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CNN Live At Daybreak

'International News Desk'

Aired February 04, 2004 - 06:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Just before we went on the air this morning, the Pakistani scientist who, according to his government, sold nuclear secrets to North Korea, Iran and Libya, talked with a reporter. What did he say and what will happen to him?
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is here -- you were monitoring that interview.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Carol, good morning again.

Fascinating story to me. Let's be clear on the sequence here. We know that Pakistan or Pakistani nuclear secrets were sold to Iran, Libya and North Korea. The IAEA and others have told us that. So it's not just Pakistan saying it. But what's interesting now is that the Pakistani government is saying that this scientist was the one who did it, all by himself.

They put out a statement saying today that Dr. Khan met with President Musharraf today and admitted full responsibility and asked for clemency. Then they ran some sound from Dr. Khan and what he said sounded nothing like an admission of guilt or asking for clemency. He said he briefed President Musharraf on the international conspiracy against Pakistan on its nuclear programs.

I'm not sure exactly what he meant by that, but it didn't sound like an admission of guilt. It didn't sound like he's asking for clemency.

What's behind this is that President Musharraf is in a very difficult situation. This man, Dr. Khan, is a national hero. He developed the bomb for Pakistan -- something that is a huge source of pride for them -- against their rival India.

COSTELLO: India.

CLINCH: He has been revered for that for years. Now, the Pakistan public is waking to the fact that he's being accused of and they're now told admitting selling all of these secrets to other countries.

Now...

COSTELLO: Well, doesn't that bother the Pakistani people?

CLINCH: Well, some of them it does. Others say, in particular for Libya and Iran, that those are Arabic Muslim countries, why shouldn't they be sharing their nuclear secrets with them? Israel has the bomb; again, a very sort of Muslim point of view.

North Korea, of course, the awkward thing; awkward thing also for the United States. North Korea has the bomb as far as we know, or they say they have the bomb, and they may very well have it because of these secrets. Now we're in a situation where this man who sold these secrets may end up getting clemency because President Musharraf, according to what we're hearing, is offering him some kind of a deal for clemency.

It would be a very difficult thing for Musharraf if he had to put him in prison. Kind of an awkward situation for the U.S., too.

COSTELLO: And a very difficult thing for him if he doesn't put him in prison, from, you know, his friends in the United States.

CLINCH: Right. It's a rock and a hard place. But at the moment, it looks like what he's -- the direction he's going in, Musharraf, is that behind the scenes some kind of a deal is being worked out, clemency for this man who sold nuclear secrets.

COSTELLO: We'll see what happens.

Thank you, David.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 4, 2004 - 06:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Just before we went on the air this morning, the Pakistani scientist who, according to his government, sold nuclear secrets to North Korea, Iran and Libya, talked with a reporter. What did he say and what will happen to him?
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is here -- you were monitoring that interview.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Carol, good morning again.

Fascinating story to me. Let's be clear on the sequence here. We know that Pakistan or Pakistani nuclear secrets were sold to Iran, Libya and North Korea. The IAEA and others have told us that. So it's not just Pakistan saying it. But what's interesting now is that the Pakistani government is saying that this scientist was the one who did it, all by himself.

They put out a statement saying today that Dr. Khan met with President Musharraf today and admitted full responsibility and asked for clemency. Then they ran some sound from Dr. Khan and what he said sounded nothing like an admission of guilt or asking for clemency. He said he briefed President Musharraf on the international conspiracy against Pakistan on its nuclear programs.

I'm not sure exactly what he meant by that, but it didn't sound like an admission of guilt. It didn't sound like he's asking for clemency.

What's behind this is that President Musharraf is in a very difficult situation. This man, Dr. Khan, is a national hero. He developed the bomb for Pakistan -- something that is a huge source of pride for them -- against their rival India.

COSTELLO: India.

CLINCH: He has been revered for that for years. Now, the Pakistan public is waking to the fact that he's being accused of and they're now told admitting selling all of these secrets to other countries.

Now...

COSTELLO: Well, doesn't that bother the Pakistani people?

CLINCH: Well, some of them it does. Others say, in particular for Libya and Iran, that those are Arabic Muslim countries, why shouldn't they be sharing their nuclear secrets with them? Israel has the bomb; again, a very sort of Muslim point of view.

North Korea, of course, the awkward thing; awkward thing also for the United States. North Korea has the bomb as far as we know, or they say they have the bomb, and they may very well have it because of these secrets. Now we're in a situation where this man who sold these secrets may end up getting clemency because President Musharraf, according to what we're hearing, is offering him some kind of a deal for clemency.

It would be a very difficult thing for Musharraf if he had to put him in prison. Kind of an awkward situation for the U.S., too.

COSTELLO: And a very difficult thing for him if he doesn't put him in prison, from, you know, his friends in the United States.

CLINCH: Right. It's a rock and a hard place. But at the moment, it looks like what he's -- the direction he's going in, Musharraf, is that behind the scenes some kind of a deal is being worked out, clemency for this man who sold nuclear secrets.

COSTELLO: We'll see what happens.

Thank you, David.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com