LAHORE: Nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan’s proliferation activities greatly damaged Pakistan’s image, to the point that no country is now willing to give Pakistan technology for nuclear power generation, President Gen Pervez Musharraf has said.
In an interview with ARY television, the president said Pakistan could have been declared a rogue state or faced severe sanctions because of Dr Khan. “We are not an oil producing country and imagine how critical it would have been for Pakistan in case of sanctions. This proliferation ghost is still chasing us.”
Gen Musharraf said it was wrong to call Dr Khan the father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, as there were some 7,000 other scientists who worked for many years on the programme.
He said Dr Khan knew just one part of the project, enrichment of uranium to weapons grade. “Dr Khan knows nothing about converting this enriched uranium to a bomb and making its trigger mechanism for explosion and then putting the bomb in a delivery system for explosion, because this is not his technology.”
Asked about Richard Armitage’s alleged threat after 9/11 to bomb Pakistan back into the Stone Age, Musharraf said he got this quote from the then director general of Inter Services Intelligence. “Armitage is a very good person and has cordial relations with me but I leave this issue here if Armitage now denies it,” he said.
The president said he was surprised at former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s comments about the Agra summit, in reaction to Gen Musharraf’s views about the summit expressed in his book.
“It is amazing to hear from Vajpayee that the Agra summit failed because I was not accepting that there was terrorism in Kashmir. How could I accept this, because we say there is a freedom movement and the Indian forces are involved in state terrorism in Kashmir?”
Musharraf said 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, was an “unfortunate and negative turning point for Pakistan”. “We launched jihad against the Soviet Union, brought mujahideen and trained Taliban and sent them to war, which had its impacts on Pakistan.”
He said after Gen Ziaul Haq’s death in a plane crash in 1987, democratic forces were unable to control the extremists left in Pakistan after the Afghan jihad, extremists who were “so powerful that no one could even touch them”. “But I am trying to control these extremists which is not an easy job,” he added.
Gen Musharraf said Nawaz Sharif might have pre planned to “hijack” the plane in which he was returning from Sri Lanka in October 1999. “Maybe that is correct and I think it must be correct,” he said.
Re: Proliferation ghost still chasing us: Musharraf
Yes Dr AQ Khan is the father of our A-bomb but that gave him no right to sell our nuclear secrets to any Tom D*k and Harry and if he really did that then he was in the wrong. It's like saying it would have been okay for Quaid-e-Azam (I am not saying he did that or would have done that because he was a man of dignity and integrity) as the founder of Pakistan to sell a part of our land to any Tom D*k and Harry.
And I would agree with most who say that Dr AQ Khan could not have done so without the knowledge of the government and the military establishment. So they are all equally culpable for proliferation activities and equally involved in this mess. The real truth will emerge only when Musharraf leaves office
Re: Proliferation ghost still chasing us: Musharraf
^^
Do you really want to know the truth regarding A Q Khan episode? Though it is open secret for most, still let extract the truth that is obvious from behind the lines that one can find in abundance.
From your post
Now let analyse what president said, if it is true to the word or President is covering something:
General rule is that, when giving credit (if good) or blame (if bad) for practical work, the credit/blame goes to one that leads the work and not to those that follows. Similarly, in making Pakistan nuclear, A Q Khan was leading the work, while others were following and thus all credit goes to A Q Khan. Actually, countries that want nuclear device and are behind becoming Nuclear power, its because they do not have someone like A Q Khan, that can get them enriched Uranium (one of the main ingredient) so that device can be made. [Alternative ingredient is having enough spent plutonium, but west monitors that, as nuclear reactors come form west or countries under their influence, thus west (or their allies) provides the fuel, keeping track of spent plutonium]
This is the reason, western powers (USA and others) want to neutralize A Q Khan for other countries, as they believe that his presence with his knowledge, is a dangerous thing outside their control]
Regardless, what A Q Khan did was not all for personal benefit but its best to leave something unsaid. If one would get into depth of it, one would find that most of our various missiles, night vision devices, anti-aircraft (ANZA) missiles, etc, all coming from A Q Khan Laboratory (in Kahuta). Just try to guess that where all these technologies were coming from at such fantastic pace, and how they were been financed.
Now question arises that, if such is true, what is really happening?
