Pakistan Nuclear Proliferation - 31 Jan 2004

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 31 Jan 2004 20:16

Old Thread in Trash Can Forum

Raahi · Post by **Raahi** » 31 Jan 2004 20:29

Father of Pakistan’s N-bomb sacked

Islamabad, January 31: Pakistan sacked top nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan as scientific adviser to the prime minister on Saturday following a probe into the sale of nuclear technology to Iran and Libya, a government official said.

"Yes, he has been removed from this post," the official said, requesting anonymity.

The decision coincided with a meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) chaired by President Pervez Musharraf. The NCA is made up of military, political and scientific officials and controls Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

Pakistan has questioned Khan and several of his colleagues in recent weeks after a UN nuclear watchdog began investigating links between Pakistan's nuclear programme and those of Iran and Libya.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 31 Jan 2004 21:05

The same old dance that Mushy/pak army did with Omar Saeed Sheikh.

0) Internally "brief" AQ Khan on what his response should be to external scrutiny on his persona, for purposes of future debriefing
1) Arrest AQ Khan and make him the scapegoat for all ills.
2) Make a show of Debriefing AQ Khan, to retrieve briefs provided earlier.
3) Proclaim that AQ Khan will be given "harsh punishment" by the non existent paki legal system.
4) Let AQ Khan go free because debriefing did not provide anything that required punishment, or make a charade of "imprisoning" AQ Khan, while letting him wander around freely.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 31 Jan 2004 22:13

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/content/?040119fr_archive02

I found this article by Seymous Hersh originally published on March 29, 1993. I am posting link as article is too long. But thrust of it is that US administration under Reagan and Bush Sr. knew very well extent of Pakistan's nuclear program, knowingly supported it and some of the key technology was exported from US in violations of then US law and in some instances key members of Congress and senate were kept in dark. There are many in Washington who will be red faced if full story of Pakistan's Nuclear mis-adventure comes to light. Which explains the Kid Glove treatment and Washington’s underplaying of the risk and implication of nuclear proliferation around the Islamic world by Pakistan.

Prateek · Post by **Prateek** » 31 Jan 2004 22:57

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L31652436.htm

CHRONOLOGY-Pakistan's nuclear programme

ISLAMABAD, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Abdul Qadeer Khan, revered in Pakistan as the "father" of the atomic bomb, was sacked as adviser to the prime minister on Saturday following a probe into the export of nuclear technology to Iran and Libya.

Here is a chronology of major events in Pakistan's nuclear programme:

1955 - Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) set up to promote peaceful uses of atomic energy.

1972 - Pakistan sets up first nuclear power station with Canadian help.

1974 - Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto vows Pakistan will "eat grass" if necessary to develop nuclear weapons after India explodes its first nuclear device.

1976 - Pakistan sets up "Kahuta Research Laboratories" near Islamabad to establish a uranium enrichment plant to seek nuclear capability.

1979 - The United States cuts off all military and fresh economic aid to Pakistan after refusing to accept assurances that its nuclear programme is purely peaceful.

1980 - Pakistan says it has joined ranks of a dozen countries able to fabricate its own nuclear fuel based on uranium available in the country.

1982 - The United States lifts embargo on resumption of economic and military aid to Pakistan.

1986 - Pakistan and Iran sign nuclear cooperation agreement.

1990 - The United States stops all military and fresh economic aid to Pakistan over suspicions that its nuclear programme is weapons-oriented.

1992 - According to U.S. officials, A.Q. Khan initiates talks with North Korea to obtain intermediate range ballistic missiles for Pakistan in return for gas centrifuge designs and other assistance to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

1996 - India tests Prithvi II missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Pakistan says the missile is designed to attack its cities.

1998

April - Pakistan test-fires its 1,500-km (937-mile) range Ghauri missile, which it says can carry nuclear warheads and is meant to deter India.

1998

May - India conducts five nuclear tests. Pakistan expresses alarm and then stuns the world by conducting its first nuclear bomb tests, six in all. U.S. President Bill Clinton says U.S. is forced by law to impose sanctions on both countries.

2001 - President Pervez Musharraf removes A.Q. Khan as head of Pakistan's nuclear programmes and names him as scientific adviser to the president.

2002 - India and Pakistan go close to war after attack on the parliament in New Delhi blamed on Pakistani-based militants.

2003

Dec - Pakistan says it is questioning nuclear scientists, including A.Q. Khan, over allegations of proliferation. It says it is acting on information from Iran and Libya passed on by the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.

2004

Jan - A.Q. Khan is removed as adviser to the prime minister as a result of the probe.

ldev · Post by **ldev** » 31 Jan 2004 23:48

Given that its all hanging out now, I wonder why the Pakistanis and their apologists even try and pretend that the Government of Pakistan is not fully behind the nuclear proliferation. Look at the viewpoint of serving generals of the Pak armed forces.

Today's Washington Post

"How can you blame a person who enjoyed explicit authority from the state to beg, borrow or steal for no less than 20 years to deliver his nation its nuclear bomb?" added a serving army general. "What harm has he caused Pakistan by extending the same knowledge to another Islamic country?"

Pakistani officials also acknowledge that a full public airing of the technology sales could prove embarrassing for the military, which has long had principal responsibility for the multi-tiered security system -- overseen by two army brigadiers and a special detachment of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency -- that surrounds the top-secret Khan laboratory.

Prof Raghu · Post by **Prof Raghu** » 01 Feb 2004 00:07

Slightly dated (5 days, but that is eons ago for this toic) -- but I did not know it was A.Q.Khan's bank account was this big!

Pak to freeze Qadeer's assets

[...]
Investigators discovered Abdul Baqi, who was fronting for Khan , was operating the accounts, containing $2 billion.

Baqi is said to be the associate of a close relative of Khan. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had interrogated him but had later let him off.

