Bharat Rakshak

From SSridhar's link above to Ayaz Amir -- see the following. Just confirms that the so-called moderate Pakistanis are much more rabid about their stolen nukes than anyone else!
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...

The North Korean angle, however, doesn't fit the "glory of Islam" line. What was Khan doing with North Korea? Or were the guardians of Pakistan's nuclear capability in the dark about that too? It is widely suspected Khan had some sort of a North Korean connection. What did intelligence specialists in Islamabad think this connection was for? To promote cultural exchanges?

After Khan's confession it would have been natural if he were denounced for betraying the nation's trust. But public reaction (read the papers) is altogether different: that by accepting blame Khan has done the nation one more service. Judging from this, my guess is the whole confession affair will be taken as the Pakistani version of the Hutton Report - whitewashing the guardians and making a sacrificial lamb of Khan.

Sacrificing Khan is a small price to pay if it saves Pakistan's nuke capability. But do we really take the Yanks to be so dumb? Will they take Khan's confession at face value that he was the lone ranger of proliferation?

...

So what should Pakistan have done? We should have protected Khan even if he was guilty of proliferation charges. We should have used our services in Afghanistan as a trading chip to ward off American pressure and, summoning a bit of nerve, to tell the Americans that the past was the past and should be allowed to bury its dead. By thus protecting Khan we would have been protecting ourselves.

...

But just as madams with a past don't flaunt their past, it hasn't served Pakistan's interests to go about uncovering its nuclear past in such a blithe manner.

...

We wanted the bomb so badly we made Khan Emperor of Kahuta. Emperors make mistakes but then they are not alone in making them. In trying to convince the world he acted on his own, we may save a skin or two but at the cost of imperilling the future of what we once considered our most sacred possession. This choice made in a moment of national weakness is likely to haunt Pakistan for years to come.

Nuclear expert receives pardon from Musharraf - NY Times

identity of mysterious brussels based 'diplomat' to be oft quoted in TSP press now revealed?

Jack Straw's take :

see the caveat?

if (npt sign = true .and. WMD programme = true) then
war = true
else if (npt sign = false .and. country = TSP) then
ignore = true
deny = true
do while (i < 1000)
forgive = forgive + 1
end do
else
statement$ = "India/Pakistan equal=equal"
India = bad
end if

US asks TSP not to do 'it' again , but share the information with us...

Pallone wants US to monitor TSP nuke programme.

Iran Nuclear Chronology 1986

.

February 1986
Abdul Qadir Khan, Pakistan's leading nuclear scientist, makes a secret visit to Bushehr. Pakistan and Iran sign a secret nuclear cooperation agreement later in the year.
--Kenneth R. Timmerman, "Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Cases of Iran, Syria and Libya," a Simon Wiesenthal Center Special Report, August 1992, p. 41-42.

----------------------------------------------------
.

November 1986
Following a request from Iran, Pakistan's president says Pakistan is willing to cooperate with Iran on nuclear matters.
--Worldwide Report, 17 February 1987, p. 38; in Saeed Qureshi, The Muslim (Islamabad), 23 November 1986, p. 1.

Things happening thick and fast...

Kin question detention of other scientists while Khan goes scot free.

Did talbot get some sweet stuff through BCCI too for looking the other way so that NPT signatories like Iran and Libya could secretly build nuclear programs?

Is it okay to say that the entire non proliferation regime appears to have been built in such a way that it generated vast profits and maximized the kickback to influential people in Washington DC?

When these non proliferation people say India was the problem, are they actually trying to say that India would not voluntarily pay black market rates for the stuff instead asked for over the counter deals and that the India played the P5 against each other to ensure that it got the best over the counter deal, so there was no scope for talking heads in DC to make any real money?

BCCI fell apart because there were too many greedy hands in the money pot. There must be a succesor someone that took its place because clearly the nuclear and the drug market did not die then, and it must have continued to generate kickbacks.

I've just been thinkin...all these nuke proliferation reports seem to describe the Paki tactics as the "worse case of nuclear proliferation known" - shouldn't we be seeing an emergency UN Security Council/General Assembly meeting to discuss this and maybe calls for across the board sanctions? Kofi and his posse seem to be a little quiet these days.

Musharraf has said (paraphrasing here) that no rollback of Paki Nuke program will be allowed. Also, just heard a wail by IAEA spokeswoman about desperately needing information on Paki nuc program.

Joahnn

Do you think that Pakistan would allow overt intrusive inspections even when they are not signatory to NPT and are not being forced to be signatories? I am looking for an answer which does not contain the word India or any oblique references to it by the word "neighbor".

