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Khan accepts responsibility for N-leaks, seeks clemency

Comment From Babu in India:

This appears to be a big cover up of the involvement of Pak Military --- as nothing can happen in Pakistan without their endorsement. Musharraf is very much involved in the whole game. Now he is trying to save himself by making a scapegoat of -- Abdul Qadeer Khan. The confession is stage managed. American screws are very tight on Musharraf -- but they want to let him escape in return for his implicit obedience on all matters of interest to USA.

Khan accepts responsibility for N-leaks, seeks clemency

Pakistan will decide whether to prosecute Qadeer: US

'Khan says Musharraf involved in nuclear proliferation'

AQ Khan's daughter flees Pak with sensitive info?

'Musharraf knew of nuclear technology transfers'

Source

Khan accepts responsibility for N-leaks, seeks clemency
Press Trust of India Islamabad, February 4, 2004

In a significant move to end the current probe into allegations of nuclear proliferation, the founder of Pakistan's nuclear programme Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan on Wednesday accepted full responsibility for transferring sensitive technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea and sought clemency from President Pervez Musharraf for his actions. Khan "has accepted full responsibility for all the nuclear proliferation activities which were conducted by him during the period in which he was at the helm of affairs of Khan Research Laboratories...," a government statement said. He also submitted "his mercy petition to the President and requested for clemency," it said. Dr Khan, who was reported to be under house arrest for several weeks and questioned intensively by Pakistani investigators about the alleged transfer of nuclear technology, in a surprise move sought a meeting with Musharraf this morning, which was immediately granted. The two met at the President's Camp Office in Rawalpindi for over an hour. After the meeting, Dr Khan told state-run PTV that "it was an extremely fine and helpful meeting. The President was exceptionally kind and understanding. We discussed this ongoing affair and the international campaign against Pakistan about nuclear matters. "I explained all the things and gave him the background of what has happened and what is happening. He appreciated the frankness with which I gave him the details. Insha allah he will discuss the details with the Cabinet, Prime Minister and other colleagues and take decision on how to proceed about it."

Source

Pakistan will decide whether to prosecute Qadeer: US
Press Trust of India Washington, February 3

The United States has said it was for Pakistan to decide whether to prosecute scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan for leaking nuclear secrets to North Korea, Libya and Iran. "They are the ones conducting the investigation and making any decisions as to what should happen to individuals or programmes," US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said on Monday. He said the US welcomed Pakistan's investigation of the leakage of nuclear secrets and was following the events. "It is a sign of how seriously Pakistan takes the commitments that President Musharraf has made to make sure that his nation is not a source of prohibited technologies for other countries," Boucher said. Pakistan in this process has been working "very closely with the IAEA and other governments as they investigate." Boucher said that the US has had exchanges with Pakistan in the past on nuclear developments around the world. "We know," said Boucher, "this has been a subject of importance to us. But if you look at the information the Pakistanis are providing, they are talking more about information that came out through the mechanism of the IAEA."

Source

'Khan says Musharraf involved in nuclear proliferation'

Washington, Feb. 3, 2004 (PTI): In an embarrassment to the Bush Administration which views President Pervez Musharraf as its best bet in the region against terrorism and proliferation of WMDs, top Pakistani scientist A Q Khan, has revealed that the military ruler himself was involved neck-deep in nuclear proliferation, the Washington Post reported quoting a senior Pakistani investigator.

Khan has told investigators that Musharraf, former Premier Benazir Bhutto and ex-Army Chiefs Mirza Aslam Beg and Jehangir Karamat, were all involved in nuclear proliferation in addition to him and his colleagues, according to a friend of Khan's and a senior Pakistani investigator, the paper said.

Khan said that he helped North Korea design and equip facilities for making weapons-grade uranium with the knowledge of senior military commanders, including Musharraf, the unnamed investigator was quoted as saying.

Khan also told investigators that Gen Beg, the Army Chief of Staff from 1968 to 1991, was aware of assistance the scientist was providing to Iran's nuclear programme and that the two other Army Chiefs, in addition to Musharraf, knew and approved of his efforts on behalf of Pyongyang, he said.

Khan's assertions of high level Army involvement came in the course of a probe into allegations that he and other Pakistani scientists made millions of dollars from selling equipment and expertise to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

They contradict repeated contentions by Musharraf and other officials that Khan and at least one other scientist, Mohammed Farooq, acted out of greed and in violation of long standing government policy that bars the export of nuclear weapons technology to any foreign country.

Source

AQ Khan's daughter flees Pak with sensitive info?
Vijay Dutt London, February 3, 2004

Pakistan's disgraced supreme nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan's daughter has fled abroad with sensitive information that could compromise Pakistan's top brass, according to unconfirmed reports reaching here. The speculation followed reports that in his written confession Khan has absolved army officers. A source said that Khan could have given a clean chit to army officers only under some kind of a compromise or under duress. His daughter could have left the country with papers that would insure that her father is not made a complete fall guy and scapegoat by the regime. A source had earlier said hat he had a son-in-law who ran a business dealing with purchase and sale of N-components in Dubai. Khan could not have indulged in N-weapons technology transfers without army assistance nor could he have built properties abroad. It is said that he even used military transport aircraft to fly furniture to a hotel he owned in Timbuktu, Mali.

Source

'Musharraf knew of nuclear technology transfers'
Associated Press Islamabad, February 3, 2003

The father of Pakistan's nuclear programme has reportedly told investigators he gave nuclear weapons technology to other countries with the full knowledge of top army officials, including now-President General Pervez Musharraf, a friend of the scientist said on Tuesday. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Pakistan's top nuclear scientist, told the friend he hadn't violated Pakistan's laws by giving "disused centrifuge machines" and other equipment to Iran, North Korea and other countries, the friend said on condition of anonymity. "Whatever I did, it was in the knowledge of the bosses," Khan's friend quoted him as saying last week. Khan also told the friend that two former military chiefs -- General Mirza Aslam Beg and General Jehangir Karamat -- and even Musharraf were "aware of everything" he was doing. However, military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan denied Musharraf was privy to any transfer of nuclear technology or authorized Khan to do it. "It is absolutely wrong," Sultan said. Musharraf "was not involved in any such matter," he said. Khan, who gave Pakistan the Islamic world's first nuclear bomb, was removed Sunday from his post as scientific adviser to the prime minister. He also confessed to investigators he had leaked nuclear secrets to other countries.


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