I am also told that the technology to develop biological and chemical weapons is widely available, making it easy for a state to develop such weapons. While the technology has become easier to obtain, the end of the Cold War has also made it harder for the United States to convince other countries to share our concern about states, such as Iran, whom we believe are secretly developing weapons of mass destruction. When we voice our fears, our allies charge us with trying to hinder their economic growth, preventing competition in order to preserve American dominance of world markets. It has become sometimes harder to work with our friends and allies to ensure security in the world. It has been made even more difficult by globalization.
Corporations span international boundaries.
Investments involve a multitude of businesses and nationalities. This is especially true in high technology areas aerospace, for example. How to make progress without providing the seeds for our own destruction is the central challenge of this century. I welcome the witnesses to today s hearing. It promises to be a lively debate and I hope not the only time this Committee examines this problem.