Posted on 07/05/2008 10:25:22 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's foreign ministry insisted on Saturday that its nuclear proliferation case was closed, a day after the disgraced architect of its atomic program claimed the army under President Pervez Musharraf helped spread the technology.
Abdul Qadeer Khan said on Friday that Pakistan's army supervised a 2000 shipment of used P-1 centrifuges to North Korea. It must have been sent with the approval of Musharraf, the then-army chief who took power in a 1999 coup, Khan alleged.
"It was a North Korean plane, and the army had complete knowledge about it and the equipment," Khan said. "It must have gone with his (Musharraf's) consent."
The comments caused a stir in Pakistani media, and newspapers played the story prominently on their front pages on Saturday. Mohammad Sadiq, spokesman for the foreign ministry, offered only limited comment, however.
"The nuclear proliferation issue is a closed case," Sadiq said, reiterating a longtime Pakistani stance. "We do not think that a debate is required on it."
Pakistan's top nuclear authority rejected claims on Saturday by Khan that the army and Musharraf sent centrifuges to North Korea in 2000.
Lieutenant General Khalid Kidwai, head of the Strategic Planning Division (SPD), told a select group of reporters there was "enough evidence" about the proliferation network that Khan had run from 1987.
Pakistan has repeatedly denied that its army or government knew about Khan's proliferation activities. Still, Khan's allegations match expert assessments that running such a network would have been very difficult without some involvement from Pakistan's security
apparatus.
Musharraf's spokesman, Rashid Qureshi, rejected Khan's claims. "I can say with full confidence that it is all lies and false statements," he said. In a speech Friday, Musharraf made no mention of Khan's allegations.
Kahn Has always bothered me. We know that Ghaddafi got the goods from Kahn and Ghaddafi folded like tent when GWB got riled.
How many are there out there that are better brinksmen than Ghaddafi?
pick your liar
Bingo
Nite!
Who’ll keep watch?!!! ;)
The issue will continue to be publicly debated as long as A.Q. Khan is alive and giving interviews.
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