The Nuclear Noose Around Pakistan’s Neck

#76 by pmishra2

Musharraf Named in Nuclear Probe
Senior Pakistani Army Officers Were Aware of Technology Transfers, Scientist Says
By John Lancaster and Kamran Khan
Washington Post Foreign Service

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Is there a possibility that the US has decided to remove Musharraf?

dear well meaning pakis, please dont be offended by what dr. hoodhboy writes. this is because the only people who take him seriously are paki chowk types, whose numbers are very minuscule and whose dimaagh has been damaged from the maatam they perform on august 14. proof of mental damage can be gauged from the fact that these people regard naali kay keeray indians -that infest this place- as humans, and their belief that sin of partition can only be atoned if we meet the same fate as ehsan jaffry.

nazar sahib,

salam. and congrats on being chosen as the chief guest for the next rss/vhp convention. and is it true that topic of your speech is going to be why ehsan jaffri had coming to him?

Ironman #69

{{I think this AQ Khan is a big fraud.}}

You and I seem to be thinking on exactly the same lines. Let me mention another straw in the wind. There were reports in June or July 1998 (in the Austrialian press – Sydney Herald, IIRC) about American U-2 sniffer planes having detected the signatures of a plutonium explosion over Chagai. These reports went on to blame India for having allowed its own earlier tests to vent radioactivity into the atmosphere thereby contaminating the air samples over Baluchistan. I found that explanation suspicious – do the prevailing winds blow that way in May-June? A much simpler explanation was that a plutonium device was tested at Chagai – at a time when Pakistan lacked purex capability. There was also a report around May 18th 1998 of a failed Pakistani test (later denied by the Pakistanis). A damp squib of Xerox’s home-grown device?

I guess that one would really have to look at Kahuta’s scrapyard to get an idea of just how successful Pakistan was with the Urenco technology that Xerox Khan purloined or the improvements he might have been able to accomplish. The mere fact that Xerox was tinkering for more than two decades doesn’t prove that Pakistan was able to get the process working on an industrial scale – which would require having several thousand ultra-centrifuges each running reliably at 100,000 rpm. Libya and Saudi Arabia appear to have bankrolled the project from its inception or shortly after– the Libyans were duly rewarded, i.e. cheated, with non-working early versions of the design. The Iranians were similarly provided with the original Almelo design and have been gamely struggling to make it work. The Chinese have of course been taking a keen interest if only because of access to Khan’s network of clandestine Western suppliers which I think is Xerox’s real value as far as uranium enrichment goes. China has tried to help the process along by providing vital components such as cobalt-samarium ring magnets (needed to levitate centrifuges) – a transaction which the CIA tracked and reported in the mid-90s.

{{Well, in the end he conned his own people who gave him enormous wealth and status in return for a few half-truths.}}

Xerox is a smooth-talking thief turned boastful loudmouth. The dubiousness of his character is well known from his land-grabbing activities in Karachi. For precisely this reason, he is a remarkably accurate personification of the Pakistani regime. A character of Khan’s degree of shadiness was needed for a country with a low technological level to make any inroads at all into the enrichment enterprise. He was Pakistan’s man of the hour, if not the last quarter-century. It is almost irrelevant whether he actually got his stuff to work or merely provided a façade sufficient to intimidate Indian governments of the 1990s, blackmail the Americans into providing baksheesh and hoodwink his fellow countrymen and the ummah into thinking they had the ultimate security of the Bum. He did his job perfectly and for the Pakistani regime to now turn around and blame him is most unfair though of course quite in character.

#11 by Zakk and many others:

I should point out Pakistan not being a signatory to the NPT has no legal obligation to punish Qadeer Khan.

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There has to be a law in Pakistan saying that it is illegal for citizens to export nuclear materials to other countries. I assume KRL is not the personal property of Dr. Khan.

