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Pakistani Scientist Responsible Admits Guilt For Spreading Secrets
Aired February 04, 2004 - 11:10 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Pakistan's top nuclear scientist apologizes for spreading secrets. He takes responsibility today for sharing nuclear technology with other countries.
We get details now from CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour, who is in London -- Christiane, hello.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, well, diplomats are telling us that it really is explosive, that a top nuclear scientist in a nuclear power has confessed to proliferating nuclear technology and know how to other countries. In this case, A. Q. Kahn, who has been, up until now, regarded as a national hero for being the father of the Pakistani bomb, also known as the world's first and only Islamic bomb, has now confessed in a highly scripted statement on television in Pakistan to doing this.
But he also absolved any government official and any top military official of any responsibility in this affair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL QADEER KHAN, PAKISTANI NUCLEAR SCIENTIST: I wish to place on record that those of my subordinates who have accepted their role in the affair were acting in good faith like me on my instructions. I also wish to clarify that there was never ever any kind of authorization for these activities by the government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: Now, already there are skeptics in Pakistan and elsewhere who are saying that it would be impossible for a top nuclear scientist to be able to send out or transfer, sell, whatever, any technology and equipment without the knowledge of higher-ups. This is clearly going to be the basis for further questions, certainly from the skeptics and analysts, as I've mentioned.
But the IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, is basically saying that what Khan has said and what Khan has admitted now proves that he -- proves and bolsters their case that they believe there is a sophisticated international black market on nuclear technology and weapons design and this has been available now to countries such as Iran, Libya and North Korea, and it now appears that Khan is one of the central points in this black market and the proliferation of nuclear technology -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes, and Christiane, while the revelations are fascinating and frightening, you do get the sense that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, that what he's given up is already out there, so what can be done in terms of damage control?
AMANPOUR: Well, interestingly, basically the investigation in Pakistan didn't start until the IAEA had evidence of this from countries like, in fact, specifically Iran and Libya. When the IAEA went into Iran ahead of this new, more robust inspection that Iran has agreed to, officials there told them that they had received certain parts, centrifuges, from Pakistani middlemen. Then when the IAEA went to Libya, when Libya came forth and said that it was giving up its WMD program, they also found a lot of equipment in boxes. Much of it had not been assembled yet. And they had said that it came from middlemen and other such Pakistani connections.
So, to an extent, some of the damage control is already under way. But ElBaradei of the IAEA says that shutting down this is going to be their most difficult challenge, because the black market is something like the international drug market, that it's very, very difficult to shut it down. And he called it very sophisticated.
So that, he says, will be their challenge, or one of their main challenges for the future.
KAGAN: Christiane Amanpour in London, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Secrets>
Aired February 4, 2004 - 11:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Pakistan's top nuclear scientist apologizes for spreading secrets. He takes responsibility today for sharing nuclear technology with other countries.
We get details now from CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour, who is in London -- Christiane, hello.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, well, diplomats are telling us that it really is explosive, that a top nuclear scientist in a nuclear power has confessed to proliferating nuclear technology and know how to other countries. In this case, A. Q. Kahn, who has been, up until now, regarded as a national hero for being the father of the Pakistani bomb, also known as the world's first and only Islamic bomb, has now confessed in a highly scripted statement on television in Pakistan to doing this.
But he also absolved any government official and any top military official of any responsibility in this affair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL QADEER KHAN, PAKISTANI NUCLEAR SCIENTIST: I wish to place on record that those of my subordinates who have accepted their role in the affair were acting in good faith like me on my instructions. I also wish to clarify that there was never ever any kind of authorization for these activities by the government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: Now, already there are skeptics in Pakistan and elsewhere who are saying that it would be impossible for a top nuclear scientist to be able to send out or transfer, sell, whatever, any technology and equipment without the knowledge of higher-ups. This is clearly going to be the basis for further questions, certainly from the skeptics and analysts, as I've mentioned.
But the IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, is basically saying that what Khan has said and what Khan has admitted now proves that he -- proves and bolsters their case that they believe there is a sophisticated international black market on nuclear technology and weapons design and this has been available now to countries such as Iran, Libya and North Korea, and it now appears that Khan is one of the central points in this black market and the proliferation of nuclear technology -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes, and Christiane, while the revelations are fascinating and frightening, you do get the sense that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, that what he's given up is already out there, so what can be done in terms of damage control?
AMANPOUR: Well, interestingly, basically the investigation in Pakistan didn't start until the IAEA had evidence of this from countries like, in fact, specifically Iran and Libya. When the IAEA went into Iran ahead of this new, more robust inspection that Iran has agreed to, officials there told them that they had received certain parts, centrifuges, from Pakistani middlemen. Then when the IAEA went to Libya, when Libya came forth and said that it was giving up its WMD program, they also found a lot of equipment in boxes. Much of it had not been assembled yet. And they had said that it came from middlemen and other such Pakistani connections.
So, to an extent, some of the damage control is already under way. But ElBaradei of the IAEA says that shutting down this is going to be their most difficult challenge, because the black market is something like the international drug market, that it's very, very difficult to shut it down. And he called it very sophisticated.
So that, he says, will be their challenge, or one of their main challenges for the future.
KAGAN: Christiane Amanpour in London, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Secrets>