Sources said all matters related to transfer of nuclear technology were routed through Baqi.
...

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 01 Feb 2004 00:56

Listen to the golden nuggets fron the non-proliferation ayyatollahs. They were on NPR last night.

http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1626442

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 01 Feb 2004 03:33

Originally posted by Sriman:
Rakesh or other admin/moderator:

Please change title of thread to include date or version of thread, to avoid confusion for those who may be saving the all threads on this topic.
Thanks.

Done. Thanks for the suggestion.

I can't believe Abdul 'Queer' Khan has been sacked. Heheheheh

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 01 Feb 2004 03:56

Yesterday's Dung Report by KKhan

Dr Qadeer’s future still uncertain

Action begins to overhaul KRL; Nuclear Command Authority meeting today

By Kamran Khan

ISLAMABAD: For the first time in several months, the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) is meeting under President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad on Saturday (today) to review the outcome of two month-long investigation into the observations made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) against a few Pakistani nuclear scientists in November last year, a senior federal cabinet source said on Friday.

Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, the services chiefs, Vice Chief of Army Staff Gen Muhammad Yusuf and the ISI chief will attend the NCA meeting, which will also decide about the mode of the government action against the scientists found guilty of breaching the code of service for personal gains.

The services chiefs and the chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff had met under President Pervez Musharraf for their analysis and review of the nuclear imbroglio at a meeting on Thursday in Rawalpindi, where the response from the military services was finally formulated.

In a separate development, a ranking official source revealed here that the government had decided to retire all personnel, who have completed 25 years of service or had reached the age of 60 at the Khan Research Laboratory (KRL). "This will allow the young dedicated scientists to move upwards and to free the KRL from some of the people who, by virtue of their long association with the laboratory, had lost interest in their core job," an official said.

An investigation by Pakistani officials is understood to have found evidence to suggest that the key players of an underground nuclear black market that supplied some important elements of nuclear technology to Iran and Libya were tied with Pakistani nuclear scientist, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. The investigators have, however, not yet been able to fix the responsibility of the most damaging security lapses at the KRL, where the GHQ and the ISI were running a four-tier security system, under two separate brigadiers of the Pakistan Army. "Even during the 1980s and 1990s, when Dr Qadeer was the ultimate boss of the KRL, the security contingents were free from his control and they were only answerable to the Army and their relevant intelligence services," a KRL source said.

At the same time, informed officials in the capital acknowledged that President Musharraf was being informed about the likely political fallout of the government’s decision to prosecute or publicly charge Dr AQ Khan, as he was still widely revered as a national hero across the country. "The world is awaiting an action from Pakistan, while there is hardly a notable top government personality favouring public disgrace for Dr Qadeer," said a federal cabinet source, requesting anonymity.

Official sources have said the thrust of charges against Dr Qadeer emanated from a statement made by KRL scientist Dr Muhammad Farooq, a centrifuge expert, who had travelled to Libya and Iran on Dr Qadeer’s behalf. Dr Farooq’s debriefing revolved around the information that had been provided to Pakistan by the IAEA and the government of Iran.

Separately, a Dubai-based Sri Lankan middleman, who was a central figure in dealings between Iran and Pakistani scientists has named Dr Qadeer, as his principal contact in Pakistan. This Sri Lankan businessman, who spoke with the IAEA and the Western intelligence agents in Malaysia recently, provided a graphic insight into the current nuclear black market and its association with a few Pakistani scientists.

Official sources disclosed that while the investigation into Dr Qadeer’s financial status was carried out in Islamabad, Dubai, London and some other countries, there are strong indications that some of the KRL scientists, still being questioned by the investigators, were living well within their means and allegation of financial impropriety may not hold against a few of them.

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 01 Feb 2004 04:02

Another KKhan report, from today's Dung

Business in Timbuktu

Conflicting views about Army’s awareness of Qadeer’s engagements

By Kamran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Not many Pakistanis would even know that the famous "Timbuktu" is a city in the African state of Mali. Even fewer would know that the father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has built a fabulous hotel there and has named it after his Dutch wife, Dr Hendrina Khan.

Hendrina Khan hotel in Timbuktu was one of the dozens of business and financial undertakings of Dr Qadeer that are now being investigated by the Pakistani intelligence officials, currently probing the IAEA charges that an extensive nuclear black market is tied to a few Pakistani nuclear scientists.

Not only that the Pakistani investigators discovered that Dr Qadeer owned the Hendrina Khan Hotel in Timbuktu, they were shocked to learn that a Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft was also used by Dr Qadeer in early 2000 to ferry an exclusive range of carved Pakistani wooden furniture from Islamabad to his Timbuktu hotel.

Because of the landing problems at the Timbuktu airports, officials said that the cargo was offloaded at Tripoli from where it was taken to Mali by road. Ironically, the investigation has revealed that an experienced nuclear scientist accompanied this expensive carved furniture for Dr Qadeer’s Hendrina Hotel from Islamabad. Dr Muhammad Farooq, a centrifuge expert at the KRL, who accompanied this antique furniture onboard the PAF C-130 to Timbuktu viaTripoli, has already confirmed this story to the Pakistani investigators.

Relevant Pakistani officials, familiar with the investigation against the nuclear scientists here, have said that a damning account of Dr Qadeer’s "international activities" came from Dr Muhammad Farooq. "Farooq had the most specific information on transfer of knowledge and technology to Libya and Iran. He put Qadeer in a very tight corner," said one official. "At least one other KRL scientist confirmed Farooq’s account independently." Officials said that at least two other senior KRL scientists have independently confirmed Dr Farooq’s account on Dr Qadeer.

"Don’t be surprised. It is just the tip of the iceberg," said an exhausted Pakistani investigator, adding: "There are dozens of such business undertakings suspected to be linked to Dr Qadeer that are still being investigated." Several investigators said that they had detected an indirect business interest of Dr Qadeer in expensive London real estate, consisting of apartments in posh districts of the city.

Dr Qadeer’s indirect connection with some Dubai-based companies, including a real estate project and several bank accounts, is also being probed. In Islamabad and in the nearby Bani Gala, the authorities have uncovered Dr Qadeer’s direct or indirect association with at least half a dozen houses, having combined value exceeding Rs 150 million.

Relevant officials have also disclosed that Dr Qadeer has already conceded that his former son-in-law Noman Shah, who had divorced his daughter Dina after four years of marriage in 1994, was helped by him to set up a supplier firm for the KRL. "The KRL preferred Noman Shah in procurements worth tens of millions of dollars for its nuclear and missile programme," an investigator said. Another informed source said the KRL decision to award contract for the purchase of titanium aluminium from Noman Shah’s firm allegedly at an inflated price had created a stir of sorts at the KRL.

In their investigation of the financial status of those closely related with Dr Qadeer, the investigators have also probed the business activities of his elder brother, Abdul Qayum Khan, a retired banker. The investigators have found strong clues to believe that Qayum also had business interests with the KRL.

A source close to Dr Qadeer, while offering Qadeer’s defence during a background interview with this correspondent in Islamabad this week, asked as to why the authorities were not probing Dr Qadeer’s "incredible financial support" in the establishment of some of the important centres of learning in the field of science and technology in the country. "Dr Qadeer arranged at least Rs 1,500 million for the establishment of GIK Institute of Technology in Bannu, another Rs 200 million for the Mianwali Institute of Technology and for Qadeer Khan Institute of Technology," said one personal friend of Dr Qadeer, who asked not to be named. "Why there is no investigation for at least Rs 150 million support to the Academy of Science, Institute of Behavioural Sciences (IBS) and for the charity organisations such as Sashe."

Most interestingly, even the staunchest supporters of Dr Qadeer do not have the exact information about the source for Dr Qadeer’s Rs 2,000 million support for the education and welfare programmes.

While the investigation on financial charges against Dr Qadeer and a few other colleagues continue in full swing, there is an overwhelming view even in the senior brass of the Army that no probe can get to the bottom of the matter unless it finds out the reasons as to why the military guardians and overseers of the nuclear programme failed in their administrative, security and intelligence responsibilities regarding the KRL. "We must concede that there is a growing perception both within the country and abroad that the Army is essentially trying to cover up its failures on the KRL," said a federal cabinet minister during a private conversation with this correspondent in Islamabad on Friday.

Several serving and retired officials, former retired Pakistani nuclear scientists and serving KRL scientists interviewed in Islamabad in the last few days almost unanimously agreed that being the principal overseer of the country’s nuclear programme, the General Headquarters (GHQ) would also examine its shortcomings and failures in protecting the nation’s nuclear programme from falling into irresponsible hands, particularly during the 1990s. "Briefing on nuclear programme is provided only on the need-to-know basis; I don’t think there is any need for that at this moment," replied Gen Mirza Aslam Beg, the then chief of Pakistan Army, when former prime minister Benazir Bhutto asked him about the status of the country’s nuclear programme, during a military briefing arranged for her at the Joint Staff Headquarters, a few months after her take-over as the prime minister for the first term in 1989," according to a retired Pakistani military official who was present on the occasion.

Pakistani officials related with the country’s nuclear programme and several retired military officials confirmed that during her two terms in power Benazir was never invited, despite her repeated requests, to visit the Khan Research Laboratory (KRL). During his first term as the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif was also denied a request to visit the KRL by Gen Mirza Aslam Beg and also by his successor Gen Asif Nawaz, according to a retired corps commander. "Gen Beg kept the programme under such a thick cover that he didn’t even allow the two successive prime ministers to look inside," said another retired lieutenant general, who had also commanded a corps of Pakistan Army in the 1990s. "What do you do when the army chief thinks that the prime minister of the country is a security risk."

At the same time, Gen Beg went an extra mile to cement the GHQ’s relations with the nuclear programme, particularly with the KRL, by creating the Directorate General of Combat Development (DG CD) at the General Headquarters. "After the cold test in 1987, the Army wanted to be on the driving seat in weaponisation programme," a former military intelligence official said. Afterwards, the DG CD served as a potent bridge between the nuclear research and development and the GHQ.

Before being promoted as lieutenant general, Ziauddin Butt, who was subsequently appointed as the ISI chief by Nawaz Sharif in 1998 and Zulfiqar Ali Khan, who later headed the Wapda for five years, had long served as the Director General for Combat Development, hence both of them had the responsibility of staying fully aware of the work at the KRL.

Background interviews with present and retired military officials and Pakistani nuclear scientists who remained actively associated with the programme showed that while Gen Ziaul Haq had actually acceded to a long-term Iranian request for cooperation in nuclear arena in 1987, but there is still no mention of that secret agreement between Islamabad and Tehran in the government documents.

Launched by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1975 following India’s first nuclear test in 1974, Pakistan’s nuclear programme worked exclusively under Army’s umbrella from the day one. ZA Bhutto’s military secretary Brig Imtiaz had hired Dr Khan and introduced him later to the then COAS Gen Ziaul Haq. Well-informed Pakistani officials and scientists said that to undertake the massive construction of the KRL, the Army created Special Works Organisation (SWO) headed by a brigadier and placed him under Dr Qadeer in 1975. "From almost 25 years Dr Qadeer had absolutely no-questions-asked authority to run the nuclear facility, with complete backing of the Army," according to a retired nuclear scientist, who had also served the country’s nuclear establishment for almost 25 years. "Dr Khan used to come to the GHQ in a motorcade escorted by the troops from the Special Services Group," recalled a retired military official. "There used to be decoy cars in his entourage, which was always bigger than that of the Chief (COAS)."