From today`s Washington Post:

Mushharraf named in Probe

``Pakistan`s top nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, has told investigators that he helped North Korea design and equip facilities for making weapons-grade uranium with the knowledge of senior military commanders, including Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan`s president, according to a friend of Khan`s and a senior Pakistani investigator.``

Is Xerox Khan really singing like a canary?

tahmed32 message #72, and previous.

````What do they feed you boys in delhi that makes you so smart?? (holy cow brains, maybe??) ````

Hello again, and as always, proving once again that India is the safest place on this planet for Muslims and Hindus and others, bomb makers or otherwise. That is the essence of democracy, tahmed32, that is . . .

On what we have been eating lately? Well, qurbani of goats/lambs ongoing, makes for amazing rogan josh and kormaas and biryanis and stuff like that, poultry is kind of avoidable and I have a personal ban on kababs which is increasingly difficult to resist, especially last night at my friend`s house. All this washed down with an interesting cocktail known as ``India Shining``, which consists of 30 ml each of of Old Monk Rum, Sula white, Grovers red and ice . . . splash on equal quantities of soda and water, add nimboo squeeze to taste.

On 1.5 billion dollars for an aircraft carrier, have you any idea of the future potential for these things as main attractions at parks and beaches once they are scrapped? We are a Nation of businessmen, remember.

+++

Alephnull # 75, you have a valid point or three. The launch of the new amusement park planned outside Islamabad has brought with it some interesting information for those who want to wonder where the bijlee will come from.

Has anyone noticed that the word `China` doesnot appear ANYWHERE in these news reports on proliferation? Have Mr Hoodbhoy and his Indian counterparts EVER mentioned China and its role in the N. Korean, Pakistani and Iranian programs?

No, why would they be so honest and upset their connections in the US nonproliferation orthodoxy?

Also has anyone noticed, during the late eighties, one of the periods talked about, the US Congress and the US President actually SIGNED off repeatedly in that same period that Pakistan was NOT pursuing a nuclear weapons program? Does a single US press report ask for investigation into how the US Congress and President feigned ignorance when there was evidence to the contrary even then?

Shows how closely tied is the US press/media to the US govt, and how hypocritical the US and the global nonproliferation regime are.

After years of India being threatened with Pakistan`s nukes, years of China helping along Pakistan`s nuclear and missile program in violation of treaties and years of the West winking at them all, prefering to moralise and sanction India instead, India`s 1998 decision to explode served to expose the longstanding hypocrisy of all parties.

The US`s own chickens are coming in to roost and a big media circus has been created to cover up. The US govt is also taking the golden opportunity to play cat and mouse with Musharraf and his Army friends, not sure why - to force them to give up on Taliban, or to allow Bin Laden to be caught?.


On the Pakistani end, as usual the strategic policy has been a cow to be milked. Just like the Afghan jihad was skimmed/scammed by private parties with the Pakistani Army-run businesses profiting immensely too, just so did some people like Mr Khan apparently skim/scam the nuclear program with a wink and a nod from the establishment.

I will bet, anyone examining closely will find scams/skimming from the Kashmir jihad and the NE `freedom movements` apparatus too. An entire defence establishment which is never audited except by its own, what do you expect?

Add to that the general trend in Pakistan to bear the burdens of the entire world`s Muslims. I remember 1-2 months ago, the host of a PTV show innocently asking a wellknown `defence analyst`, why doesnot Pakistan help its fellow Muslims countries like Syria and Egypt and strengthen their hands against Israel by sharing its nuclear knowhow with them ?

No doubt Mr Khan and his friends think it logical that more Muslims had access to nuclear technology, the better it was. It may be hard to understand in the context of the Pakistani nation`s global aspirations regarding `welfare of Muslims`, why this is wrong.

However, harsh reality is that if Pakistan keeps wanting a foot in each of two boats, one in the global capitalist boat and another in the Islamist cause boat, such collisions of both boats is going to keep occurring with Pakistan the main party getting wet.

