01-30-2004, 06:45 PM
My Webpage
<b>Nuclear Inquiry Skips Pakistani Army</b>
By DAVID ROHDE
Published: January 30, 2004
SLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 29 â For the past week, senior government and intelligence officials, speaking anonymously, have steadily disclosed details of a deepening inquiry into what seems to have been the transfer of Pakistan's nuclear technology to Iran and other countries in the late 1980's and early 1990's.
Their version of events â expected to be released publicly this weekend â blames the country's nuclear scientists, including Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, for selling technology for personal gain.
But one issue rarely addressed by officials of the military-led government is the extent to which the inquiry has examined the role Pakistan's powerful military â which had tight control over the nuclear program â may have played in the sale or sharing of nuclear technology.
In interviews this week, retired Pakistani civilian and military officials, former American diplomats and proliferation experts said the country's military-led government appeared to be glossing over evidence that senior military officials might have approved the sales.
More recent reports of proliferation â including allegations that the governments of the current president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto shared nuclear technology with North Korea â are also being given short shrift, they said.
The officials and analysts emphasized that they had no proof that the army was involved, but wondered why Pakistani investigators had not questioned any senior army officials.
George Perkovich, a proliferation expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in Washington, said General Musharraf, who seized power in 1999, was trying to appease American demands for an investigation while not angering the army, his base of support.
"The problem for Musharraf is that people in the army would know about this," Mr. Perkovich said in a telephone interview. "And he wants to protect his club."
<b>One focus of suspicion is Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg, the commander of the Pakistani Army from 1988 to 1991, American analysts said. Robert B. Oakley, who served as the American ambassador in Islamabad from 1988 to 1991, said in a telephone interview that General Beg told him in the spring of 1991 that he was discussing nuclear and conventional military cooperation with Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
"He said he had a good conversation with the Revolutionary Guards about nuclear cooperation and conventional military assistance," Mr. Oakley said. "Iran was going to support Pakistan with conventional military aid and petroleum and the Pakistanis would provide them with nuclear technology."</b>
In an interview this week, General Beg denied ever sharing nuclear technology with Iran. But he did confirm that he proposed that Pakistan adopt a doctrine of "strategic defiance" involving an alliance between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.
General Beg said such an alliance would thwart an American invasion of all three countries that he expected after the United States defeated Iraq in the Persian Gulf war of 1991. This week, he predicted that history would prove him right and that an alliance similar to the European Union would form and the three countries would become "the core of the Muslim world, to emulate."
Mr. Oakley said he was so concerned by General Beg's statements in 1991 that he went to Pakistan's prime minister at the time, Nawaz Sharif, and urged him to quash any such arrangement. Mr. Oakley said that Mr. Sharif agreed to speak to Iran's civilian leaders.
Mr. Sharif, who was toppled by General Musharraf and now lives in exile in Saudi Arabia, declined a request for an interview this week.
Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan, a cabinet minister and senior aide to to Mr. Sharif, said he remembered that General Beg proposed an alliance with Iran and Afghanistan. But he said senior civilian officials did not take General Beg's ideas seriously.
<b>Nuclear Inquiry Skips Pakistani Army</b>
By DAVID ROHDE
Published: January 30, 2004
SLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 29 â For the past week, senior government and intelligence officials, speaking anonymously, have steadily disclosed details of a deepening inquiry into what seems to have been the transfer of Pakistan's nuclear technology to Iran and other countries in the late 1980's and early 1990's.
Their version of events â expected to be released publicly this weekend â blames the country's nuclear scientists, including Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, for selling technology for personal gain.
But one issue rarely addressed by officials of the military-led government is the extent to which the inquiry has examined the role Pakistan's powerful military â which had tight control over the nuclear program â may have played in the sale or sharing of nuclear technology.
In interviews this week, retired Pakistani civilian and military officials, former American diplomats and proliferation experts said the country's military-led government appeared to be glossing over evidence that senior military officials might have approved the sales.
More recent reports of proliferation â including allegations that the governments of the current president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto shared nuclear technology with North Korea â are also being given short shrift, they said.
The officials and analysts emphasized that they had no proof that the army was involved, but wondered why Pakistani investigators had not questioned any senior army officials.
George Perkovich, a proliferation expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in Washington, said General Musharraf, who seized power in 1999, was trying to appease American demands for an investigation while not angering the army, his base of support.
"The problem for Musharraf is that people in the army would know about this," Mr. Perkovich said in a telephone interview. "And he wants to protect his club."
<b>One focus of suspicion is Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg, the commander of the Pakistani Army from 1988 to 1991, American analysts said. Robert B. Oakley, who served as the American ambassador in Islamabad from 1988 to 1991, said in a telephone interview that General Beg told him in the spring of 1991 that he was discussing nuclear and conventional military cooperation with Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
"He said he had a good conversation with the Revolutionary Guards about nuclear cooperation and conventional military assistance," Mr. Oakley said. "Iran was going to support Pakistan with conventional military aid and petroleum and the Pakistanis would provide them with nuclear technology."</b>
In an interview this week, General Beg denied ever sharing nuclear technology with Iran. But he did confirm that he proposed that Pakistan adopt a doctrine of "strategic defiance" involving an alliance between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.
General Beg said such an alliance would thwart an American invasion of all three countries that he expected after the United States defeated Iraq in the Persian Gulf war of 1991. This week, he predicted that history would prove him right and that an alliance similar to the European Union would form and the three countries would become "the core of the Muslim world, to emulate."
Mr. Oakley said he was so concerned by General Beg's statements in 1991 that he went to Pakistan's prime minister at the time, Nawaz Sharif, and urged him to quash any such arrangement. Mr. Oakley said that Mr. Sharif agreed to speak to Iran's civilian leaders.
Mr. Sharif, who was toppled by General Musharraf and now lives in exile in Saudi Arabia, declined a request for an interview this week.
Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan, a cabinet minister and senior aide to to Mr. Sharif, said he remembered that General Beg proposed an alliance with Iran and Afghanistan. But he said senior civilian officials did not take General Beg's ideas seriously.