Several official sources have said that the military was also in full picture about secret financial assistance to the programme from a few Islamic countries. Two retired military officials separately confirmed an early Libyan monetary assistance to Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Though no accounts are available with any government of Pakistan department, Pakistani nuclear scientist community and other informed officials estimate that some $10 billion had been spent on the secret programme till 1998 when Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests.

A serving KRL official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Army as "the guardian of programme" had multi-tier involvement in the KRL affairs. "While Army chiefs gave strategic guidance and regular appreciation to scientists, Army Chief of General Staff was there to iron out significant administrative and financial issues and the DG CD coordinated research and development," the KRL scientist said. "Two separate brigadiers had hundreds of troops and agents at their disposal to run an impregnable multi-tier security network at the KRL," he adds. "The ISI had a separate detachment for the KRL."

Suspecting a possible collusion of certain military officials in the systematic pilferage of technology and knowledge from the KRL, intelligentsia and many civil and military officials are questioning the government’s half-hearted effort to find the whole truth. "How can you blame a person who enjoyed an explicit authority from the state to beg, borrow or steal for no less that 20 years to deliver his nation its nuclear bomb," asked a senior serving military official during a recent private conversation. "Which country in the world didn’t become the nuclear state without any help from the nuclear black market?"

"We embraced him when he stole the technology and most crucial information from Urenco in Holland and delivered the most unachievable to us. What harm has he caused to Pakistan by extending the same knowledge to another Islamic country," the official questioned, echoing the theme circulating in various educated circles. Several officials said by the time Gen Pervez Musharraf launched a low-key cleansing operation in the country’s nuclear programme, particularly the KRL, by replacing Dr AQ Khan with Dr Javed Mirza damage was already done.

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 01 Feb 2004 04:17

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=53549

IAEA team arrives in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, February 01 (Online): A 3-member team of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has arrived here Saturday after their visit to Libya and Iran in connection with ongoing debriefing process on the alleged involvement of nuclear scientists in proliferation of nuclear weapons to both of these countries.

The team exchanged information with the investigation team engaged in debriefing of nuclear scientists and other officials of Khan Research Laboratories.

Well placed sources informed Online that IAEA team has got information on the transfer or sale of nuclear technology to these countries during its recently concluded visit.

The team has just arrived in Pakistan and its visit is being kept secret.

When contacted by the Online, the responsible army authorities refused to confirm or deny the reports regarding visit of the team and its engagement in Pakistan.

Prof Raghu · Post by **Prof Raghu** » 01 Feb 2004 04:51

Originally posted by Rangudu:
Another KKhan report, from today's Dung

Business in Timbuktu
Conflicting views about Army’s awareness of Qadeer’s engagements

By Kamran Khan

Because of the landing problems at the Timbuktu airports, officials said that the cargo was offloaded at Tripoli from where it was taken to Mali by road. Ironically, the investigation has revealed that an experienced nuclear scientist accompanied this expensive carved furniture for Dr Qadeer’s Hendrina Hotel from Islamabad. Dr Muhammad Farooq, a centrifuge expert at the KRL, who accompanied this antique furniture onboard the PAF C-130 to Timbuktu viaTripoli, has already confirmed this story to the Pakistani investigators.

Relevant Pakistani officials, familiar with the investigation against the nuclear scientists here, have said that a damning account of Dr Qadeer’s "international activities" came from Dr Muhammad Farooq. "Farooq had the most specific information on transfer of knowledge and technology to Libya and Iran. He put Qadeer in a very tight corner," said one official.

The Tripoli reference -- is this the beginning of an attempt to explain away visits to Libya by Paksitanis and Pak airforce planes?

Calvin · Post by **Calvin** » 01 Feb 2004 05:07

What the article achieves is to point out:

(a) Use of PAF C130s to transport "furniture" to Tripoli - could not have occurred with military connivance

(b) Mohammad Farooq knew and kept quiet

(c) Beg had complete control when he was COAS

This may be a GHQ lifafa to force Beg to defend AQK, and thereby let Musharraf tell Uncle he cannot do more, and has to focus on holding the country together.

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 01 Feb 2004 05:08

Kamran Khan is supposedly ex-ISI.

Calvin · Post by **Calvin** » 01 Feb 2004 05:22

Hotel Hendrina Khan was built in 2001-2 timeframe. See reference in below article.

http://www.afropop.org/multi/feature/ID/190/Festival%20of%20Desert%20report..enroute%20in%20Timbuktu

The tourist reference below suggests that this hotel is owned by one "Dramane Alpha"
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/Forum30/HTML/001065.html

Dramane now owns and operates a new superior class of hotel in Timbuctu, the Hotel Hendrina Khan.

I don't know if Hotel Hendrina Khan is really AQK's hotel, but it might be an attempt by the ISI to put a time-stamp on the transfers out. IF this was 2001-2, then this is after 9/11 and under Musharraf's watch.

Rak · Post by **Rak** » 01 Feb 2004 05:59

Pakistani fathers of the country and heroes are all crooks and unpatriotic scoundrels. No wonder they need so many lies to keep the people believing that their country is a galactic power.

Pakistan's true history books will sound like a Pirate's log.

Bharat · Post by **Bharat** » 01 Feb 2004 06:09

My two cents worth of analysis .....

The pressure from the US must have been enormous. For Musharraf to sack a national hero is a big big dangerous step. As far as lot of Pakistanis are concerned the issue that Khan made money and is superduper rich is not that important.

The fact is Pak has a nuclear capacity thanks largely to AQK's role in the issue. The so called "establishment " also knows the truth. Also that Khan made millions would not have been such a secret. Well most top officials in Pak are rich . The common strain being that they have looted from common Pakis . But AQK has done nothing that would harm the Paki stomach. No massive land grabs. No show of power etc. etc..

