is there somewhere a nuke with our names on it?
Pakistan has rejected a proposal to let the UN question the disgraced nuclear expert, AQ Khan, who has been under virtual house arrest since 2004. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the authorities had fully investigated Dr Khan’s activities and had passed on the results to the UN.
So who is Mr AQ Khan?
From BBC Profile: Abdul Qadeer Khan
… But in 1976, Dr Khan returned home to head up the nation’s nuclear programme with the support of then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Dr Khan played the key role in developing Pakistan’s nuclear military capability, which culminated in successful tests in May 1998.
During his work, Dr Khan insisted that the programme had no military purpose, but following the 1998 tests admitted: “I never had any doubts I was building a bomb. We had to do it.”
Coming shortly after similar tests by India, Dr Khan’s work helped seal Pakistan’s place as the world’s seventh nuclear power and sparked national jubilation. He went on to work on the successful test-firings of the nuclear-capable Ghauri I and II missiles.
In March 2001 he was promoted to the inner circle of the country’s military leadership as special science and technology adviser to President Pervez Musharraf. He was sacked from the position unceremoniously in January 2004 during the investigation.
… revelations that he has passed on nuclear secrets to other countries have shocked and traumatised Pakistan. Abdul Qadeer Khan, who has confessed to transferring nuclear technology to Iran and Libya, is regarded as a national hero for helping Pakistan become a nuclear state.
In a televised address, Mr Khan offered his “deepest regrets and unqualified apologies”. “I take full responsibility for my actions and seek your pardon,” he said. …
As he was carrying out his programme, Dr Khan was also being investigated in the Netherlands for taking enrichment technology during his time in the country.
Dr Khan’s facility, Khan Research Laboratories at Kahuta, became Pakistan’s main nuclear weapons laboratory where uranium was enriched. It has continued to attract US suspicion and in 2003 Washington imposed sanctions on the firm for the alleged transfer of missile technology from North Korea.
This was his response
to a report at that time when he was being investigated by Netherlands.
from Eigen’s Political and Historical Quotations
Quoted by William Langewiesche in
“The Wrath of Khan,” The Atlantic November 2005
Pakistani Scientist; Developer of the Pakistani Nuclear Bomb
Abdul Quadeer Khan“The article on Pakistan … was so vulgar and low that I considered it an insult to reflect on it. It was in short words a bull-shit, full of lies, insinuations and cheap journalism for money and cheap publicity.
Shyam Bhatia, a Hindu bastard, could not write anything objective about Pakistan. Both insinuated as if Holland is an atomic bomb manufacturing factory where, instead of cheese balls, you could pick up “triggering mechanisms.”
Have you for a moment thought of the meaning of this word? Of course not because you could not differentiate between the mouth and the back hole of a donkey. Response to a report in the British Observer”
Continuing BBC’s report:
The government’s response came after Ms Benazir Bhutto was reported to have said that she would – were she to return to office – give the International Atomic Energy Agency direct access to Dr Khan. On Tuesday ex-PM Benazir Bhutto said she would let the UN nuclear watchdog put questions to Dr Khan, if she returned to office, reports said.
Dr Khan as a national hero for developing Pakistan’s first nuclear bomb.
In 2004 he confessed to leaking nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya, sparking huge international concern.President Musharraf pardoned Dr Khan shortly after he made a televised confession claiming sole responsibility for more than a decade of nuclear smuggling. The government maintains that neither it nor the Pakistani military was aware of his illegal activities.
Makes me wonder:
1. If he was promoted to the military inner circle, and was Mr Musharraf’s advisor, how can Musharraf say he was unaware of any such dangerous and hazardous transaction and transportation?
2. If he has confessed, why has he been simply “pardoned” and not faced a trial?
3. If he has been pardoned why is he being kept under “house arrest”?
ie. secured away from being questioned.
4. Pakistan is an ally in the “war against terror”; then why is Pakistan not letting UN officials question Mr Khan to find out who else has benefited from his generosity?
Is it just my suspicious mind or do we have have reasons to suspect a cover up?
After all if we are to be nuked in our jammies,
I would at least like to know who to be grateful to for doing us that favour.
Pakistan
Islamic Bomb
terrorism
WMDs
nuclear war
granderrBharata said this on September 28th, 2007 at 12:21
agree 100%
little indian said this on September 28th, 2007 at 12:44
Thanks GranderrBharata,
I think this is an important issue that is being swept under the carpet.
The Americans could invade Iraq, plan to bomb Iran based only on speculations, while here is someone who by his own confession had a nuclear blackmarket going but hasn’t been interrogated by IAEA or the UN as to which countries did benefit from his generosity, and with hows and whats?
It is this persistent American double standards when it comes to everything Pakistan that really worries me.
earthpal said this on September 29th, 2007 at 06:43
Yes, some scary questions there Little Indian.
Why is Musharraf, as controversial as he is, allowed to go unchallenged by George Bush? Why did Bush support Musharraf’s pardoning of Khan?
How supsicious it is that Washington is all-too-willing to “trust” that Pakistan’s nuclear programme is safe just because of Pakistan’s role in their ludicrous war-on-terror?
I suspect there are many more unanswered questions.
only if… « “me no big chief… said this on October 21st, 2007 at 13:26
[…] successfully convinced the government, that to counter India’s “aggression”, Pakistan needed a N-bomb to survive. India had never showed aggression towards Pakistan. India’s N-programme was aimed against […]
Cry Baby said this on January 4th, 2008 at 13:44
This is a farce, you are a farce little Indian with big stupid ideas. because not only does America disregard pakistan’s nucluer ability, but many other countries too, not to mention india, Israel and of course the UK and the USA themselves. People should only attack Pakistan or North korea or any other country with nucluer power if they don’t have nucluer weapons themselves. Otherwise they are called a HYPOCRITE, who can’t take it that someone has got the same toy as them.
littleindian said this on January 4th, 2008 at 22:34
Big stupid ideas, not mine.
It was Americans who poured $$ and created the mujahedeen and the talibans that was the real big stupid idea.
It is Americans who poured in billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan, to keep a dictator in power, that is a real big stupid idea.
It is the Americans who are hunting Mr Bin Laden with the help of Pakistan, that is the biggest stupidest idea. 😀
America disregards Pakistan’s nuclear ability!! Think again.
America is very much aware if it ever gets hit with an “Islamic nuclear bomb” where that bomb will come from.
Yes India has nuclear weapons,
Hypocrites? maybe but not a terrorist training ground like Pakistan.
India doesn’t sympathise with the al Qaeda or the Talibans.
Indian nukes are not at the risk of falling into the hands of Islamic terrorists.
I a hypocrite? maybe. But I am no ostrich with head in the sand.
Musharraf is misusing American aid to buy weapons when there are thousands still homeless and starving, that is the real hypocrisy.
I don’t give a toss what you call me, the fact remains America has at last woken up to Musharraf’s double faced policies.
It is America that will blow Pakistan back to stone ages, remember?
Try and fool the stupids and ignorants with your garbage, you will achieve nothing here.