Do you guys think the self flageration on the day 'after' the pardon in western press is targeted at audience like us,(to lessen the anger at this nautanki) to say, see we feel your concern, we are not hippos, we are credible... so next time when we say India is bad, believe us and get rid of your ....(pick your favorite)

Sorry guys if I sound cynical but I believe that this may be the truth... dont feel happy/optimistic about all this jhapad, it's pre planned, to convince us that west does have a moral high ground over us dark yindoos.

An absense of such a public self-flagellation is a hallmark of somebody who does not learn from past mistakes and would be punished for those same mistakes in the future. To make that abstract thought concrete, if US citizenry comes to a colective conclusion that Bush's policies are inimical to their personal security, he would be out pronto come Nov 04. Bush would do well to fire the foggies starting from Al Quolin (or indicate that they would not be part of the administration in Jan 05) if he wants to keep his job.

Suryavir

I agree with the rest of your post, but the above is impossible. It is axiomatic that the nuclear genie cannot be stuffed back into the bottle.

Transcripts from yesterday's Newshour:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/jan-june04/pakistannuclear_02-05.html

Realaudio of yesterday's Forum program on KQED radio, San Francisco.

http://www.kqed.org/.stream/real/radio/forum/2004/02/2004-02-05a-forum.rm.ram

Turn into 5 or 6 liberal secular democracoes would be even better.

Pakistan has proven itself to be an irresponsible nuclear state, which is also a state sponsor of terrorism. The refusal to put Qadeer Khan on trial shows the involvement of the top echelons of the Pakistani Army and Civilian government in the proliferation of nuclear technology to terrorist countries. Pakistan's security establishment also is in close cohorts with several non-state terrorist organizations, and has links with Al Qaeda. When you consider these facts, sanctions are far from adequate. The only appropriate action that can secure the world from the threat of nuclear armed terrorism is to completely destroy all of Pakistan's nuclear weapons and materials capabilities. Anything less is a whitewash.

The United Sates is being highly irresponsible by throwing its support behind Pakistan at this critical juncture.

AJay, I don't think the world can afford to throw in the towel so soon; the dangers to the world are too great to take that defeatist attitude so easily. Yes, it is an enormously difficult problem and may be an impossible problem. Pakistan, along with China, have been the biggest mischief makers in proliferating nukes on the global scene: NK, Libya, Iran, Iraq, and who knows where else.

While in due course China's role will also need to be examined, the most imminent threat to the world is from the Pakistani nuclear program. I think if the US accepts at face value the charade we have witnessed over the last few days and allows Pakistan to escape real consequences, the US is guaranteeing a another 911, with a nuclear dimension this time. I certainly hope that the Bush Administration will not be so foolish in bringing a death wish upon itself - but we have witnessed stranger things in the last two years, haven't we?

This matter cannot be treated as business as usual this time. There must be some ramifications. While there may not be punishments for Pakistan for past proliferation, on grounds of political expediency, at a very minimum some regimen of oversight must be imposed on the Pakistani nuclear program to prevent further proliferation. To not do so would be a dereliction of duty by the Bush Administration of the highest order.

Added later: Ideally of course the Pakistani program must be completely dismantled (as Nandu says above) on grounds that Pakistan has proven, beyond a shadow of doubt, that it is reckless and irresponsible state that cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons.

CIA director picks on Malaysian company!

http://nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Malaysia-Nuclear.html?hp

Tenet made his comments Thursday in a speech at Georgetown University to defend prepare intelligence.

``Now, as you know from the news coming out of Pakistan, Khan and his network have been dealt a crushing blow and several of his senior officers are in custody. Malaysian authorities have shut down one of the network's largest plants. His network is now answering to the world for years of nuclear profiteering,'' Tenet said.

Sridhar,
Can we translate the Mushy press conf for the benefit of all? Thanks, ramana

Can you? ..Please!!! (I have tried to listen but no luck - the link - for me - does not work -- is there any place where the transcripts are?.. Thanks.

ramana,Amber G.
You must listen original, it is hilarious, his dialoques are from Bollywood. Gosh, Mushy talk like Pandu, his tone is like really mavali or some sarak chaap. I am not really sure whether all Pakistani talk like him.
Well have fun.

Yes Nandu, but the UN purports to be a higher moral authority so imo its silence is extremely damning.

Ayaz Amir fully understands the ground situation, but he is deluding himself if he thinks there is any other way for Pakistan to play it except to grovel. Pakistan is not Iran.

Giving Pakistan a pass - Bush is no good!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17474-2004Feb5.html

Such belligerence could be expected from a military ruler. What's hard to believe is the Bush administration's reaction to it. Rather than moving to impose sanctions on Pakistan -- action that might be expected for a government that has been caught providing the technology for nuclear weapons to such countries as Iran, Libya and North Korea -- it has swallowed his coverup and even congratulated him on it. "We value the commitments Mr. Musharraf has made to prevent the expertise in Pakistan from reaching other places," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said yesterday. "We think that Pakistan is taking serious efforts to end the activities of a dangerous network." As for the pardon of Mr. Khan -- who by Pakistan's account is probably the worst criminal in the history of nuclear weapons proliferation -- "I don't think it's a matter for the United States to sit in judgment on," Mr. Boucher said.

