How US Put Rogue Atom Scientist Out Of Business

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 2-9-2004 | David Blair

[blam]

How US put rogue atom scientist out of business

By David Blair in Islamabad
(Filed: 09/02/2004)

America closed down the Pakistani-based "nuclear supermarket" by confronting President Pervaiz Musharraf with "mind boggling" evidence and threatening isolation and economic sanctions, it emerged yesterday.

A high-powered American delegation met Gen Musharraf last October and demanded that he deal with Abdul Qadeer Khan, the "father" of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, who has confessed to trading atomic secrets.

Gen Musharraf: 'stunned' by the detailed evidence

The pressure on Gen Musharraf was comparable to the aftermath of September 11, when America demanded - and received - Pakistan's support against al-Qa'eda and the Taliban regime.

News of the secret confrontation helps to explain Washington's muted public response since Khan confessed last week to selling nuclear technology to the world's most radical anti-Western states. It was the biggest network for the spread of weapons of mass destruction ever uncovered, providing key technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

Richard Armitage, the US deputy secretary of state, met Gen Musharraf at his official residence in Rawalpindi on Oct 6 last year. Mr Armitage came armed with evidence compiled by the CIA and MI6.

Gen Musharraf was "stunned" by the detail. Khan's meetings with dealers in controlled weapons technology had all been tracked. Bank accounts holding payments made for nuclear secrets were recorded.

The Americans had tracked every journey Khan had made outside Pakistan. A senior Pakistani official said the evidence against the scientist was "mind boggling".

The Americans increased the pressure. A few hours after Mr Armitage departed, Gen John Abizaid, the head of US Central Command, repeated the unequivocal message that action must be taken against Khan.

"We were told that failure to take action will most certainly jeopardise [Pakistan's] ties with the US and other important nations of the world," said the official. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) later confirmed the allegations by passing on evidence from inspections of nuclear facilities in Libya and Iran.

"Both the US government and the IAEA separately reminded Pakistan that its failure to pin the responsibility of proliferation activities might lead to sanctions by the US and the United Nations," another Pakistani official told The News.

Nonetheless, Gen Musharraf did not capitulate immediately. He ordered Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency to conduct an inquiry. When this verified many of the major American claims, he placed Khan under house arrest last November.

American concern over Khan is not new. As long ago as 2001, Gen Musharraf bowed to US demands for him to be removed as head of the Khan Research Laboratories, nerve centre of the nuclear weapons programme.

In 1998, Pakistan took delivery of long-range Nodong missiles from North Korea. These weapons, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead for 900 miles, brought almost every Indian city within range of a nuclear strike from Pakistan. Khan has since confirmed the quid pro quo for this deal: centrifuge technology for producing weapons-grade uranium.

America tracked this movement of materials and Colin Powell, the secretary of state, made his suspicions clear during a meeting with Gen Musharraf in July 2002.

Yet only the application of maximum pressure brought the downfall of Khan and the end of his nuclear smuggling ring last week.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

INDEX , and missed pings!

[Defender2]

Thanks for the Very Good News and Very Best Freegards, Defender2 D2

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

A must read.

[tubebender]

...and, the king of Nepal just called for democratic elections.

Well Well Well...Lots of things happening. I wonder who is next...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

And we just found this in Iraq:

U.S. Says Files Seek Qaeda Aid in Iraq Conflict

[Dialup Llama]

> A few hours after Mr Armitage departed, Gen John Abizaid, the head of US Central Command, repeated the unequivocal message that action must be taken against Khan.

These guys are good. We got the constitution in Afghanistan that disfavored the warlords. Now more successes in Pakiland. Why we have any success there when Mursharaff could play the safe road and sandbag us, still amazes me.

[windchime]

"No wonder Tenet is staying on!!!"

Just what I was thinking as I read. We'll still hear about INTELLIGENCE FAILURE instead of INTELLIGENCE SUCCESS.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Be sure and hop over and read the linked document at the post #25.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[risk]

Ronnie has paid attention when President Bush (and campaigning GW) said that he would bring freedom to unexpected parts of the world. It is always a pleasure to see those words come true, isn't it?

[risk]

>>> Thread URL: U.S. Says Files Seek Qaeda Aid in Iraq Conflict

Oh but even here on FR we can hear shills for the suggestion that "secular" Ba'athists and "religious fanatics" have nothing in common, and that there is no joint pan-Arab/Islamic frevor to take over the world. It all must be figments of our imagination [/sarcasm]

[windchime]

Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Khan is a multimillionaire. No action has been taken against him. They just claim to be containing him. Slap on the wrist maybe. Meanwhile he is still a multimillionaire and the nuclear info. he passed on stays passed on to the wrong hands.

So what really has Bush done here?

[blam]

"So what really has Bush done here?"

He has put Pakistan on notice and stopped the 'black market' trade in nuclear technology.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Khan passed nuclear info to the highest bidders apparently, whoever they were. He is a multimillionaire who received a slap on the wrist. Potentially empty promises that he will be contained heretofore have been passed on now. So tell me what Bush and Powell have done that is so good here?

Kissed Musharaf's backside is all.

Khan is still a mulitmillionaire and the info he passed on stays passed on to the wrong hands.

Meanwhile Ossama is supposedly in Pakistan.

[Grampa Dave]

This is probably why the mediots in the USA and around the world have started their latest attempt to electronically lynch our president.

They knew this was coming out, so they had to attack him with lies, their old mantras and spins to detract from this incredible news.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

The notice he has put Pakistan on is that anyone can get away with anything.

e.g. Khan is a multimillionaire doing as he pleases after having passed nuclear info.

Pakistan created the Taliban and funded them.

The blackmarket hasn't been stopped.

Maybe Khan has been stopped, but that isn't even clear.

The whole article is BS about what was done, when what should have been done wasn't.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Success of what Khan getting a slap on the wrist and roaming free?

[nopardons]

This is great news, even if the Dems and some FREEPERs don't agree. Thanks for the ping.

[nopardons]

Okay...how should we get the passed on info out of the hands of those it was sold to? That barn door is now closed, but the cow's been put to use long ago.

And Khan is still wealthy. You think that the USA can take his money away from him? Is Pakistan a sovereign nation or not?

You don't understand what's so good, that the president has managed to do here? WHY DON'T YOU ?