NEW DELHI: United Phosphorus, a Bombay-based company, has contracted to supply to Syria 90 tons of trim ethyl phosphate (TMP), a chemical that can be used to manufacture nerve gas. A part of the supply was sent a few weeks ago while the other part was detected by U.S. intelligence agencies resulting in the Bush administration issuing a strong warning to Delhi and the latter holding quick meetings to stop the consignment,

Washington protested and demanded tough action by India against the illegal supply by United Phosphorus. A senior state department official has been quoted as saying “We are very much worried about India’s track record regarding the export of dual-use chemicals to the Middle East “and warned that such exports could prove an irritant in future Indo U.S, relations. The official further said that proliferation of nuclear, chemical and ballistic weapons is one of the major foreign policy concerns of the U.S. administration and that was something that would shape the U.S. relations with countries in Asia and the Middle East.

According to the New York Times, American Intelligence discovered in August that a shipment of the chemical trimethl   phosphate had been sent from India to Syria on a German vessel. The chemical can be used to make pesticides but is also an ingredient for nerve gas, Earlier shipments of Indian chemicals to Iraq and Iran have also raised United States concern.

American officials concluded that the shipment to Syria was intended for Syria’s chemical weapons program. After the United States alerted the German authorities, they had the chemicals sent back to India.

‘The U.S. administration had Iraq in mind when its officials approached India to take tough action against the firm that exported the chemicals to Syria in view of the fact that India had strongly endorsed the chemicals weapons really negotiated in Geneva.

The U.S, state department was considering action that could be taken against the Indian concern, United Phosphorus has been in the news for quite some time, Its export activities have been on for about a year now, Indicative is the strong market price of the company’s scrip which on the Bombay stock market was quoted for a maximum price of Rs 1325 (face value Rs 10) on Tuesday, Sept.22.

The spokesman for the Indian Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the export to Syria or to discuss stops India has taken to regulate its chemical exports. “I have no information on that at all,” he said.

India has supported efforts to negotiate a worldwide ban on chemical weapons in the Geneva arms talks. But Bush Administration officials said the shipment to Syria in July was the most recent sale and yet another example of worrisome chemical sales by Indian companies that have continued in recently cars despite repeated protests from Washington.

While India in recent years has repeatedly been accused of trading in substances that could be used in chemical arms, Administration officials say this episode which came as arms negotiators in Geneva were putting the finishing touches on a treaty to ban pole on gas highlights the problems that third-world exports pose for combating the spread of chemical weapons.

Among third-world nations with large chemical industries, India’s is a major and longstanding source of concern. India has extensive trade ties with the Middle East, where chemical arms development is an issue that worries Washington.

India’s export regulations are also an issue. An Administration official said that Washington had pressed its objections with India “tie and time again,” but that India had taken only limited action to tighten controls. Of the 54 “precursor” chemicals whose exports are regulated by industrialized nations, Indian companies export about 15. Of these, only 4 are subject to Indian export controls. Administration said,

The United Phosphorus official also said the Indian Government was to blame for the affair because it had imposed a ban on the shipment of trimethl phosphate on July 1 after the first shipment was sent but had not told the chemical industry.

Under United States law, sanctions that are to be applied against companies that knowingly contribute to the spread of chemical weapons would block such companies from exporting to the United States. The Shroff family exports some chemicals to the United States and is trying to expand its business, American officials said, American officials had hoped that the new chemical weapons treaty would prohibit sales of dual-use precursor chemicals to nations that did not sign the accord. But the American proposal was watered down by third-world nations that said controls could interfere with the development of their chemical industries.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 2, 1992