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DATE=1/21/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-244464 TITLE=NUCLEAR CUT OFF (L-ONLY) BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN DATELINE=GENEVA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE UNITED STATES SAYS IT IS PUSHING FOR A HALT TO THE PRODUCTION OF NUCLEAR BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL. A SENIOR U-S OFFICIAL HAS URGED THE GENEVA-BASED UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT TO NEGOTIATE A TREATY BANNING THE PRODUCTION OF WHAT'S KNOWN AS "FISSILE MATERIAL" -- THE PLUTONIUM AND HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM USED IN MAKING NUCLEAR BOMBS. LISA SCHLEIN HAS DETAILS IN THIS REPORT. TEXT: THE U-S OFFICIAL SAYS THERE'S NO BETTER WAY TO END THE NUCLEAR ARMS RACE THAN BY CUTTING OFF BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL AT ITS SOURCE. THE DIRECTOR OF THE U-S ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT AGENCY, JOHN HOLUM, SAYS ENDING THE PRODUCTION OF HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM AND PLUTONIUM WOULD MAKE THE PROCESS OF NUCLEAR ARMS REDUCTION IRREVERSIBLE. HE TOLD REPORTERS IN GENEVA THE UNITED STATES REGARDS A TREATY TO CUT OFF THIS FISSILE NUCLEAR MATERIAL AS A KEY STEP TOWARD THE ULTIMATE ELIMINATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. THE AMERICAN ARMS CONTROL OFFICIAL SAYS THE TREATY SHOULD NOT DEAL WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF EXISTING STOCKPILES. THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA, HE SAYS, ARE ALREADY ENGAGED IN BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS TO REDUCE THEIR STOCKS. ///HOLUM ACT/// WE HAVE AGREED TO REMOVE PERMANENTLY FROM MILITARY USE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA HUNDREDS OF TONS OF H-E-U (HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM) AND PLUTONIUM ALREADY. A BIG PART OF THAT WILL BE DONE IN THE FORM OF REMOVING HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM FROM MILITARY PROGRAMS, BLENDING IT DOWN AND BURNING IT IN POWER REACTORS. ///END ACT/// SEVERAL COUNTRIES, INCLUDING SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA AND PAKISTAN ARE CALLING FOR THE STOCKPILES OF THE FIVE DECLARED NUCLEAR POWERS TO BE PUT ON THE U-N NEGOTIATING TABLE. MR. HOLUM REJECTS THIS, SAYING IT COULD LEGITIMIZE THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAMS OF THOSE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE NOT YET JOINED THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY. TWO OF THESE COUNTRIES, INDIA AND PAKISTAN, TESTED NUCLEAR WEAPONS LAST YEAR. MR. HOLUM SAYS IN LIGHT OF THOSE TESTS, THE UNITED STATES PROPOSES A MORATORIUM ON THE PRODUCTION OF FISSILE MATERIAL WHILE NEGOTIATIONS FOR A CUT-OFF TREATY ARE GOING ON. ///REST OPT/// ///2ND HOLUM ACT/// ONE VERY USEFUL STEP WOULD BE AN AGREEMENT AMONG COUNTRIES THAT HAVE TESTED NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO STOP THE PRODUCTION OF PLUTONIUM, IN PARTICULAR IN SOUTH ASIA. ///END ACT/// MR. HOLUM SAYS SUCH AN ACTION WOULD HELP TO PREVENT A RUN-AWAY ARMS RACE IN SOUTH ASIA. HE SAYS THERE'S A VERY STRONG NEED TO PUT A CAP ON NUCLEAR BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL IN THAT REGION. (SIGNED) NEB/LS/PCF 21-Jan-99 11:54 AM EST (1654 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .