MI5 unmasks covert arms programmes (360+ organizations seeking nuke and WMD tech)

Jihadwatch ^ | October 8, 2005

[USF]

MI5 unmasks covert arms programmes: Document names 300 organisations seeking nuclear and WMD technology

Nuclear and other WMD jihad update from The Guardian, with thanks to Sr. Soph:

The determination of countries across the Middle East and Asia to develop nuclear arsenals and other weapons of mass destruction is laid bare by a secret British intelligence document which has been seen by the Guardian.

More than 360 private companies, university departments and government organisations in eight countries, including the Pakistan high commission in London, are identified as having procured goods or technology for use in weapons programmes.

The length of the list, compiled by MI5, suggests that the arms trade supermarket is bigger than has so far been publicly realised. MI5 warns against exports to organisations in Iran, Pakistan, India, Israel, Syria and Egypt and to beware of front companies in the United Arab Emirates, which appears to be a hub for the trade.

Perhaps MI5 would be well-advised to look into the differing motives and ideologies of the countries listed, and gauge the threat from each accordingly. But that may be too much trouble.

[USF]

More over at LGF:

The Race to Armageddon

[USF]

WMD PING.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Damn!

[msf92497]

Just Damn.

We are in deep sh*t.

Open borders. Politicians who lack leadership. An uneducated electorate.

We have a lot work to do. I hope Ronald Reagan was correct about America and her best and brightest days being yet to come.

[FairOpinion]

I think it's OK to post things from The Guardian, right? ( I checked by pretending to want to post but the software didn't prevent me).

Since this thread is already here, I think it's worth reading the entire article it's referring to,from the Guardian, so I am posting it. But just letting you know, in case it's a problem, then please remove this.

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MI5 unmasks covert arms programmes

http://www.guardian.co.uk/nuclear/article/0,2763,1587752,00.html

Document names 300 organisations seeking nuclear and WMD technology

Ian Cobain and Ewen MacAskill
Saturday October 8, 2005
The Guardian


The determination of countries across the Middle East and Asia to develop nuclear arsenals and other weapons of mass destruction is laid bare by a secret British intelligence document which has been seen by the Guardian.
More than 360 private companies, university departments and government organisations in eight countries, including the Pakistan high commission in London, are identified as having procured goods or technology for use in weapons programmes.

The length of the list, compiled by MI5, suggests that the arms trade supermarket is bigger than has so far been publicly realised. MI5 warns against exports to organisations in Iran, Pakistan, India, Israel, Syria and Egypt and to beware of front companies in the United Arab Emirates, which appears to be a hub for the trade.

The disclosure of the list comes as the Nobel peace prize was yesterday awarded to Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UN watchdog responsible for combating proliferation. The Nobel committee said they had made the award because of the apparent deadlock in disarmament and the danger that nuclear weapons could spread "both to states and to terrorist groups".
The MI5 document, entitled Companies and Organisations of Proliferation Concern, has been compiled in an attempt to prevent British companies inadvertently exporting sensitive goods or expertise to organisations covertly involved in WMD programmes. Despite the large number of bodies identified, the document says the list is not exhaustive.

It states: "It is not suggested that the companies and organisations on the list have committed an offence under UK legislation. However, in addition to conducting non-proliferation related business, they have procured goods and/or technology for weapons of mass destruction programmes."

The 17-page document identifies 95 Pakistani organisations and government bodies, including the Pakistan high commission in London, as having assisted in the country's nuclear programme. The list was compiled two years ago, shortly after the security service mounted a surveillance operation at the high commission which is the only diplomatic institution on the list. Abdul Basit, the deputy high commissioner, said: "It is absolute rubbish for Pakistan to be included. We take exception to these links."

Some 114 Iranian organisations, including chemical and pharmaceutical companies and university medical schools, are identified as having acquired nuclear, chemical, biological or missile technology. The document also attempts to shed some light on the nuclear ambitions of Egypt and Syria: a private chemical company in Egypt is identified as having procured technology for use in a nuclear weapons programme, while the Syrian atomic energy commission faces a similar charge. Eleven Israeli organisations appear on the list, along with 73 Indian bodies, which are said to have been involved in WMD programmes.

The document also highlights concerns that companies in Malta and Cyprus could have been used as fronts for WMD programmes. The United Arab Emirates is named as "the most important" of the countries where front companies may have been used, and 24 private firms there are identified as having acquired WMD technology for Iran, Pakistan and India.

A spokesman for the UAE government said it had always worked "very closely" with the British authorities to counter the proliferation of WMD.

[FairOpinion]

"Some 114 Iranian organisations, including chemical and pharmaceutical companies and university medical schools, are identified as having acquired nuclear, chemical, biological or missile technology.

Looks like we better do something about Iran SOON.

[Montfort]

Oh no. Unless we catch them red-handed with hundreds of missiles already loaded with nuclear or biological or chemical payload, everyone will say that we are the aggressor, that our president lied, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Better to do what Clinton did and let them continue developing their weapons programs, collect the accolades from the world for using diplomacy, launch an occasional strike just for grins, and then wait until the Muslims kill millions of us or hundreds of thousands of our Israeli allies. And then blame it all on Bush for not "connecting the dots" and doing something preemptive.

sarcasm tag

[Carling]

Don't worry. According to the Noble Committee, El Baradei and the IAEA are all over this! </sar>

[Dark Skies]

Thx for the ping, USF.

[Xenophon450]

Don't forget McStain giving terrorists the full benefits of the US constitution.

[Marine_Uncle]

"Damn!"
"More than 360 private companies, university departments and government organisations in eight countries, including the Pakistan high commission in London, are identified as having procured goods or technology for use in weapons programmes."

This comes to me as no surprise, because it has been echoed in many articles written over the past few years, engrained in CIA, 9/11 commission and other reports. What I do find interesting is as usual supposed highly classified documents inside a military intel organization can be so easily obtained by a news media. And this goes for both sides of the pond. Then again, perhaps things are allowed to leak and get printed so that the goons realize we are supposedly on to them. But of course that leads nowhere either in the big picture. Lastly it is no suprise because we do this very thing in the USA, and have for many years, why not expect every country to do likewise.
Thanks for the ping.

[Fred Nerks]

"...a secret British intelligence document which has been seen by the Guardian..."

If Dan Rather worked for the Guardian we could at least expect to see a copy of the 'secret British intelligence document'

Guess I'll just have to take their word for it.

[cope85]

Free Trade

[Grampa Dave]

Something stinks about this.

MI5 is like our FBI and responsible for UK home security, and MI6 is for external security like our CIA/NSA.

"MI5, officially called the Security Service, is one of the British secret service agencies. Its remit covers the protection of British Parliamentary democracy and economic interests, and fighting serious crime. It is mainly concerned with internal security, whilst the SIS or MI6 looks after external security."

This sounds like a Jayson Blair article.