This is simple accountibility. Pakistan has proven itself to be incapable of ensuring accountibility of nuclear weapons and the conduct of its nuclear scientists. The United States has now taken over the process of making Pakistan accountable. This is just begining of the end for Pakistan and Pakistan can make this process easy or difficult.

After 1998, the world barely tolerated the idea of Pakistan becoming a nuclear power. It was willing to adopt a tolerant attitude and in exchange, Pakistan was to adhere to a certain code of conduct. That implied that it could keep the weapons but under no condition could it proliferate their use to other nations. The fact all these transactions occured nearly 15-20 years ago are meaningless, because nations have immortal interests and they have no statutes of limitations on their crimes.

Ciao

faisaluno #81 you write ``proof of mental damage can be gauged from the fact that these people regard naali kay keeray indians -that infest this place- as humans``

Could we refrain from abusive language please? We humans are not gods, and we are all prejudiced based on where we were born. Lets keep that in mind when we get mad at someone for writing what we know is an absurdity. Hell, we probably write absurdities without ever knowing it.

Less seriously: I see some absurd posts here - e.g. the one from alephnull who seems to be sizzling with pettiness (a strange malady indeed, probably related to the chicken flu). The important thing is not to get infected by the same disease. Inshallah, with time our brothers and sisters across the border will recover.

``Khan`s mega-ton ego and his escapades over the past decade and a half are now a nightmare. ``


Agreed. Most probably he was already getting a few shirvanees stiched for a future President`s post.

The figure at the center of the crisis is Dr. A.Q. Khan, Pakistan`s most celebrated bomb maker and a national hero, who was fired on Saturday from his job as science adviser to Pakistan`s prime minister.

THIS ALSO SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT HOW PEOPLE ARE ASSIGNED TO IMPORTANT POSITIONS IN PAKISTAN - SOMETHING WHICH HAS DEVASTATED THE STATE INSTITUTINS AND TRUST OF PEOPLE IN THEIR CAPACITY T DELIVER.

Pakistan will have to put its nuclear house in order. Anything less than strict and complete accountability, regardless of rank or reputation, will leave the door open for those who may wish to try their luck

WE NEED TO PUT OUR HUSE IN ORDER. NOT JUST THE NUCLEAR HOUSE. OTHER AREAS SUCH AS EDUCATION, HEALTH AND OTHER STATE, CORPRATE AND EDUCATION AND HEALTH ARE IN SHAMBLES PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST FORMS OF CRRUPTIN IS NT NECESSARILY FINANCIAL BUT LACK F TP LEADERSHIPS ABILITY TO BUILT AND STREGTHEN INSTITUTINS IN LINE WITH INTERNATINAL NORMS ON HOW EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT INSTITUTIONS ARE RUN.

fasialuno:

this whole article is about pakistan...why is your ass hurting and burning over india?

mantolives #82 I am curious - what was it about aqkhan that you did not like when you met him in person?

I incidentally had the same impression of BB when i had the chance one to be in a meeting with her - she came across as an insincere person who talked about poverty and women`s rights more as a politically correct thing to say rather than with any real feeling for the plight of the average person in pakistan. She had only one thing on her agenda (how to get back her old job as prime minister).

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#87 sadna

[quote]
After years of India being threatened with Pakistan`s nukes, years of China helping along Pakistan`s nuclear and missile program in violation of treaties and years of the West winking at them all, prefering to moralise and sanction India instead, India`s 1998 decision to explode served to expose the longstanding hypocrisy of all parties.
[end-quote]

This is very important to understand for the indians. The 50 years of ``investment` by the USA (and later by China) in Pakistan should not be forgoten or misunderstood. What we have here is a nation ruled by military fixers and wheeler-dealers and empty-headed islamist nuts. And the west chose to support this astonishing conglomeration against a functioning democracy!!

If you read someone like Kissinger`s memoir`s his contempt and disgust for india (BTW, includes racist put-downs of hindu-buddhist tradtions!) is palpable. Correspondingly his interest in ``using`` Pakistan in any way possible approaches the level of an obsession.

However much cooperation takes place with the west, these lessons must not be forgotten. In the long run, both the US and UK will act against Indian interests in the region.