Probe Reveals Pakistan Bought U.S. Nuclear Technology

LA Times ^ | March 25, 2005 | Josh Meyer

[Saberwielder]

Probe Reveals Pakistan Bought U.S. Nuclear Technology

Efforts by two U.S. agencies to gather more evidence have been stymied for more than a year by other American officials.

By Josh Meyer
Times Staff Writer

7:27 PM PST, March 25, 2005

WASHINGTON — A federal criminal investigation has uncovered evidence that the government of Pakistan has made clandestine purchases of U.S. high-technology components for use in its nuclear weapons program in defiance of American law.

Federal authorities also say the highly specialized equipment at one point passed through the hands of an arms dealer in Islamabad, Pakistan, named Humayun Khan, who they say has ties to Islamic militants.

Even though President Bush has been pushing for an international crackdown on such trafficking, efforts by two U.S. agencies to send investigators to Pakistan to gather more evidence have been stymied for more than a year by other American officials, according to U.S. officials knowledgeable about the case.

The impasse is part of a larger tug-of-war between federal agencies that enforce U.S. nonproliferation laws and policy-makers who consider Pakistan too important to embarrass. The transactions began in early 2003, well after President Pervez Musharraf threw his support to the Bush administration's war on terrorism and the invasion of neighboring Afghanistan to oust Pakistan's former Taliban allies.

"This is the age-old problem with Pakistan and the U.S. Other priorities always trump the United States from coming down hard on Pakistan's nuclear proliferation. And it goes back 15 to 20 years," said David Albright, director of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security. A former U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq and elsewhere, Albright favors getting tougher with Pakistan. -snip-

[Saberwielder]

We sell them F-16s and they turn around and steal nuclear tech from us behind our back. That too after promising to get clean with nukes.

I cannot think of a more two-timing "ally"

[Saberwielder]

Two timing ally ping!!

[Saberwielder]

Rhetorical question: Will we continue to shield Pakistan after one of their nukes sold by a "rogue scientist operating without government consent" ends up turning a US city into a radioactive parking lot?

[Darkwolf377]

Come on, the REAL deal behind this story is now the MSM will be asking how they can tie this to the Bush Administration--Is this their Iran-Contra???? or something. I can almost see Dan Abrams's so-concerned expression as he asks that rhetorical question.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Shooo,how dare you show the gall to criticise an American ally!!!!An ally run by a genuine visionary & a greatman,who has threatened nuclear war on atleast 4 ocassions.A country where guided tours to North Korea are organised by messrs AQ Khan & co using C-130s & where terrorists slit the throats of American journalists & ask in their ransom demand for the restart of F-16 supplies.

[Squantos]

When Hazel O'Leary was Chief Cook 'n Bottle Washer at DOE....nobody had to steal anything. She made em a present of the all the secrets they needed. Those countries that specialized in the black art of reverse engineering could be identified by the drool on their lobster bibs at state dinners during the Clintonista regime..........just my opinion of course but I believe we made the Paki's buy the F16's for their treachery and deceit.....that'll teach em !

[endthematrix]

"Aided by Karni, who pleaded guilty to violating export control laws and began cooperating with U.S. authorities shortly after his arrest 15 months ago, investigators have traced at least one shipment of oscilloscopes from Oregon to South Africa and on to Humayun Khan. "

Oscilloscopes? That's a dual use tech if I ever heard one...well kinda. Also, wonder what Karni got pinched for back over a year ago? Triggered spark gaps. Also a dual-use item, but necessary for nuke development. Remember that Iraq bought these from the US in the form of medical equipment. One machine, 100 switches.

Asher Karni Case

Tektronix oscilloscopes (manufacturer)

[Saberwielder]

Tks for the links. The spark gaps are more sinister IMO because a Pakistani attempt to buy 200 of them means that they are trying to expand their arsenal beyond their stated policy of "minimum" deterrent. Could it be that they are building them for someone else, say like the Saudis?

[endthematrix]

There would be multiple switches for each spherical nuclear device. I'm browsing the article I sent and India as well was dealing with Karni to acquire some equipment from a town near me in IL!

[Calvin Locke]

F-16s

I heard on the [radio] news that the F-16 is nuclear capable.
What makes it so as compared to any other jet?

I've seen some diagrams about how US fighter/bombers were intended to deliver a nuke, but they assumed the pilot(s) would survive...

[Arjun]

The state dept has a lot to answer for. Pakis are fooling it left right and center. US cant investigate illegal nuclear deals because pakis might be embarrased? who is the state dept working for? pakis or americans?

[sukhoi-30mki]

Any jet is N-capable as long as you hardwire it for the role.Some carry only gravity bombs,others stand-off bombs,while longrange bombers may deploy N-tipped cruise missiles-depending on the level of technology.Modifying an F-16 to carry gravity bombs is not exactly rocket science & Pakistan undertook that exercise with it's early purchase of F-16s nearly 20 years back.That did play a role in Bush Sr's decision to cancel further sales to the Pakis.What makes an F-16 formidable is that it can fight it's way in & out of enemy territory to unleash a nuclear payload,unlike Pakistan's Mirage-5s or Chinese built A-5s.

[Red6]

Sure.

In that case even a Cessna 172 can carry a nuke.

No. Our jets, in particular the F16 in this case (US models) are set up for nuke payloads. What we export is not.

For example, you mention Mirage. The French have a "special" version of the Mirage 2000(N) which is nuke capable. A standard Mirage 2000 is not.

Red6

[Red6]

MLRS, Lance, M109A6, F117, B52, F16, F15, F18, A6, B1, B2......Are all nuke capable theoretically.

Your "car" is nuke capable theoretically!

Realistically the systems we sell lack certain capabilities. Nuke, ECCM, Orbital Mechanics........get to be controlled real quick. The F16s we export don't even have the radars we use. Nor do the M1 tanks have our armor. Nor do the F16s we export have a nuke capability outside that of a theoretical one, which any airplane can have.

But to the Indians here the sheer fact that we are selling Pakistan a weapon bothers them. So they attack this issue in all angles. This being one of them.

Red6

[sukhoi-30mki]

Ok,you are saying that Pakis can't hardwire their F-16s for the N-strike role??They did that well over a decade ago-sorry they didn't have the courtesy to inform you,it is available in most resources on Pakistan's N-programme.


The Mirage-2000N is N-capable with the ASMP cruise missile & standoff bombs & lowlevel strike capabilities & whatnot.An Indian Mirage-2000 can drop only N-gravity bombs & there is plenty of proof that the late Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi witnessed a tossbombing trial by Indian Mirage-2000s after he gave the go-ahead to weaponise India's nukes.

[sukhoi-30mki]

http://globalsecurity.org/military/world/pakistan/f-16.htm

[Saberwielder]

The Paks hardwired their previous F-16s to deliver nukes.

Now, their North Korean supplied NoDongs are supposedly facing many issues. Their ability to make a small enough warhead for their Chinese supplied missiles is not a proven one. So do you really think that they will forsake the opportunity to use their Block 52 F-16s with its ECM abilities and AMRAAMs as an addition to their nuclear strike force?

For a first strike posture that Pakistan maintains, credibility is everything. Don't be too shocked if you hear 5 years from now that the new Vipers are a part of Pakistan's nuclear force. A good General always uses every weapon in his armory, political reasons notwithstanding.

We look great sending a top-notch multirole nuclear-capable jet to a country that sold nuclear technology to every rogue nation on earth and then some. I have little doubt we will regret this should Musharraf be overthrown and some mullah General uses our planes to vaporize Bombay. Sheesh.

[longtermmemmory]

this is the LA times, could it be that the "thefts" started long before 2000? Remember they had nuclear tech before Bush took office.

Some of this does not make sense.

[Saberwielder]

Bush has nothing to do with this. This all happens at a level that is 500 paygrades below Bush. Blaming the President for this is just MSM being MSM.

The issue here is that Pakistan is reneging on its promise to end the nuclear trade thing once and for all. And the sad part is that we won't do anything about it.

[longtermmemmory]

so how did they make a bomb BEFORE bush took office?

I also was under the impression that the USA actually gave them command and control tech in order to keep the integrity of the chain of command. IOW to prevent a rogue from taking the bomb.

MSM spin is most correct. If this is "quality" reporting from the west coast NYT then the Mediots are correct to be worried about regular citizens communicating across the internet.