www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/06/02/1414236
"Pacifica Radio Network Becomes Antiwar Voice" Friday, June 2nd, 2006 Why is the US Hampering a Swiss Investigation into AQ Khan's International Nuclear Arms Smuggling Ring?
Purchase Video/CD The Bush administration is ignoring requests from Swiss officials to hand over information that would help prosecute alleged members of Pakistani scientist AQ Khan's underground nuclear network. We speak with the spokesperson for the Swiss Attorney General, Hansjurg Mark Wiedmer, former US weapons inspector in Iraq, David Albright and Pakistani physicist, Zia Mian of Princeton University.
The Bush administration is being accused of refusing to help out Switzerland's federal prosecutor try three men at the center of the world's most notorious nuclear arms smuggling ring. The case involves a Swiss man and his two sons who are allegedly connected to the Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, better known as AQ Khan. Khan, who is currently under house arrest in Pakistan, helped build Pakistan's nuclear weapons program and then secretly shared the technology with other countries including Iran, North Korea and Libya. Two years ago President Bush praised the international community for working together to disrupt Khan's network. A Q Khan has confessed his crimes, and his top associates are out of business."
Over the past year Swiss officials have requested at least four times that the Bush administration share documents and evidence related to Khan's nuclear black market. Swiss officials maintain it needs US assistance in order to convict three Swiss men accused of helping AQ Khan set up a secret Malaysian factory to make components for gas centrifuges. Last week US weapons expert David Albright testified before Congress and said, "I find this lack of cooperation frankly embarrassing to the United States and to those of us who believe that the United States should take the lead in bringing members of the Khan network to justice for arming our enemies with nuclear weapons." Albright has floated one theory as to why the Bush administration won't help the Swiss investigators. He says the three Swiss men accused of bring part of AQ Khan's underground network may have been working for the CIA and being paid by the US government. The CIA has refused to comment on the allegation but former CIA Director George Tenet acknowledged the Agency had penetrated Khan's network during a speech at Georgetown University in February 2004. Malaysian authorities have shut down one of the network's largest plants. His network is now answering to the world for years of nuclear profiteering. First, we discovered the extent of Khan's hidden network. We detected the network stretching from Pakistan to Europe to the Middle East to Asia offering its wares to countries like North Korea and Iran. Working with our British colleagues we pieced together the picture of the network, revealing its subsidiaries, scientists, front companies, agents, finances, and manufacturing plants on three continents. Our spies penetrated the network through a series of daring operations over several years. Through this unrelenting effort we confirmed the network was delivering such things as illicit uranium enrichment centrifuges. And as you heard me say on the Libya case, we stopped deliveries of prohibited material. I welcome the President's Commission looking into proliferation. We have a record and a story to tell and we want to tell it to those willing to listen."
Institute for Science and International Security and a former US weapons inspector in Iraq * Zia Mian, scholar and activist on South Asian and disarmament issues at the Centre for Science and Global Security at Princeton University. RUSH TRANSCRIPT This transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Two years ago, President Bush praised the international community for working together to disrupt Khan's network. PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH: Governments around the world worked closely with us to unravel the Khan network and to put an end to its criminal enterprise. JUAN GONZALEZ: But behind the scenes, it is a different story. Over the past year, Swiss officials have requested at least four times that the Bush administration share documents and evidence related to Khan's nuclear black market, but the United States has never responded. Swiss officials maintain they need US assistance in order to convict three Swiss men accused of helping AQ Khan, who set up a secret Malaysian factory to make components for gas centrifuges. AMY GOODMAN: Last week, US weapons expert David Albright testified before Congress and said, quote, I find this lack of cooperation, frankly, embarrassing to the United States and to those of us who believe that the United States should take the lead in bringing members of the Khan network to justice for arming our enemies with nuclear weapons. Albright has floated one theory as to why the Bush administration won't help the Swiss investigators. He says the three Swiss men accused of being a part of AQ Khan's underground network may have been working for the CIA and being paid by the US government. The CIA has refused to comment on the allegation, but former CIA Director George Tenet acknowledged the agency had penetrated Khan's network during a speech at Georgetown University in February of 2004. GEORGE TENET: Now, as you know from the news coming out of Pakistan, Khan and his network have been dealt a crushing blow, and several of his senior officers are in custody. Malaysian authorities have shut down one of the network's largest plants. His network is now answering to the world for years of nuclear profiteering. First, we discovered the extent of Khan's hidden network. We detected the network, stretching across four continents, offering its wares to countries like North Korea and Iran. Working with our British colleagues, we pieced together the picture of the network, revealing its subsidiaries, its scientists, its front companies, its agents, its finances and manufacturing plants on three continents. Our spies penetrated the network through a series of daring operations over several years. Through this unrelenting effort, we confirmed the network was delivering such things as illicit uranium enrichment centrifuges. And as you heard me say in the Libya case, we stopped deliveries of prohibited material. We have a record and a story to tell and we want to tell it to those willing to listen. AMY GOODMAN: Former CIA Director George Tenet speaking in February of 2004. We'll start on the phone from Bern, Switzerland, with Hansjurg Mark Wiedmer. Can you explain what it is that you've requested of the United States and who the men are that you're prosecuting in Switzerland? HANSJURG MARK WIEDMER: Well, first of all, we never give information or disclose information about people involved in our criminal investigations, but I can confirm that Swiss -- the office of the Swiss Attorney General is leading a criminal investigation into any Swiss connection to nuclear proliferation, plans and links to the Khan network. JUAN GONZALEZ: Now, Switzerland does have an agreement with the United States to cooperate in criminal investigations, does it not? HANSJURG MARK WIEDMER: There is a contract between Switzerland and the United States, according or regarding the cooperation within criminal cases like that. Also, after 9/11, the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the cooperation between Swiss and US officials have been strengthened. So we are really confident that the US authorities will provide us with the information we ask them, because it's in the best interest, not only for Switzerland, but for the United States, as well, that this criminal investigation can go on into the clarification of the Swiss link to the whole question of -- the international question or international prosecution also of the Khan network. JUAN GONZALEZ: But the reports are indicating that up until now the United States has not responded to your request. HANSJURG MARK WIEDMER: Well, actually you know, the cooperation within the legal framework of the interna...
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