12-23-2003, 06:06 PM
It seem this is Paki Govt leak
<b>Who passed our nuclear secrets to Iran?</b>
If at all some Pakistani scientists were involved on their own in the transfer of sensitive nuclear technology to Iran for money, then the question is when did they do it and how?
If one goes by the position taken by the present government, it certainly did not happen during the last four years. And it did not even happen during the 1990s when elected governments were in the saddle in Islamabad as, according to knowledgeable sources, by the early 1990s the world had started suspecting Iran of having acquired material capability to build a couple of nuclear devices.
And reports of Israel's plans to take out this capability were being widely discussed in the western media at about that time. So, we reach the 1980s by following this process of elimination. But then we ourselves were still engaged in acquiring the capability in the early 1980s.
And it was only in 1986 that we succeeded in enriching uranium to weapons grade level. And we all remember the famous interview of Dr A.Q. Khan given to the Indian journalist Kuldip Nayar in which Dr Khan claimed that he had successfully conducted a cold test.
And in the same year on October 1, 1986, Bob Woodword of The Washington Post in a banner headline story under his byline reported that Pakistan had conducted a hot test as well by then.
And it was not until 1989 that the world was convinced that we had acquired the capability of putting together a few nuclear bombs. The US did accuse us in early 1990 of violating the Pressler amendment and then in September 1990 it invoked the amendment to stop all our bilateral assistance.
However, since it was only in the early 1990s that the world began pointing fingers at Iran, it is safe to assume that what took place had happened between 1986 and 1987.
And how did this happen? Well, all the Pakistani scientists associated with our nuclear programme, including Dr A.Q. Khan, had remained under 24-hour strict military surveillance all through the years since the programme was started. One in-service brigadier had always remained at the side of Dr Khan during his waking hours.
This was done to protect these valuable human assets from being kidnapped or harmed by those who were opposed to our becoming a nuclear weapon country rather than to keep them from indulging in any irresponsible activities.
As a matter of fact, Dr Khan was wanted by the Dutch government which had alleged that the doctor who before coming back to Pakistan in early 1970s was working in one of its nuclear facilities had purloined the country's nuclear secrets.
He was, therefore, always under the threat of being kidnapped by his accusers. So, for this reason as well the doctor was kept under several layers of protection. <b>One recalls that in mid-1979 the then French ambassador to Pakistan was beaten up by presumably the protectors of the doctor when the ambassador was found loitering near the fast upcoming KRL, known then as Kahuta Research Laboratories (later renamed as Khan Research Laboratories to honour Dr Khan). </b>
So, with all that protection, it appears rather impossible for these scientists to have branched out on their own to set up their individual nuclear shops. They must have had help from some of their own protectors.
It would be unfair and wrong to speculate further on this matter. But if NAB were to try to find out who among the scientists and their protectors have assets beyond their known incomes, then perhaps we could narrow the probe to a couple of people.
One must at the same time remember that a lot of money from official secret funds was available to the KRL management, part of which is said to have been siphoned off by some members of the management as they were not required to account for such funds.
So, NAB should try to make a distinction between the money some may have siphoned off from the KRL secret funds and made into assets and the money which some of them are alleged to have received from Iran in return for nuclear technology transfer.
<b>The cat is said to have jumped out of the bag when the Iranian authorities on being asked by the IAEA how they had enriched uranium up to 73 per cent (weapons grade) confessed that they did not have such capability but were helped by five Pakistani scientists and a Sri Lankan Muslim scientist and three German businessmen. </b>
And then the Iranians being friends of Pakistan are said to have informed Islamabad about what they had told the IAEA and also given the names of the five Pakistani scientists involved in the deal.
Following this the government picked up all those who were named and also pushed up even higher the security walls for <b>Dr A.Q. Khan who is not seen in public these days in Islamabad. </b>
Pakistan, it is believed, has no intention of being declared a nuclear rogue state. Therefore, it is said to have decided to make its programme as transparent as possible and take all its friends (namely the US, UK and Europe) into confidence.
It is said to have found complete understanding on this matter in various capitals of the world. <b>Informed circles said the government was likely to consider rather seriously in the next couple of days a proposal to sign the CTBT</b>.
The Washington Post in its published report on Sunday claimed that documents provided by Iran to UN nuclear inspectors since early November had exposed the outlines of a vast secret procurement network that successfully acquired thousands of sensitive parts and tools from numerous countries over a 17-year period.
It adds that while Iran has not directly identified Pakistan as a supplier, Pakistani individuals and companies are strongly implicated as sources of key blueprints, technical guidance and equipment for a pilot uranium-enrichment plant.
The Post further said that "other (US) officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US government was aware of the incident (arrest of Pakistani scientists) and had been allowed to participate in the questioning".
