51¶¯Âþ

The US is sabotaging efforts to monitor the spread of biological weapons,
according to other members of the Biological Weapons Convention. A meeting in
Geneva to agree a legally binding scheme for monitoring compliance with the
treaty which bans the production and stockpiling of germ weapons ended in
disarray last week after the US called a halt to the discussions. The US had
already rejected a previously negotiated protocol, but other countries had
insisted that talks should continue. Nothing was agreed except a pledge to meet
again next year.