Political Quotes

“If ratified, Mr. President, the Chemical Weapons Convention would provide inspectors from foreign countries unprecedented access to U.S. facilities, both commercial and Government-related. Inspectors would be permitted to interview site personnel, inspect records, photograph onsite apparatus, take samples, record readings of plant equipment, and use instruments to monitor processes. The risk that trade secrets or national security secrets could be stolen during inspection is very high. First, proprietary information is often the basis for a chemical company's competitive edge. Industrial espionage can enable a competitor to obtain at a minimal cost information that its originator acquired only through an enormous investment of time and money, thereby erasing the company's competitive advantage. For this reason, the theft of trade secrets can cripple even a giant company and can be fatal to a smaller enterprise. Second, because chemicals covered by the CWC are used in a variety of aerospace activities, from the manufacture of advanced composites and ceramics to additives for paints and fuels, dozens of defense contractors are targeted for routine inspections under the CWC.”