In fact one can argue that he is the leading exporter of Pak technology.

What would now scare a lot of top Pak army ex and present officials is the massive toeing of the US line that Mushy has taken. It just takes a call from US to get Mush to take action.
But given the US main policy that Musharraf is central to the US Afghan policy, it is strange that the US is pushing for such a hard line. In the past it had requested only that the official in concern be removed from the post.
One can bring to mind 2 former ISI chiefs.

By bringing forth AQK more in the public eye, Mush is taking a big risk. The Islamic World and Ummah always admire the Man who has taken risks for their security and is hunted by the Government. AQK is already a Pak national hero, this would put him on par with becoming a demi God.

Also it gives fertile ground to the revolutionaries , and I don't just mean the ultra fundamentalists, but the officer level cadre in Pakistan. They could oust Musharraf easily now, AQ khan would be used as the torch.
" Claims would be made that AQK was sacked by Musharraf in a conspiracy hatched in Washington, Tel Aviv and Delhi. The main motto of the shenanigans was to cover up the denuclearization of Pakistan. And Pak has given up nukes under immense pressure to stave of an Indian attack on its border. "

Musharraf would be casted as a coward and a traitor to Pakistan and the Islamic cause.

Another claim would be ..
" Also in the background support would be mustered among the super fundoos that Mush is going to clamp down on the madrassas and all senior Islamic clerics would be arrested and deported to US. The lower level clergy would simply be massacred. "

Many of these conditions already exist. .
But the public humiliation of AQ Khan gives the sort of green flag for a coup. As far as Beg is concerned taking action against him would be very very tough for Mushy.

AQ Khan and clerics represent the popular power in Pakistan while Beg represents the REAL power in Pakistan.

All this most probably would have been taken into account in Washington..
The overriding premise would be Mush has total control in Pakistan and can take a lot of powerful steps. Let's pressurise him and get the maximum out just in case.....

Prof Raghu · Post by **Prof Raghu** » 01 Feb 2004 06:57

Originally posted by Calvin:
Hotel Hendrina Khan was built in 2001-2 timeframe. See reference in below article.
...it might be an attempt by the ISI to put a time-stamp on the transfers out. IF this was 2001-2, then this is after 9/11 and under Musharraf's watch.

But you need to keep in mind it takes time to build a hotel.

Plus, when was Khan demoted by Musharraf? So it is plausible that when Khan was demoted and lost control of KRL, he decided to diversify his assets and go into hotels -- sort of like an internet entrepreneur cashing out and buying gas stations to diversify his assets.

But it is the Tripoli mention that I find interesting -- very convenient!

More interesting: why in Timbuktu of all places? Again, I suspect it is the nearness to Libya that is crucial here -- and recall that shipments were continuing as late as 2002 to Libya.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 01 Feb 2004 07:22

Rangudu, small point of note. Kamran Khan was supposedly ex military intelligence (I have not yet seen a reference to ISI). This looks like a reference to MI, a separate org form the ISI. This is why, I suspect, the details (as pointed by Calvin above and by me in another thread) are being released through him. The motive is to keep the "real Army" so to speak - i.e. the untainted, non-Islamist associated one - out of the nuke proliferation game. ISI is already tainted, and MI is trying to salvage the situation. ISI and MI (which is a much smaller but older body within the Pak military establishment) have been at bureaucratic loggerheads for much of the time. It is thought that MI is closer to Mushy's way of thinking. I think not, the sly ******* is just playing his double game on all sides. Fair enough. Just give us POK at the end of it is all I say.

Added later: this would also tie in with what looks like a move by the US to disband the ISI, which would of course mean building up the MI.

However, if you do see some reference to Kamran as ex ISI please let post link or unlinked reference.

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 01 Feb 2004 07:27

JEM,

You're right. I got the MI and the ISI mixed up.

This article by Forecast Pakistan says:

Former Pakistani intelligence and military personnel being recruited by institutions close to the State Department have also increased US intelligence influence. The Washington Post has recruited Kamran Khan, former Pakistani Military Intelligence turned journalist, as the “insider” who has already aided the Post in maligning Pakistan’s nuclear scientists and is likely to aid US intelligence agencies in continuing to link the ISI with terrorism. Pakistan’s secrets are not difficult to come by as the US already has a former Pakistani Chief of army staff, Jehangir Karamat working with a US think tank, the Brookings Institute.

Calvin · Post by **Calvin** » 01 Feb 2004 08:17

More "nook-nudity" covered in jargon
http://www.dawn.com/2004/02/01/top1.htm

"The nation should rest assured that the nuclear capability, which enjoys national consensus across the political spectrum, is in safe and professional hands and should not be subjected to political expediency," said the ISPR handout.

Is Hayat out?
http://www.dawn.com/2004/02/01/top2.htm

President General Pervez Musharraf will address the nation soon after Eidul Azha to take the people into confidence about facts relating to allegations of proliferation of nuclear technology, the Director-General of Inter-services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj-General Shaukat Sultan, told a private satellite TV channel on Saturday night.

Rak · Post by **Rak** » 01 Feb 2004 08:19

Pakistan Ousts Nuclear Scientist From Post - NY Times

Father of Pakistan's nuclear program, Hero, Pakistan's answer to Albert Einstein, Saint Khan... is indeed a thug, international crime figure, a person who has committed treason, has personal bank accounts over 2 billion USD...

The YYY axis of evil asked him to proliferate.

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 01 Feb 2004 08:35

Govt to freeze bank accounts, assets of Dr A.X.Khan

The government has decided to freeze all the bank accounts and assets inside and outside Pakistan in respect of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan on the availability of solid evidences about his involvement in transferring the nuclear know how to other countries for his personal gains.

