Top Pakistan nuclear weapons scientist admits transferring technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea

APNewsAlert | February 1, 2004

[Boot Hill]

spetznaz asks:   "Why is Musharaff even doing this?"

Because he's between a rock and a hard place.

Pakistan is an acknowledged nuclear power. And President Musharraf is right now on the verge of being overthrown by the radical Islamists, who are essentially a mix of al Qa'ida and Taliban. If that coup is successful, it will place Pakistan's nuclear stockpile directly in the hands of these terrorists.

Last September, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qa'ida's second in command, issued a fatwa calling for Musharraf's assassination. In December, Musharraf barely survived two assassination attempts. And the circumstances of those attempts had all the earmarks of being directed from elements within the highest echelons of the Pakistani military and intelligence service and even Musharraf's own staff. And as if Musharraf didn't already have enough problems, he has stated publicly that he intends to purge all the radical Islamists that riddle his officer corps and intelligence service, by than March of this new year.

U.S. forces have been stationed inside Pakistan for more than two years at 6 different airbases located through out the country. And contrary to what Pakistan says publicly, these U.S. forces are engaged in operations inside Pakistan with Musharraf's blessing.

Even though Pakistan was a critically important ally in getting the War on Terror started in Afghanistan, they have always been an "iffy" ally because they, themselves, were a notorious hotbed of terrorist activity. In early 2002, when al Qa'ida was pushed out of the Tora Bora mountains into Pakistan, it only elevated the problem for Musharraf. His only solution to avoid being overthrown and murdered by these Ismlamist terrorists, was to seek the aid of the United States.

And it is obviously in the best interests U.S. to help Musharraf avoid that coup that would leave Pakistan's entire nuclear stockpile directly in the hands of al Qa'ida.

The thread story about the Paki's getting Abdul Qadeer Khan to confess his role in the illegal distribution of nuclear materials, equipment and technology to other terrorist countries, helps both Musharraf as well as the United States accomplish their now common goals of ridding Pakistan of its terrorist base.

But this problem is far from over, nor is its outcome a foregone conclusion.

--Boot Hill

[Boot Hill]

See post #41

[JasonC]

"at the behest of key military figures within the Pakistani establishment"

Of course it was. Musharraf is giving himself plausible deniability, but the Pakistani government of the day approved every stitch of it, you can bet anything on it.

[jrlc]

Yet the RATS will continue to insist that Saddam never had WMDs and never transfered WMD technology to our enemies.

[Henchman]

Title: "FALL GUY" - Nothing happens in Pak without the OK of fearless leader as it is a military dictatorship and this has gone on for years. Guess IRAq, LYBIA and now PAKISTAN got religion. Could IRAN and NK be next?

[kabar]

By taking this dude on Musharaff has just signed his own death warrant. Now, what i would like to know is what happened to make Musharaff take such a stance? Is this tied to the assasination attempts on Musharaff's life some weeks ago?

You answered your own question. They are trying to kill him now. There have been two reported assassination attempts and probably others. He either takes them on or waits until they take him out. Just as we can't placate al Qeada by making nice, Musharaf can't do anything to avert an assassination except to go on the offensive. It is literally a matter of life and death for him.

[Poodlebrain]

The technology may continue to spread, but it requires a substantial industrial effort to create the necessary fissionable material. Such industrial effort is difficult to hide. No country, with the possible exception of the United States creating the first, just happened to join the nuclear club in a complete surprise. Countries may have acquired nuclear weapons years ahead of the time expected, but the U.S. was aware that those countries were pursuing nuclear weapons.

The issue of proliferation is a tricky one since minor mistakes can have huge consequences. That being said, these devices have political value in excess of their military value to a rational politician. (There is no such thing as a tactical nuclear weapon, all nuclear weapons are strategic weapons.) They have immeasurable value when using Fabian tactics to deter battle, but they invite the worst consequences if actually used as they signal that no quarter is being given, nor asked for.

[swarthyguy]

Pardon the cynicism here, but who benefits?

Who comes out smelling like roses and funded to the hilt by the USA.

That Machiavellian Maestro, Mighty Musharraf.

Is the US pressuring Mush, or is he playing America like a Stradivarius. Who's zooming who, baby.

Right after Daniel Pearl's killers are hung, Khan will get his due.

[swarthyguy]

The evidence from Libya was too much even for the Administration to turn a blind eye. Ditto for Iran.

Also, people who got ripped off by the Pakistanis, aforementioned and others, perhaps, weren't too thrilled and spilt the beans.

Mush did a cost/benefit analysis and ventured that now was a good time to boost his star in the West.

[yonif]

China is also a main partner as well.

[RightWhale]

I bet there are a lot of people who wish we never would have made these weapons.

Japan, Germany, and Russia also had nuclear bomb programs. America got there first. It was known as early as 1932 that the bomb was possible. Everybody knew.

[Thisiswhoweare]

It is a shame that all of these weapons that America created have gotten out of hand.

Got a flash for ya', some the original scientists we had working on the original A-bomb aand the other children of Trinity were spirited away from the Nazis...and some of the biggest leaks of all came from Soviet espionage, and the diaspora of their scientist after the fall of the wall.

We have done more to control our nuclear technology than any other I can think of.

[Thisiswhoweare]

Super encapsulation of the problem. Thanks for the post...bump.

[spetznaz]

Mush did a cost/benefit analysis and ventured that now was a good time to boost his star in the West.

Yeah, i do agree with you SG ....i do not think Mushy woke up one day and decided to be a holy-joe and do the right thing! Nope .....the dude is obviously acting because he had no other choice. The thing is he will probably have to hightail it out of Pakiland, or get himself an amazingly accurate crystal ball with which he can predict assasination attempts so he can evade them.

Either that or develop a high immunity to fast penetrating objects as well as a resistance to detonations of the high-explosives kind.

[FreeReign]

Mush did a cost/benefit analysis and ventured that now was a good time to boost his star in the West.

Most likely the cost/benefit analysis was done several years ago. Deals were cut and calendars were marked. The Taleban have now been removed, the Baathists have now been removed and Al-Qaeda is now about two-thirds decimated. For Musharraf and the administration to have acted heretofor against the nuclear scientists would have resulted in disaster and a mission impossible for our overworked troops.

From S.A. to Pakistan, to Morocco to even Libya it's show time -- NOW!

[FreeReign]

The evidence from Libya was too much even for the Administration to turn a blind eye. Ditto for Iran.

You lack objectivity. You have no idea what this administration had planned and what their timetable was for Pakistan.

Ditto for you and your objectivity about Iran.

[VaBthang4]

Never underestimate the power of doing the right thing.

[spetznaz]

Well ....that's true Vab. That might be possible. And who knows, maybe Mushy decided to do the right thing. However i would not bet 2 nickels on that .....people do not make such acts unless there is something making them do it, or unless it is the best of several evils. I think something is happening around Mushy and his hand is being forced or left with no other option, either from within or without. I doubt he is doing this for a dudley do-right stamp of approval.

Now, moving to mroe important issues ...whatcha think of Janet Jackson's bio-weapon?

LOL ...just kidding ......just kdding (whistling away ........)

[gaspar]

One forgets that following the first Gulf War Bush I indicated to Congress that Pakistan was attempting to seek nuclear capability. This triggered the Pressler Amendment which imposed military and economic sanctions on Pakistan. Then in the 1992-93 period the State Department came within a hairsbreadth of delcaring Pakistan a member of nations involved in state-sponsored terrorism, and it was placed on notice to change or else. Then, enter Bill Clinton, the sort of appeasement under which Khan flourished, and the rest is history.