<b>Who passed our nuclear secrets to Iran?</b>
If at all some Pakistani scientists were involved on their own in the transfer of sensitive nuclear technology to Iran for money, then the question is when did they do it and how?
If one goes by the position taken by the present government, it certainly did not happen during the last four years. And it did not even happen during the 1990s when elected governments were in the saddle in Islamabad as, according to knowledgeable sources, by the early 1990s the world had started suspecting Iran of having acquired material capability to build a couple of nuclear devices.
And reports of Israel's plans to take out this capability were being widely discussed in the western media at about that time. So, we reach the 1980s by following this process of elimination. But then we ourselves were still engaged in acquiring the capability in the early 1980s.
And it was only in 1986 that we succeeded in enriching uranium to weapons grade level. And we all remember the famous interview of Dr A.Q. Khan given to the Indian journalist Kuldip Nayar in which Dr Khan claimed that he had successfully conducted a cold test.
And in the same year on October 1, 1986, Bob Woodword of The Washington Post in a banner headline story under his byline reported that Pakistan had conducted a hot test as well by then.
And it was not until 1989 that the world was convinced that we had acquired the capability of putting together a few nuclear bombs. The US did accuse us in early 1990 of violating the Pressler amendment and then in September 1990 it invoked the amendment to stop all our bilateral assistance.
However, since it was only in the early 1990s that the world began pointing fingers at Iran, it is safe to assume that what took place had happened between 1986 and 1987.
And how did this happen? Well, all the Pakistani scientists associated with our nuclear programme, including Dr A.Q. Khan, had remained under 24-hour strict military surveillance all through the years since the programme was started. One in-service brigadier had always remained at the side of Dr Khan during his waking hours.
This was done to protect these valuable human assets from being kidnapped or harmed by those who were opposed to our becoming a nuclear weapon country rather than to keep them from indulging in any irresponsible activities.
As a matter of fact, Dr Khan was wanted by the Dutch government which had alleged that the doctor who before coming back to Pakistan in early 1970s was working in one of its nuclear facilities had purloined the country's nuclear secrets.
He was, therefore, always under the threat of being kidnapped by his accusers. So, for this reason as well the doctor was kept under several layers of protection. <b>One recalls that in mid-1979 the then French ambassador to Pakistan was beaten up by presumably the protectors of the doctor when the ambassador was found loitering near the fast upcoming KRL, known then as Kahuta Research Laboratories (later renamed as Khan Research Laboratories to honour Dr Khan). </b>
So, with all that protection, it appears rather impossible for these scientists to have branched out on their own to set up their individual nuclear shops. They must have had help from some of their own protectors.
It would be unfair and wrong to speculate further on this matter. But if NAB were to try to find out who among the scientists and their protectors have assets beyond their known incomes, then perhaps we could narrow the probe to a couple of people.
One must at the same time remember that a lot of money from official secret funds was available to the KRL management, part of which is said to have been siphoned off by some members of the management as they were not required to account for such funds.
So, NAB should try to make a distinction between the money some may have siphoned off from the KRL secret funds and made into assets and the money which some of them are alleged to have received from Iran in return for nuclear technology transfer.
<b>The cat is said to have jumped out of the bag when the Iranian authorities on being asked by the IAEA how they had enriched uranium up to 73 per cent (weapons grade) confessed that they did not have such capability but were helped by five Pakistani scientists and a Sri Lankan Muslim scientist and three German businessmen. </b>
And then the Iranians being friends of Pakistan are said to have informed Islamabad about what they had told the IAEA and also given the names of the five Pakistani scientists involved in the deal.
Following this the government picked up all those who were named and also pushed up even higher the security walls for <b>Dr A.Q. Khan who is not seen in public these days in Islamabad. </b>
Pakistan, it is believed, has no intention of being declared a nuclear rogue state. Therefore, it is said to have decided to make its programme as transparent as possible and take all its friends (namely the US, UK and Europe) into confidence.
It is said to have found complete understanding on this matter in various capitals of the world. <b>Informed circles said the government was likely to consider rather seriously in the next couple of days a proposal to sign the CTBT</b>.
The Washington Post in its published report on Sunday claimed that documents provided by Iran to UN nuclear inspectors since early November had exposed the outlines of a vast secret procurement network that successfully acquired thousands of sensitive parts and tools from numerous countries over a 17-year period.
It adds that while Iran has not directly identified Pakistan as a supplier, Pakistani individuals and companies are strongly implicated as sources of key blueprints, technical guidance and equipment for a pilot uranium-enrichment plant.
The Post further said that "other (US) officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US government was aware of the incident (arrest of Pakistani scientists) and had been allowed to participate in the questioning".