Well informed sources informed Online on Monday that during the course of debriefing, Farooq Hassan, Director General of Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and close aide of founder of nuclear programme, Dr Abdul Qadir Khan has provided important information to the investigation team on the involvement of the latter in selling nuclear secrets to other countries for money minting swelling to billion of dollars.

The investigation team was also told that the huge financial irregularities were committed in the purchase of dyes used in test firing of Ghauri missiles. The price of each dye was recorded as Rs 3 Lac and 39 thousands in the papers as against actual cost of Rs 39 thousands. An owner of a factory had provided details to National Accountability Bureau in this regard.

Sources disclosed that Dr Qadeer Khan holds assets and accounts in the banks based in London and Dubai and they are being investigated. Government will soon freeze or confiscate them.

Sources said that these accounts are operating in the name of Abdul Baqi who is frontman of Dr Qadeer and is also watching the assets.

Abdul Baqi is stated to be a servant of a close relative of Dr Qadeer who now holds over 2000 million dollars in his bank accounts. Baqi was interrogated by NAB but he was latter let off.

Sources told that all the matters related to transfer of nuclear technology were settled through this person.

Sources said that Dr Qadeer had accepted all these allegations during his debriefing. However Farooq Hassan has provided proofs in this respect. Farooq is still in the custody of intelligence agencies.

Sources indicated that Dr Qadeer leaked the secrets of nuclear technology through his close aide including some retired military officers who are now part of debriefing process.

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 01 Feb 2004 08:38

Dung report

At least three director-generals, two retired brigadiers, one retired major and a few others are still in custody for debriefing. One of them has already declared himself as "approver".

Rak · Post by **Rak** » 01 Feb 2004 08:43

Originally posted by Rangudu:
One of them has already declared himself as "approver".

What if "Abdul X" turns approver and implicates Musharraf

Kuttan · Post by **Kuttan** » 01 Feb 2004 08:44

But the prosecution, defense, judge, jury are all mush - or Al Quolin-approved approvers.

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 01 Feb 2004 08:49

Rye, All approvers must be first approved by the FBI and de-briefed by the CIA. So A.X.Khan is out.

[/quote]Here in the US the Garbage business usually refers to the Mob. What gives in TSP...

JCage · Post by **JCage** » 01 Feb 2004 12:21

From Rikhye's Orbat.com

This anal-ysis takes the cake.
Dr. AQ Khan Special Edition

"Father of Pakistan Bomb" Caught As N-Technology Export Investigation Bomb Explodes

Orbat.com notes that our non-South Asia readers might wonder why we have devoted so much space to the issue. The answer is simple: the Khan affair has proved to be even worse than the worst nightmare of the most alarmist anti-proliferation experts. There seems to be nothing that Dr. Khan would not do to make money. Its clear to us he would have sold bombs - if he had bombs to sell - see below. What is worse, however, is that the former Chief of Army Staff General Aslam Beg threw such a "protective blanket" around the program that no one - not even two Prime Ministers - could get from him what the status of the program was. Clearly he did not turn a blind eye because he liked Dr. Khan's hair style. When you get a rouge army chief who has total control of a nuclear program working hand-in-glove with a rouge head of a nuclear program, you get something even Fredrick Forsythe couldn't have come with up.

We suggest readers go to Jang of Pakistan themselves and read Kamran Khan's reports - the others are not useful to anyone outside South Asia. Too much is happening for us to summarize more than some highlights.

Orbat.com reiterates its editorial stand that as far as we are concerned, Pakistan has every right to its nuclear program. Our intent is not to bash the Pakistan Government or the Pakistan Army.

Our figure is nearer the mark.] ( Pakistan paindabad! Our small group of noble investigators has saved the land of the pure! It was all Khan's doing! General Musharraf, of the noble GUBO, knew it all along! )

Pakistani investigators have made clear [this is from our sources] they lack the resources to do more than just scrape the tip of the iceberg of Dr. Khan's deals. They are completely overwhelmed by the detail they have unearthed in just a few days. ( Sure, pinning all the years of military aided rot purely on one rogue is hard work !)

No one is framing Dr. Khan. Jang says his former deputy was taken in for interrogation and has given voluminous details of wrong doing. The deputy's accounts have been independently corroborated by other nuclear scientists.

Orbat.com is told Pakistan intelligence cleverly detained people in a random pattern, at different times, released some who then ran to warn their colleagues and were tracked, or unwittingly spread disinformation. No one could compare notes in any systematic or useful manner because no one knew what the other man had said, and Pakistani intelligence made sure that people it did not want to meet, did not meet. If necessary, Pakistani intelligence again detained previously released people.
\
Rest..........whatever..................
]We are further told that given the near universal hatred among honest Pakistani scientists of Dr. Khan for the lying traitor to his country that he is, and their anger at not being allowed to speak till now, many scientists under interrogation [we refer others less important than the main people; Pakistan has actually questioned perhaps 5-10 times more people than it is revealing] had no hesitation in giving up all the information they could.

Some of the important scientists were understandably hesitant because they themselves had done wrong things and did not want to implicate themselves. A few kindly reminders to the men that they had families was all that was needed.

In at least one case the family was allowed to see the scientist in question not because he was cooperating and the government wanted to assure him/them that all was well. Rather, the interrogators wanted him to understand that what he was being through could also be done to his family. Rough, yes, but the FBI does the same thing when it uses the family to get a high priority national security suspect to cooperate. And these tactics are standard for high value targets the US pursues in Iraq.

Jang lays out in detail the almost unbelievable security the Pakistan Army threw around the N-project to assure no leakage - it now appears not of secrets to foreigners, but of details of Dr. Khan and other army officers corrupt activities.

