[Previous entry: "Some thoughts on language and constitutional law"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Lights on a foggy night"]

25 January 2004: "A new can of worms"

An article appeared in today's Seattle Times (reprinted from the WaPo), "Libya inquiry uncovers nuke-parts 'supermarket'."

The basic story is not news, though the extent of it may well be. It has emerged recently that Iran, North Korea and Libya all acquired nuclear technology of Pakistani origin. In the case of Iran and North Korea, any possible involvement on the Pakistani government's part took place before General Musharraf seized power, but both Iran and Libya are believed in recent years to have acquired materials from a front company in Dubai, thought to be operated by people who previously worked on the Pakistani nuclear development programme. Abdul Qadeer Khan, who spearheaded the development of the Pakistani bomb and after whom the Pakistani nuclear research laboratory is named, has also come under suspicion in connection with the sale of equipment to Iran.

There is no reason to assume that the Pakistani government is complicit in this matter, but in that case there exists a disturbing possibility that it is not in control of its own nuclear programme. And if the materials trafficked by rogue scientists were pilfered from the Pakistani nuclear programme, that would be one thing; if they—as the WaPo article suggests—have set up manufacturing facilities to independently produce parts, well, that would be downright scary.

(Hat tip to Carolyn, my wife, for the Times article; I have also drawn on the article "Rogues step in" from The Economist of 08-Jan-2004.)

au currant
Black Decaf
The Illiterati
Cointelpro Tool
Norman Geras
A Fistful of Euros
Harry's Place
Plastic Gangster
Blogfonte
Tim Newman
€urosavant
Crooked Timber
Gallowglass
Mr. McGillicuddy
eameljenet
Civax
101-280
Colby Cosh
Peaktalk
Mick Hartley
Oliver Kamm

Miscellanea:

Care to contribute
to the coffee fund?