 2452, legislation creating a Homeland Security Department. Today we are going to focus on how we can improve our security through more effective international agreements.

Earlier this month, John Bolton, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control, commented in a State Department journal that, "... with very few exceptions, terrorist groups have not acquired and cannot acquire weapons of mass destruction without the support of nation-states." Our non-proliferation policies help prevent terrorists from obtaining these weapons.

U.S. non-proliferation strategy is a four-pronged approach that includes treaties, export control systems, multilateral regimes, and assistance to other countries. This Subcommittee has held hearings in the past on U.S. export control systems and assistance to other nations, especially the states of the former Soviet Union. Today we will discuss international regimes and treaties. Specifically, we will discuss the Biological Weapons Convention, the Australia Group, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Zangger Committeee, the Wassanaar Arrangement, and the Missile Technology Control Regime.

Over the next four months, the Australia Group, Nuclear Suppliers Group, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Zangger Committee, the Wassanaar Arrangment, and the Missile Technology Control Regime will hold general members meetings. A primary topic to be discussed will be the new threat environment and how the regimes should address WMD proliferation to terrorist groups. Today the Subcommittee will learn what steps the Administration is taking to strengthen these regimes.

Last week, Stephen Younger, the Director of the Department of Defense's Defense Threat Reduction Agency, said, "Al Qaeda has been trying to get weapons of mass destruction capability. I think that they had a limited infrastructure in Afghanistan to produce it indigenously, however that doesn't mean that they don't have a different capability elsewhere."

The President's just-released National Homeland Security Strategy fails to include non-proliferation among the principles of homeland security. However, our non-proliferation policies, including U.S. participation in multilateral regimes, are an essential part of our defense against a WMD terrorist attack on American soil.

I would like to welcome our Administration witnesses, Mr. Vann Van Diepen, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, and Mr. Marshall Billingslea, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. This is not the first time either of you have appeared before this Subcommittee, and I thank you for your continued assistance in our international security and proliferation oversight responsibilities.