Pakistan: Nuke Proliferation Case "Closed"

Scientist's Claims About Musharraf's Involvement Require No Action, Says Foreign Ministry

(AP)  Pakistan's Foreign Ministry insisted its nuclear proliferation case was closed after the disgraced architect of its atomic program claimed the army under President Pervez Musharraf helped spread the technology.

Also Saturday, Khalid Kidwai, the head of the division that handles Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, denied the army or Musharraf were aware of the nuclear technology transfer to North Korea, according to Pakistani news channels with journalists present at the briefing.

Abdul Qadeer Khan told The Associated Press that Pakistan's army supervised a 2000 shipment of used P-1 centrifuges to North Korea. It must have been sent with the approval of Musharraf, the then-army chief who took power in a 1999 coup, Khan alleged.

"It was a North Korean plane, and the army had complete knowledge about it and the equipment," Khan said Friday of the shipment. "It must have gone with his (Musharraf's) consent."

The comments caused a stir in Pakistani media, and newspapers played the story prominently on their front pages Saturday. Mohammed Sadiq, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, offered only limited comment, however.

"The nuclear proliferation issue is a closed case," Sadiq said, reiterating a longtime Pakistani stance. "We do not think that a debate is required on it."

Musharraf's spokesman, Rashid Qureshi, on Friday rejected Khan's claims. "I can say with full confidence that it is all lies and false statements."

Still, Khan's allegations would match expert assessments that running such a network would have been difficult without some involvement from Pakistan's security apparatus.

Khan has been agitating for an end to his virtual house arrest and backed off his 2004 confession that he was solely responsible for spreading nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya.

In a speech Friday, Musharraf made no mention of Khan's allegations, but said he would not quit the presidency - as political opponents have been demanding.

Khan is regarded as a hero by many in Pakistan for his key role in giving it the Islamic world's first nuclear bomb in 1998, seen as a deterrent against historic archrival India.

After his 2004 confession and a televised statement of contrition, Khan was pardoned by Musharraf but has effectively been kept under house arrest in Islamabad.

Since a new civilian government took power after February elections, eclipsing Musharraf, the retired scientist has increasingly spoken out in the media. However, previously he had not implicated anyone or explicitly said the army was aware of nuclear shipments.

Khan said he previously took sole responsibility for the nuclear proliferation because he had been persuaded that it was in the national interest. Khan said that in return he had been promised complete freedom, but "those promises were not honored."

[whitemale08]

Of course the case is closed.

The Federal Reserve System can trust this guy now as long as long as keeps his hat in hand out for them IMF loans.

C0NGRATULATIONS!

[babooph]

France ,England,Israel,S. Africa-who mgave them the bomb?The world laughs at hipocrits-cannot Germany, Japan,S. Korea & others put one together at warp speed ?

[feelfree4u]

RE: "Pakistan''s Foreign Ministry insisted its nuclear proliferation case was closed after the disgraced architect of its atomic program claimed the army under President Pervez Musharraf helped spread the technology."

The Pakistanis declared the case closed when Khan originally admitted to spreading nuclear technology.

The Bush regime declared ''no problemo'', at that time.

Why the change of heart?

[Villagernyc]

%u201CThe confession and quick pardon of Khan was staged%u201D said Joe Cirincione at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Cirincione says US officials have not been able to question Khan directly because of internal politics in Pakistan.
http://codylyonblogolater.blogspot.com/2007/06/old-story-re-visted-aq-khans-trail.html

[reptilian96]

FOX NEWS discovered the presence of a massive spy ring inside the United States run by the government of Israel. This seems a harsh gratitude from a nation which obtains 10% of its annual budget from the American taxpayer, $3+ billion a year. Over the years, American taxpayers have been required to send Israel more than four times what the US spent to go to the moon.

question is do we really need Israel? I don''t think so. Israel is a burden on us american tax payers, we could use our money here in USA. we don''t need backstabers. If muslims were not in that part then the battle would''ve been with christans and JEWS in that part of the world. Just like British Jews were doing to IRISH (IRA), see the new perspective. Anyway, we don''t need Israel for the simple fact that they are not in our good interest.

NOW i read that Israel can''t fight IRAN if USA won''t help Israel. I mean come on more American TAX $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

So all of you American Israeli supporters get ready to shell out some more doe without your permission JEWS will take you money like they always did. Us hard working Americans will be homeless for long, long time. ww3 coming soon. under construction by the Israeli JEWS.

[edintex]

reptilian96: You really ARE a Jew hating snake in the grass! You MUST be either a skin head or a rag head. Which is it? Whichever it is, we KNOW it has something to do with your poor little head.