Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Pakistan's Nukes
Aired February 04, 2004 - 13:17 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Pakistan, a bold admission today from an embattled scientist. The father of Pakistan's nuclear program has confessed to passing along weapon secrets to other countries, and now he's asking for clemency.
Joining us by videophone from Islamabad, CNN's Ash-har Quraishi -- Ash-har.
ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Doctor Abdul Qadeer Khan, a man widely recorded as an eminent scientist and a national hero in Pakistan has fallen from grace. He admitted in a confession that was broadcast over state-run television that he had proliferated weapons technology to other countries like North Korea, Libya and Iran.
Now, the confession came in the evening here on state-run television here in Pakistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL QADEER KHAN, PAKISTAN NUKE PROGRAM CHIEF: I take full responsibility for my actions and seek your pardon. I give an assurance, my dear brothers and sisters that such activities will never take place in the future. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of Pakistan in the supreme national to refrain from any further speculations and not to politicize this extremely sensitive issue of national security.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QURAISHI: Dr. Khan met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf today as well, in which he made this confession to the president. He talked about other activities that were going on behind the scenes of this nuclear proliferation.
He also put in a plea, as you mentioned, for clemency. That's something the president, as we understand it, had been considering. He took it to a meeting this evening of the National Command Authority. That is the authority that is in charge of Pakistan's nuclear assets, and discussed it there. Now in a statement, the NCA said that it would defer the decision on any pardoning of Dr. Khan after he has admitted to his involvement and his apology. They say that that will be decided by a special meeting of the cabinet, which is scheduled for the morning of Thursday.
Now after that, President Musharraf has scheduled his first briefing with reporters in the afternoon, at which time we expect the president to outline the steps that the government will take, the conclusions into this investigation that has been ongoing for over two months here in Pakistan, and possibly the decision that may be taken by the cabinet on this plea for clemency by Dr. Khan -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Ash-har Quraishi, in Islamabad, thank you.
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 - 13:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Pakistan, a bold admission today from an embattled scientist. The father of Pakistan's nuclear program has confessed to passing along weapon secrets to other countries, and now he's asking for clemency.
Joining us by videophone from Islamabad, CNN's Ash-har Quraishi -- Ash-har.
ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Doctor Abdul Qadeer Khan, a man widely recorded as an eminent scientist and a national hero in Pakistan has fallen from grace. He admitted in a confession that was broadcast over state-run television that he had proliferated weapons technology to other countries like North Korea, Libya and Iran.
Now, the confession came in the evening here on state-run television here in Pakistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL QADEER KHAN, PAKISTAN NUKE PROGRAM CHIEF: I take full responsibility for my actions and seek your pardon. I give an assurance, my dear brothers and sisters that such activities will never take place in the future. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of Pakistan in the supreme national to refrain from any further speculations and not to politicize this extremely sensitive issue of national security.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QURAISHI: Dr. Khan met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf today as well, in which he made this confession to the president. He talked about other activities that were going on behind the scenes of this nuclear proliferation.
He also put in a plea, as you mentioned, for clemency. That's something the president, as we understand it, had been considering. He took it to a meeting this evening of the National Command Authority. That is the authority that is in charge of Pakistan's nuclear assets, and discussed it there. Now in a statement, the NCA said that it would defer the decision on any pardoning of Dr. Khan after he has admitted to his involvement and his apology. They say that that will be decided by a special meeting of the cabinet, which is scheduled for the morning of Thursday.
Now after that, President Musharraf has scheduled his first briefing with reporters in the afternoon, at which time we expect the president to outline the steps that the government will take, the conclusions into this investigation that has been ongoing for over two months here in Pakistan, and possibly the decision that may be taken by the cabinet on this plea for clemency by Dr. Khan -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Ash-har Quraishi, in Islamabad, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
