[Washington Post] R. Jeffrey Smith - A.Q. Khan, the creator of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, boasted to Aaj News Television in Karachi on Aug. 31 that he and other senior Pakistani officials, eager to see Iran develop nuclear weapons, years ago guided that country to a proven network of suppliers and helped advance its covert efforts. Khan said that if Iran succeeds in "acquiring nuclear technology, we will be a strong bloc in the region to counter international pressure. Iran's nuclear capability will neutralize Israel's power." Khan's latest statement was an unusually direct claim of broad, official Pakistani support for an Iranian nuclear weapon. The Pakistani government has repeatedly asserted that Khan acted alone in illicitly spreading nuclear weapons technology, and it has denied that there was official support for helping Iran's nuclear program. But Khan has long insisted that his contacts were approved by top military officials.
2009-09-10 08:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive