China 'Trasferred Nuclear Weapon Designs To Pakistan'

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 2-16-2004 | Alec Russell

[blam]

China 'transferred nuclear weapon designs to Pakistan'

By Alec Russell in Washington
(Filed: 16/02/2004)

China has been identified as the original source of nuclear weapons designs found in Libya in the latest disclosure about the global spread of nuclear technology.

American and European experts told the Washington Post that documents handed over by Libya had yielded "dramatic evidence" of Beijing's role in transferring nuclear technology and designs to Pakistan in the 1980s. The Chinese designs were later sold on to Libya by the Pakistan-based network that is now at the centre of an international investigation of nuclear proliferation.

The papers, which included text in Chinese, had comprehensive details on how to build a nuclear bomb to fit on top of a ballistic missile.

"It tells you what torque to use on the bolts and what glue to use on the parts," one weapons expert told the newspaper. The designs were "very, very old" but "very well engineered". Intelligence officials long ago concluded that China gave early help to Pakistan in building its first nuclear weapon. But this appears to be the hardest evidence yet of the link.

American officials took charge of the documents last November after Col Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, renounced weapons of mass destruction and opened his laboratories to international inspection.

The blueprints are said to have been flown to Washington last month and analysed by experts from America, Britain and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

[maro]

If true, we must cancel Most Favored Nation status. Now.

[EEDUDE]

And before the Chinese got, them they resided in a vault at Los Alamos.

Tsk,Tsk Mr. Richardson.

[SandRat]

Hopefully the evidence will come out that ties the info that the Chinese had to what was given away (call it what you will) by Wm. J. Clinton.

Won't that be sweet!

[Minuteman23]

We should've canceled most favored nation status before it was ever invoked. These people have no allegiance to anything outside their own borders.

[EEDUDE]

Why everyone thinks the Chinese are our "buddies" has always mystified me.

China is a Communist State in the worst sense of the word.

[riri]

If true, we must cancel Most Favored Nation status. Now

LOL. Yeah, that's gonna happen.

[maro]

It would be good election year politics, too.

[Maria S]

"American and European experts told the Washington Post that documents handed over by Libya had yielded "dramatic evidence" of Beijing's role in transferring nuclear technology and designs to Pakistan in the 1980s."

Since this apparently happened in the '80's (which I didn't realize until now, either), Clinton and Richardson probably aren't going to be blamed. Maybe the '1980's' is a typo...and it should be the '90's? I don't know...

[SandRat]

Interesting if the date is right. For the Chinese to hand it over in the '80s they would have had to have gotten it during the Carter administration inorder to have enough time to study, copy and build prototypes that worked.

[DoctorMichael]

Oh, those wacky Chinese!

[Peach]

Everything they transferred they probably got from Clinton.

[Minuteman23]

One of the best moves Bush could make to get real conservatives back in his camp.

[Cicero]

Hardly a surprise. China also transferred the missile technology to Pakistan. And clinton contributed indirectly to both.

As I recall, during the run-up a few years back toward the near outbreak of nuclear war between India and Pakistan, it was an open secret that there was a freighter full of nuclear-tipped intermediate-range missiles en route from China to Pakistan.

Clinton naturally instructed his administration and armed forces to ignore the freighter.

[Cicero]

Clinton wasn't to blame for that earlier activity. He was to blame for activity during his own administration.

There was a historic rivalry between China and the Soviet Union in South Asia, with the USSR supporting India and China supporting Pakistan (and recurrently invading India).

[Cronos]

China 'transferred nuclear weapon designs to Pakistan'

Err.. this HAS been known for decades now.

[Cronos]

The Pak nuke is a lie. It's a CHinese nuke -- no wonder some of their 'tests' failed -- what else do you expect from 'made in china' stuff?