Rogue Nations May Have Nuclear Blueprints

Former Weapons Inspector Says Pakistani Scientist Could Have Given Iran, North Korea Weapons Plans

(CBS)  There's new concern tonight that sophisticated designs for nuclear weapons may have made their way into the hands of rogue regimes and groups which, thus far, have been unable to develop nuclear arsenals. CBS News correspondent Thalia Assuras reports from Washington.

A former U.N. weapons inspector has revealed that blueprints for nuclear devices were found two years ago on computers connected to an international nuclear smuggling ring with links to Iran and North Korea.

Communist North Korea was forced by the United Nations to halt its nuclear development program, and the International Atomic Energy Agency is presently working to verify that Iran is not trying to make nuclear weapons of its own. The Bush administration insists the Islamic Republic has engaged in a secret weapons program for years - charges the country's leaders deny.

Former weapons inspector David Albright says in a new draft report that blueprints for a compact nuclear device, small enough to fit on ballistic missiles already possessed by Iran and North Korea, were found on a computer in Switzerland two years ago.

"These advanced nuclear weapons designs may have long ago been sold off to some of the most treacherous regimes in the world," Albright says in the draft, which was obtained Sunday by the Washington Post. He says Iran and North Korea were known to be customers of the illicit nuclear information network.

"They both faced struggles in building a nuclear warhead small enough to fit atop their ballistic missiles and these designs were for a warhead that would fit," Albright says in the report.

The former U.N. weapons inspector is currently with the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based think-tank.

The black-market nuclear trading ring was run for years by the disgraced former head of Pakistan's nuclear program, scientist A.Q. Khan.

Four years ago, Khan admitted to providing less-sophisticated weapons designs to Libya and other dubious regimes, though in a recent phone interview with CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer from Islamabad, where he is under house arrest, he made an about-face.

"I was not involved in any nuclear proliferation," Khan said.

Traveling Sunday in Europe with President Bush, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley told reporters: "We're very concerned about the A.Q. Khan network, both in terms of what they were doing by purveying enrichment technology and also the possibility that there would be weapons-related technology associated with it."

The drawings were on computers owned by Swiss businessmen connected to Khan's group. The businessmen are currently under investigation.

Assuras reports the electronic blueprints have been destroyed, but there is no telling how many copies were made, or what may still be in circulation.

[robaldrich]

Out of 10 Americans, tell me how many would be be convinced even by those arguments. You''''d be surprised, it looks really hopeless! The best way to keep it going that way is to limit access to education and this is one of the things that the Republicans do so well.

Posted by A_European at 08:44 AM : Jun 17, 2008

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Limiting access to American public education would INCREASE knowledge. People would have to seek other sources of information which must be of higher quality.

[a_european]

Out of 10 Americans, tell me how many would be be convinced even by those arguments. You''d be surprised,
it looks really hopeless! The best way to keep it going that way is to limit access to education and this is one of the things that the Republicans do so well.

[watcher269-2009]

I''m Voting Republican - and here''s why!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiQJ9Xp0xxU

[watcher269-2009]

The only President to use a Nuke is a Democrat.

Posted by robaldrich4

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YES - and it also shows that Democrats have the balls for war and are not pansies like the Republicans like to portray them.

It also shows that Democrats can finish a War - not like Republicans - Republicans just like war to steal money from hard working Americans. Just like:

The Army official who managed the Pentagon%u2019s largest contract in Iraq says he was ousted from his job when he refused to approve paying more than $1 billion in questionable charges to KBR,

The official, Charles M. Smith, was the senior civilian overseeing the multibillion-dollar contract with KBR during the first two years of the war.

Army auditors had determined that KBR lacked credible data or records for more than $1 billion in spending, so Mr. Smith refused to sign off on the payments to the company. %u201CThey had a gigantic amount of costs they couldn%u2019t justify,%u201D he said in an interview. %u201CUltimately, the money that was going to KBR was money being taken away from the troops, and I wasn%u2019t going to do that.%u201D

But he was suddenly replaced, he said, and his successors %u2014 approved most of the payments he had tried to block.

[watcher269-2009]

What a ruthless liar YOU are!! LOL!!

Posted by bhoogren

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YUP! Sounded Just Like a Republican - Didn''t I - Heeheehee

[dobbershome]

You can buy anything for the right amount of $$$$$

[mrright5]

Just like 9/11 moles working in the US Govt

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3137695.ece

From The Sunday TimesJanuary 6, 2008

For sale: West%u2019s deadly nuclear secretsInsight: Chris Gourlay, Jonathan Calvert, Joe Lauria
A WHISTLEBLOWER has made a series of extraordinary claims about how corrupt government officials allowed Pakistan and other states to steal nuclear weapons secrets.

Sibel Edmonds, a 37-year-old former Turkish language translator for the FBI, listened into hundreds of sensitive intercepted conversations while based at the agency%u2019s Washington field office

Edmonds described how foreign intelligence agents had enlisted the support of US officials to acquire a network of moles in sensitive military and nuclear institutions.


Among the hours of covert tape recordings, she says she heard evidence that one well-known senior official in the US State Department was being paid by Turkish agents in Washington who were selling the information on to black market buyers, including Pakistan.

The name of the official %u2013 who has held a series of top government posts %u2013 is known to The Sunday Times. He strongly denies the claims.

[boatdocster]

Hmmm - sounds very similar to Bush''s bogus African uranium, aluminum tubes, and the weapons of mass deception owned by Saddam prior to another illegal war for oil...

[robaldrich]

And still to this day - The United States are the only ones that have ever used an Atomic Bomb in Anger!
Posted by watcher269 at 12:04 PM : Jun 16, 2008

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Anger? You appear to know nothing about Truman''s agonizing over whether to drop the bomb or not.

Apparently, you no little about Emperor Hirohito, either. I''m glad Truman decided to save eleven MILLION lives by dropping the nukes.

Have I mentioned the daily death toll and devastation from carpet bombing Japan with over a hundred bombers every night?

Rob

[robaldrich]

Start looking for the fallout shelter signs again - because the Republicans will make sure that someone will use an Atomic Bomb to get what they want! Remember that! Republicans are ruthless liars!

Posted by watcher269
.. .. ..

LOL!! The only President to use a Nuke is a Democrat. HOW FUNNY you are!!

What a ruthless liar YOU are!! LOL!!

Posted by bhoogren at 12:58 PM : Jun 16, 2008

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EXACTLY!!!! Truman dropped the bomb. Republicans freed the slaves.