In just one case of dozens investigators are trying to follow, already six houses in upscale residential areas have been traced to Dr. Khan. Work has just started on his real estate holdings in London, and the work of tracking his interests in Dubai is so difficult because of the volume of deals, that Orbat.com feels Pakistan would do better to call in foreign specialists. Otherwise they are not get to the bottom of just Dubai.

One Dr. Khan venture testifies to his brazenness. To understand the magnitude of his gall, visualize this. The head of the US nuclear weapons program builds a lavish luxury hotel in - say - Monte Carlo, and names it after his wife. He then gets a USAF C-130 to fly furniture for the hotel from the US. The plane cannot get into the airport, so the furniture is off-loaded at - say - Schipol, and shipped overland. The second highest ranking N-official, the deputy of our hypothetical weapons chief, has to accompany the shipment personally to see it is delivered safely.

Put Timbuktu in place of Monte Carlo, and Tripoli in place of Schipol, and you see what Dr. Khan did, openly.

Please be sure to read Kamran Khan's material. We have no idea who is, but in the US he would surely get a Pulitzer just for his first reports.

Warning: Orbat.com will not source information it has been given. Events are moving too rapidly, and we are of no consequence in the military media world, nor do we have resources, to check the veracity. We have reason to trust our sources, that is all we can say, but because of the speed of events, they might have details wrong. Caveat Emptor.

We do not, at this point want to get into what is happening about General Aslam Beg. Our information is too sketchy, and we'd be skating on some thin ice. The investigation into his role has barely begun, but the one major and two brigadiers that have been under interrogation from the start are said to have provided damning leads. At least two dozen more army officers are being question, or will be by Monday end. We are told the US is trying to get closer to the investigation but clearly at this point the Pakistan Government and the Pakistan Army has no time to worry about the US. PLEASE TREAT THE MATERIAL IN THIS PARA AS INFORMED SPECULATION AND NO MORE.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 01 Feb 2004 13:40

Question is why is Gul still walking around. Bugger should be in chains. So far I've seen only one mention of him in relation to this in the Western media, in the Borchgrave article. He is the one to nail. He is the one who, IMHO

, sowed the seed idea that eventually inspired 9/11, and there is a high probability that he knew of it in advance. And he is the one, undoubtedly in parallel with Beg, who got the Taliban to figure that "strategic defiance" can best be had with a nuke (even a dirty one) under the ugly woollen carpet. That is how two (Bashiruddin and his pal) and two (Mullah Omar and his pal) were put together. How the hell did Omar/Osama know of the existence of Bashiruddin and Co, or, to put it more delicately, how did they know UTN's proprietors could be trusted. Amrikan spies are everywhere. Surely, Bashiruddin didn't just walk up to Osammy and say hail fellow well met. In other words, who did the intro? Do we also want to bring former ISI Dir. Lt. Gen. Javid Nasir into this (all we have to do is show his photo to convince even the doubters).

Perhaps it is time for BR to move into the area of "informed speculation" as well...

Roop · Post by **Roop** » 01 Feb 2004 16:23

Nitin:

I share your revulsion for the bullsh!t that Ravi Rikhye purveys. I don't care what passport he carries, the guy is a Paki, for all practical purposes. You remember the beating he took on this forum for his pro-Paki propaganda in 2002?

You can summarize his views thus:

India: corrupt, incompetent, has large quantities of inferior or useless weapons, superior numbers to Pakistan, but would quickly get beaten in war by the brave, superior, tactically brilliant TFTA Pakis.</li>
Pakistan: TFTA, tactically brilliant, brave, have vastly superior officers, men and weapons, but in smaller numbers. If war came, their tactical brilliance would quickly win out over the plodding, incompetent, inferior Indians.
</li>

In short, Ravi Rikhye is Anthony Zinni with a Punjabi accent.

kgoan · Post by **kgoan** » 01 Feb 2004 16:36

I quite like RR's article.

If his sources are inside Pak, then it's clearly possible to say that BR's view on the dodge the Paks have hit on to get them out of this mess is in fact correct.

Now the question is: who's gonna buy it? Other than all the S Asia experts, the US State Dept and the non-prolif mullahs.

But other than them, surely no one with a brain cell or two would buy it, so why worry?

Oh wait, wait a minute . . .

jrjrao · Post by **jrjrao** » 01 Feb 2004 17:09

FWIW, Hoodbhoy makes it to the elite Sunday op-ed pages of the Washington Post.

The Nuclear Noose Around Pakistan's Neck
By Pervez Hoodbhoy

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47-2004Jan30.html

Calvin · Post by **Calvin** » 01 Feb 2004 17:36

Hoodbhoy is a secret Pervez-chamcha, isn't he? I don't have many issues with Rikhye's article. I'm surprised he's buying the "furniture" story. It looks like they are all (publicly) hanging their hat on Farooq.

I need some help. Did the two gentlemen that were reputedly working with Al Qaeda come from KRL or from PAEC? If they came from the PAEC, perhaps this is an effort to protect those that proliferate to non-state actors.

Kuttan · Post by **Kuttan** » 01 Feb 2004 17:46

Guys, the BRM article on this should be titled:

"NPT: Nuclear Proliferation to Terrorists"

and start by ripping a few into the non-prol mullahs by pointing out that Chinese transfers to Pakistan occurred loooong after China signed the NPT, and this is completely ignored by these mullahs. The real target is the NPMs - who tried their stupid best to get India conquered by the terrorists, by blocking Indian moves to defend against nuclear terror.

Time to name names as terrorist/Islamist agents in the West, and point out the kinds of money involved - AQKhan had one bank account with $2B in cash.

See how TSP's foreign exchange reserves shot up in 2002?

Kuttan · Post by **Kuttan** » 01 Feb 2004 17:49

Hoodbhoy is a secret Pervez-chamcha, isn't he?