President Bush has said since Sept. 11, 2001, that his first mission as president is to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction to terrorists and the regimes that sponsor them. His national security doctrine declares that even preemptive military action is justified in order to stop it. Yet now that Pakistan's regime has been caught making such transfers, his administration is seemingly prepared to accept its implausible alibi, allow the very generals who oversaw the traffic to investigate it, and trust that they won't do it again. There's no need for U.S. or U.N. action, suggests Mr. Boucher: "What penalties, sanctions, controls or steps are used to prevent it from happening again, those are up for individual governments to decide," he said. "It's up to the Pakistani government to make sure that this sort of thing doesn't happen again." Iran and North Korea, which are facing U.S. demands for intrusive international inspections and the threat of a referral to the U.N. Security Council, may take comfort from those words.

I think it is high time we arranged a state visit by our President to the United States of America. The more ceremonial, the better.

Since the North Korea and to some extent Iran horse has already bolted from the stables, one wonders what was the purpose of the whole drama. Obviously musharaff would never imprison the nation's top nuke scientist.

It may be a convenient excuse for Pak to not hand over nukes to Saudi Arabia. They can now claim they are under strict observation by the US and can't handover anything.

So the saudis who bankrolled Pak's program end up swindled.

Yesterday, Musharraf was angry at the journalists because they were not thinking how much damage it could cause Pakistan if the role of the Army or Govt. is exposed. In his words, UNSC could impose sanctions, IAEA could demand inspections, creating a danger for the Pakistan's vital interests. In his words, "these people might be taking orders from outside, they are putting the nation at risk by implicating the army".

Today, Yashwant Sinha siezed on the moment and categorically declared this proliferation is not an internal issue of Pakistan. A masterful stragetic stroke, IMO.

We need to expose the Paki army's involvement.

At this time when W is trying to sweep everything under the rug in preperation of the election --there by creating an unprecidented danger to the world atlarge, the best bet seems to be arming the democratic candidates with material against the administration.

Sending a detailed letter to the four major dem candidates backed by references might just do the trick to turn on the pressure on Papistan as well as the US administration (State Dept).

Any volunteers?

Websites of the candidates:
http://johnkerry.com/
http://www.deanforamerica.com/

http://www.johnedwards2004.com/home.asp
http://www.clark04.com/

Ramana,

It is a really long press conference 1hour 36minutes. I have transcribed the first ten minutes. Others can join in.

--------------------------------
Musharraf's press conference transcripts (First 10 minutes)
---------------------------------

Ladies & Gentlemen, it is indeed my pleasure in addressing you and answering you, whatever question you have. But since this is a mixed gathering , or although it is a mixed gathering, I am compelled to speak in my mother tongue, Urdu, because what I am going to talk is more for the domestic audience. But wherever important I will indicate and also turn into English.

[Urdu begin]

This is a very historic conference, this conference, many things have happened, many historic things have happened and I haven’t met you in a while. Therefore I thought that this is an opportunity where I come in front of you and talk with you freely.

Gentlemen, Pakistan at this time, in my opinion is standing at a fork in the road. I have said this many times but I would like to repeat, because I am not merely talking empty, this is correct, this is indeed.

On one side, this fork is such that on one side we can make progress, prosperity, development and towards happiness we can go, if we adopt the correct path and keep going. Because we are at that stage to be able to go along that path. On the other side if we leave the correct path, keep going backwards, especially a defeatist mentality, a tendency of negativism and cyinicism if we adopt, if we keep crying over ourselves, and leaving the correct path, a downward path is also clear for us which I think our coming generations will never forgive. Because in my view there is an opportunity, this opportunity was never there before, and we are wasting this opportunity.

In this state of affairs, at this fork in the road our country is standing. Upon us, internationally there have been four accusations. This also I have told many times. But I will like to repeat again. First, that whatever is happening in Afghanistan is happening from Pakistan. Whatever is happening in IHK, Indian held Kashmir, that also is happening from Pakistan. Whatever nuclear proliferation has happened, that also has happened from Pakistan. And internally Pakistan is a terrorist, extremeist and fundamentalist society. These four negative perceptions are common in the world. I am telling this with full confidence, I have just returned from abroad, and approximately met all the media leaders of the world, in Davos. All of them ask me this same question. Definitely I keep on giving clarifications. Deinitely I keep trying to protect Pakistan.
[Urdu end]

