Posted on 02/08/2004 9:48:09 AM PST by DoctorZIn
WASHINGTON – As the Pakistani nuclear proliferation story widens, U.S. intelligence officials say top atomic scientists from that country met with Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar in Afghanistan.
Two former senior Pakistani nuclear scientists who were based in the Afghan town of Kandahar met Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden several times before the fall of the Taliban. They were later detained and questioned on their return to Pakistan.
Last week, after it became clear that Pakistan was the center of what has become known internationally as the "nuclear bazaar," President Pervez Musharraf agreed to pardon nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan for selling the country's nuclear secrets to Libya, North Korea and Iran.
Because Pakistan is perceived to be central to the U.S. war on terror, the reaction in Washington has been low-key.
"This is a matter between Dr. Khan, who is a Pakistani citizen, and his government," said Secretary of State Colin Powell to reporters outside the United Nations. "But it is a matter also that I'll be talking to President Musharraf about."
Bush administration officials have expressed satisfaction with Musharraf's guarantees that the country's nuclear proliferation will now come to an end.
A top defector from North Korea says that country's uranium-based nuclear weapons program was launched in 1996 under a deal with Pakistan. In addition, Pakistan stationed other nuclear scientists in Iran to help that country develop its nuclear weapons program.
Pakistan says the presidential pardon to the top nuclear scientist over his admission to have proliferated nuclear technology to three foreign countries is subject to set of a "comprehensive conditions" – but those conditions have not been revealed publicly.
The pardon even allows Khan to keep the vast wealth he accumulated by developing Pakistan's nuclear weapons and from selling the technology to other countries – including several rogue nations. Khan is believed to have earned millions of dollars from his sale of nuclear know-how, beginning in the late 1980s. Much of the money was funneled through bank accounts in the Middle East. His assets include four houses in Islamabad worth an estimated $2.8 million, a villa on the Caspian Sea, a luxury hotel in Mali and a valuable collection of vintage cars.
Khan, 69, last week made a televised confession of his wrongdoing after government investigators confronted him. Despite being granted a pardon, he is under house arrest and forbidden to give interviews.
In addition to selling nuclear technology to Iran and North Korea, Khan also offered Saddam Hussein a design for a nuclear weapon in 1990, according to a document seized by U.N. weapons inspectors. Later he made a deal with Libya.
Pakistan will not willingly give up its' nukes. Not with the situation they have with India.
The situation Pakistan has with India is entirely self made. The persecute Hindus and Christians, constantly violate the Line of Control, and support terrorists in Indian Kashmir. The Indian nuke was developed in response to the Chinese sponsored nuclear run up in Pakistan.
Maybe if they spent a little more time bringing their country into the civilized world, they would have a lot less to worry about from their neighbors. Seriously, what does Pakistan have that India would want? More muslims?
I was merely commenting on the hostility between the two countries. I don't see the Paks giving up theie weapons, regardless of the pressure exerted on them.
Personally, I would watch Pakistan carefully. If radical Islamists suceeded in taking over that country, it would call for drastic action. Such a situation would be intolerable.
I agree, it seems that with Muslim countries, having problems with neighbors is always self made.
He didn't give them away. He sold them.
I believe you're more spot-on than you may realize. I remember mainstream news reports shortly after the attack, that revealed that on 9/10, an Arab kid, in an argument with his teacher, said something along the lines of, "World War Three starts tomorrow, and the United States loses."
Apparently the "word on the Arab Street" in this country was consistent with your "opening tap on the shoulder" theory.
My understanding of the situation was that Musharrif had managed to break the bombs into two components (each), with the components stored in two distant locations, heavily guarded. Hopefully that's accurate, but if he gets coup'd, all bets are off.
I'm not sure that's true. I have a hunch that they do have a bomb...
I share that worry.
These bastards have demontrated that they can be patient. Look how long they waited between the first WTC attack and the second.
If they've also "purchased" some "surplus" Russian brainpower (not an unreasonable assumption, given the severe economic hell Russia experienced after the fall of communism), they may be getting some strategic advice as well as technical.
I don't agree with the conclusion (that it can only mean one thing). I've observed what seems to me to be a very strong unspoken rule since 9/11. In a nutshell, it boils down to, no matter how dire the circumstance, the overriding goal is to prevent panic at any cost.
I've seen an awful lot to support that theory. And with that in mind, the fact that they're acting to the "point of seeming unconcerned" means nothing -- because that's how they'd act regardless of what was actually going on.
Frankly, about the only thing I'd give any credence to at this point (besides a credible whistle-blower) would be a voice stress analyzer. Which brings me to my next point. A few days ago, Bush was giving an on-camera delivery about something pertaining to this "stuff" (I forget the exact details and I didn't manage to tape it, dang!), but the one thing that stands out in my memory -- and gave me the shivers -- was the tenor of his delivery.
His voice was quivering, shaky, to the point that a voice stress analyzer would have pegged its needle. I'm not talking about his typical bumblefooted delivery. I'm talking about that trademark in-the-throat shakyness that is a giveaway for real fear.
And when it's so bad that he's</> scared -- so scared that he can't put a lid on it with his famous poker face -- then I'm scared, too.
Is the word "material" ever use to refer to "documents" in that context? It doesn't seem to me to be a very good fit, but then again I have no knowledge of their nomenclature.
I believe there's a very good chance that the reason we're keeping it low-key is because what's been publicly revealed so far is merely the tip of the iceberg. I suspect the nuclear cat is out of the bag, and it's far, far worse than any of us could possibly imagine.
Highly illogical, and pollyanish.
We HOPE they don't have the bomb.
What he said.
All we really have to hang our hope on is the "hope" that they don't have it. That's called "hoping on hope", and it ain't much, as far as "hope" goes.
If you want to "connect the dots", here's a thought:
Keep track of when the big-name press-droids (and politicians) decide to "vacation" at their faaaaar out of the way "retreats", i.e, their ranches out in BFE New Mexico, Montana, etc.
If a bunch of them decide to "take a breather" all at once, well... it's pucker-time, IMO.
I think that we can trust him for whatever the length is of the leash we've got him on. So the question is, how long is the leash? And the other question is, can any other party cut that leash?
I don't know the answers.
Come on, Destro, how bad could this guy be? I have personally traded many a vintage car that was a real bomb.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.