Calvin, see discussion on previous thread showing that Hoodbhoy is faaaaar more than a "secret" chamcha. I bet HIS bank account has a bit more than $2B!

BTW, did anyone notice one item in Hoodbhoy's interview with the Indian Express? He hung out the following carrot:

"Pakistan's higher ejikashun system is in bad shape onlee. We need Indian educators. Salaries in TSP are much higher than in India onlee".

What was the message here? Wasn't it:

Wanna see how to make a quick $$? Call Pervez for a good time..

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 01 Feb 2004 17:50

It is a delicious irony, is it not, that in the final analysis, it can be said that Pakisatan is being screwed into the ground by Indians - but not quite in the way that the bigoted founders of this mongrel nation would have imagined. Not quite. Musharraf, a mojahir, is in the process of unravelling the skein of the threadbare two-nation theory; another mohajir, Abdul Qadeer Khan, is now putting the state in a nuclear noose, while a third mohajir, Mirza Aslam Beg, has promised to kick the chair if they "dare". Looks like the praetorian posers of painindabutt Punjab aren't even capable of pushing their (pro)state into purgatory.

Calvin · Post by **Calvin** » 01 Feb 2004 18:07

A former friend and colleague has made sensational disclosures about how Dr Abdul Qader Khan -- 'father' of Pakistan's nuclear programme -- stole blueprints and classified components from the offices of his Dutch employers in Amsterdam.

Frits Veerman, a professional technical photographer who shared office space with Khan, also revealed details of the Pakistani metallurgist's systematic deception.

...
Dismissed by FDO after he threatened to go public with his concerns about how Khan had insinuated his way into the FDO 'brain box,' Veerman was subsequently tailed for a year by BVD, the Dutch internal security service, and even spent a day in prison on charges of aiding and abetting Khan in his nuclear espionage.

Dutch interrogators told him, 'If Khan is a spy so are you because if he has actually done what you persistently say he did, he could never have done it on his own. He would have received help. From you.'

Now aged 60, Veerman says he has nothing to lose by revealing some hitherto closely held secrets about Khan's operations.

Describing the 68-year-old Pakistani as more of a thieving James Bond than a scientist, Veerman has for the first time revealed some of the letters Khan wrote to him to obtain components he desperately needed for his work in Pakistan.

In one letter dated January 1976 and shown to rediff.com, Khan wrote, 'Dear Frits, It is almost a month that we have left the Netherlands and I am gradually beginning to miss the delicious chicken. I need a few things from my desk. Will you please take Henny (Khan's wife) to FDO on a Saturday morning so she can take the required things? A carton would be sufficient to take these things.'

In another letter, he tells his Dutch friend of the beautiful weather in Islamabad and how the latter is always welcome to come and stay.

At one point, Khan dropped hints of money and the offer of an all expenses paid trip to Pakistan where he promised Veerman would be treated like royalty.

In a third letter, he writes, 'Dear Frits, very confidentially I request you to help us. I urgently need the following information for our research programme:

1. Etches of pivots:
(a) Tension - how many volts?
(b) Electricity - how many amperes?
(c) How long is etching to be done?
(d) Solution (electrolytic) HCL or something other is added as an inhibitor

If it is possible, grateful for 3-4 etched pivots. I should be very grateful if you could send a few negatives for the pattern. You should be having negatives of these. Frits, these are very urgently required, without which the research would come to a standstill.'

Veerman has told rediff.com that the letters are only the tip of the iceberg. He claims to have seen top secret blue-bound FDO files stacked in Khan's home where Veerman was routinely invited for a cup of tea or a meal of fried chicken. Khan justified their presence by explaining that being fluent in German, Dutch and English, he was helping out his employers in translating the contents into different languages. Khan's wife Henny, a South African-born Dutch woman with a British passport, was given a part time job by FDO to translate highly classified files and documents.

Veerman believes Khan still returns regularly to The Netherlands under a false identity to renew ties with his contacts and maintain access to certain suppliers.
...
http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/29spec.htm

Kuttan · Post by **Kuttan** » 01 Feb 2004 18:20

All is revealed, on WHY the Paki nook program went "fizzzzzzzzz!!!": Read this excerpt from Xerox Khan purported letter to Dutch buddy:

(b) Electricity - how many amperes?

Now think:
a) would that question have come from Khan, if Khan actually had any technical competence himself? Clearly this was passed up from some flunky who was trying to figure out how to make the new clear detergent go "fizzz!!!" Q.E.D. Observe above fact VERY carefully as we go to the next fact:

b) what would a Dutchman have replied?

Hartelijk Gefeliciteerd, Mynheer Xerox! Ze answer to ze question you posed ist ge-giveert below:

2,035 amperes, to be precise.

c) Now from equations a) and b) above, what would the (American-trained) underling who asked the question, do with above information?

Put 2035 amperes into the system. No wonder they thought Kahuta was glowing!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 01 Feb 2004 18:26

AQK's daughter has spill-all videotape: SA Tribune

Pakistan’s now sacked and disgraced father of the nuclear bomb, Dr AQ Khan, has been quietly telling his friends and family in recent days he will “expose every one and everything” if he was made the scapegoat for “collective actions and decisions” of the past.

According to one report Khan has already smuggled out of the country a video recorded statement to his daughter abroad and has told the authorities that his statement would be released to the international media if he was made a target.

The Dubai-based 'Khaleej Times' reported that Khan has videotaped his defence and sent a copy abroad through his daughter. It said, the ruling party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain met Dr Khan along with Senator SM Zafar, who is very close to Dr Khan, and had defended him in a Belgian court in 1980s against charges he stole documents on enrichment.

Dr Khan reportedly handed out one copy of the video to them. The copy has explosive material revealing many secrets, the paper said.