US lawmakers alarmed over Benazir’s missile remarks
By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, March 8: US lawmakers have reacted with concern to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s claim that she personally brought missile blueprints from North Korea while she was prime minister.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sam Brown back, a Republican from Kansas, said Ms Bhutto’s disclosure pointed the need for a stricter regime of international controls governing the spread of nuclear and missile technology.
“These reports underscore the profound implications for global security if and when rogue regimes like North Korea sell such blueprints or even nuclear devices to terrorist groups,” Senator Brown back told the UPI.
“What we’ve done with Afghanistan and Iraq is crucial and an important step,” Mr Brown back continued, labelling Ms Bhutto’s disclosure as evidence of the need for closer cooperation between the United States and “all interested parties” around the world to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction and missile technologies.
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California and a member of the House International Relations Committee, labelled the statement a demonstration of “both the arrogance and insanity of Pakistani leaders who wasted money pursuing rocket and nuclear technology while their own people go hungry and are denied adequate healthcare and education”.
“The more serious question is where did North Korea obtain the technology that was passed on to Pakistan?” “The real villain,” he said, “is China, which continues to play its normal, despicable role.”
Ms Bhutto told a news conference in Washington that Pakistan purchased the designs for the short- and medium-range missiles for cash and that no transfer of nuclear technology was involved. But she said that after her ouster, Pakistani representatives might have engineered the exchange of nuclear technology for missiles in the period after international sanctions were placed on Pakistan following its 1998 nuclear tests. She said Dr A. Q. Khan indirectly admitted to the exchange in his televised confessi
Re: BB personally brought Nuke missile blueprints from NK!
I just can't understand why she has to talk about issues that are considered sensitive and secrets or information that must not be revealed or shared. Irrespective of whether this piece of information is true or not, this woman must realize that her statements are detrimental to the country's image and are clearly not in the larger national interest.
Re: BB personally brought Nuke missile blueprints from NK!
^ samaj lo yaar! why is A.Q.Khan still a hero who can even topple musharaf? same reason, people of pakistan will forgive ANYTHING about people who they think enabled the nukes.
Re: BB personally brought Nuke missile blueprints from NK!
This is lady is reli pathetic. How far these politicians can go JUST to make sure that their bosses at white house are happy.
that also tells how pathetic are the people here who will KEEP supporting her as a National Leader no matter if she can sell off this country for the sake of her own interests.
Re: BB personally brought Nuke missile blueprints from NK!
It seems that people aremissing something here. Pak has long taken a bashing for selling nuke secrets to N.Korea in exchange for missle technology.
Now BB says there was no exchange of nuke info, and that the missles were bought direct, and she is criticised for that?! I guess some people will bash her for anything.
pathetic!!!