[English begin]
Today I am not going to talk on these four issues. Today I will talk only on nuclear proliferation. I am talking only on nuclear proli… (fumbles for correct pronunciation), proliferation. I am not talking of anything else. But I would accept question on Kashmir also. Because this is the Kashmir day, 5th of February, and I have just come back from Muzaffarabad, aftyer addressing Azad J&K assembly and council, and I have spoken my mind there. Whoever has heard it, or whatever points you have, I would be too glad to answer questions on nuclear proliferation, nuclear aspect and Kashmir. But I am talking only of nuclear proliferation. [English end]
[Urdu begin]
Nowadays in all international media, talk is of nuclear proliferation, all the time CNN, BBC, any, anywhere in the world, these same talks are taking place. And Pakistan and Pakistan’s scientists are at the centerstage. It is also being said that Pakistan is a main source, hub, of nuclear proliferation activity. It is regrettable that one can see in many of our local media, that even they are pushing this forward that, government is also involved, military are also involved, scientists too, and also that scientists are not but govt and army are. They perhaps don’t realize that what could be the consequence of these things. Do they do this knowingly, or taking instructions from outside, or else they have no sense. In any case I would like to tell you for your understanding what could happen.

If government is involved, first thing, UN security council could apply sanctions on us. And in this vein if you look at N. Korea, and remember Iran and Libya. Look at this also who used to talk big, and now who have genuflected, who are lying supine, remember this too. Pardons are being asked, who is asking for pardons, we or others? Second thing is this, that people say that we are irresponsible government, so sign CTBT, NPT and rollback. Third thing, there are a few rouge states, we could join them too. The government doesn’t know how to do anything, so lets declare them rougues. And fourth thing, it can happen, that our vital national interests come under physical danger.

This I have told you upfront, these dangers are. We, our community, if its wants to get into this, then lets go, let me join you too. Lets move forward, (lets see) which way we will come out.

Where critical national interests are facing dire consequences, as they are now, there emotional, parochial, political (considerations) should be given up. We should work with seriousness. After thinking decisions should be made and actions taken. First of all (above all), actions for Pakistan should be taken. In the minds t one thing we should have, Pakistan. What we need to save, what we need justo take forward. This is not the time for emotionalism, neither for politics.

I am seeing all the programs on TV, articles are coming in the press, discussions are happening. This I have to say with regret that misunderstandings are being created.

Maybe best to cut VCD or DVD? Mudy?

India forced to bite its tongue: ATimes

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/FB07Df05.html

The story so far:
The chefs knew all along AXK's shennanigans- G. Tenet at Georgetown Uty 2/5/04
AXK was using BCCI for the finanical transactions - So DC bigwigs were tainted
TSP transfers took place in three time periods
- When Gen Beg was COAS - 1988 to 1991
- When Gen Karamat was COAS - 1996- 1998
- when Gen Mushy was in charge - 1998 - present

Talbott explains how uncle was unable to pressure TSP to put controls after the 1998 tests and cites India as the difficult child. Equal- Equal chant.

Actually he casts a 'strobe' on the reason for the quiet period between Beg and Karamat.
- Could it be to induce India to accede to shitty bitty during the quiet period? That period is the Clinton Admin period in the US

http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/feb/06khan.htm

(self edited: this item has some quotes from David Albright, not madeleine. Thanks, sridhar. Must be my mid-afternoon blindness)

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/FB07Df05.html

Asia times article on India's response

We need to convert this into a sound file ASAP. It may disappear from the website. Also, the link does not work all the time. I tried to access it but it did not work just now.

Can somebody convert this into a sound file and then we can figure out a way to pass it around to multiple people to transcribe. It is not tough Urdu that Mush uses and anybody with a knowledge of Hindi would be able to understand it perfectly.

I think it would be valuable to have a complete transcript. There is much meat there (particularly when he refers to the history of the bomb making/stealing programme with some specific dates). There are many lies there which can be exposed. However, it is just too long for any single person to transcribe. A group of 5-6 people would be useful.

Ashok has already done the first 10 mins. I can transcribe the next 15 minutes or so.

Other volunteers? Also volunteers for converting this into a sound file?

Rye, it is David Albright not Madeleine.

I have the audio file. It's 87 MB.

Great. Can somebody who has web space put up this 87MB file temporarily? I am not sure if BR would be able to host it temporarily. But it would be great if it could. That way, those doing the transcription can download it and then the file can be removed from the website.

Before starting the transcription, it would be worthwhile checking if somebody has already done this task (Dung/Dawn etc. - sometimes even Outlook does this).

From teh Atime article:

It is high time India learnt to just do her part. No use barking, Uncle is deaf. Uncle reacts only when nephew is about to threaten Uncle HIMSELF. That is teh bad news. The good news is that the Paki Army is on their way to self destruct. With a nominal brain it will not be too long before they do something else to threaten Uncle. How do we accelerate that process is the question.