Here we see the difference between Mullah Umar and President Musharraf. Mullah Umar was willing to destroy his whole country and life of many Afghans for the sake of one person (OBL) and Mullah Umar did it too, while Musharaf was willing to sacrifice his hero (AQK) for the sake of country and betterment of Pakistan people (as he did). Actually, this sacrifice is not really a sacrifice, as for many Pakistanis, AQK became more respectable after this happening than he was before.
[Well, Afghanistan was mostly ‘Khan-dar’ (derelict) so even if Mullah Umar had anything in his upper chamber, there was nothing for Mullah Umar to lose except life of Afghans, but Afghans love killing and to get killed (it seems that they do not know the importance of life), so it does not matter if they received daizy-cutter and other heavy duty bombs. They were rubbles before bombing and they stayed rubbles after bombing, so not much changed.
Pakistan is neither derelict like Afghanistan nor Pakistanis (except few) love to kill and to get killed, like Afghans. Thus, to let Pakistan receive daizy-cutter and other heavy duty bombs was not a good idea and Musharaf decided not to show red flag to the bull (aka USA)]
Now you might say that what I wrote is my imagination (I wrote similar in my earlier post on this forum, many months ago). Well, you do not have to believe me but here is another post that backs what I wrote.
By: Air Commodore Jamal Hussain (The writer is Director of Centre for Aerospace Power Studies, PAF Base Faisal, Karachi.)
**
**
As for who is father of Nuclear bomb: What Musharraf mentioned is also part of same problem, that is: ‘protect Dr AQ Khan or protect Pakistan’ else, what Musharaf wrote is not entirely true, as nothing is done single handedly by anyone that is practical (like making nuclear bomb is practical thing). Only thing a person does single handedly is theoretical work. Nevertheless, credit for Practical or theoretical work always goes to the one at the forefront.
Thus, in protecting Dr Khan or Pakistan, Musharaf opted for Pakistan at the expense of Dr Khan, because Musharaf is not Mullah Umar, he is a fast thinking and decision making General, as from another post of Haris Zuberi (In the line of fire: post#101](http://www.paklinks.com/gs/showpost.php?p=4500420&postcount=101)) where Ardeshir Cowasjee praises fast thinking, fast decision making, and quick acting ability of President Musharraf, that Pakistan needs in such unpredictable environment world is going through: we need a Top Gun who can do a 180 degree turn within the space of ten seconds].
Actually, Musharraf explains the reason for this sacrifice of Dr Khan (and keep explaining, because he knows that what he did regarding A Q Khan, Musharraf did it at a great risk to his popularity, as from your post, quoted below:
**
**
Musharraf explanation is obvious from his interview to ARY:
If you will read the above quote carefully, you will notice that Musharaf mentions the reasons that led him to sacrifice AQ Khan. (Replace ‘A Q Khan’ with word ‘Proliferation’)
World was accusing Pakistan of proliferation with proof. It all started when Libya gave up quest of becoming nuclear power and thus let west look into all documents (and outside help) what they had. This action of Libya gave west proof that Pakistan and A Q Khan are involved in proliferation. Name of Pakistan and A Q Khan was on forefront everywhere. Once, name of scientist and source (country) became known (that confirms that Pakistan was involved in proliferation), west started blaming Pakistan (and A Q Khan) for Iran and Korean nuclear quest too. They also had some intelligence proof (along with concrete Libyan proof with Libyan confessions), that they made it known to Musharraf.
West realises that Pakistan can control proliferate if they desire (and believes that Musharraf in power would, as that is best for Pakistan else Pakistan would have sanctions) but they are scared of A Q Khan (with his knowledge regarding enriching Uranium and practical experience) and believe that he could proliferate on his own, just by migrating to a country that wants nuclear technology, and thus west wanted to neutralise A Q Khan. (Now, A Q Khan cannot leave Pakistan).
I believe (may not be true as all what I am writing is speculative) that understanding developed that Musharraf neutralises the main threat (AQ Khan) from spreading the technology and Pakistan would be let off as being proliferators. Thus, according to understanding (as I believe), AQ Khan took the blame of proliferation and frees Pakistan from being accused of proliferation. Seem that Musharraf was a good negotiator for Pakistani cause and AQ Khan played patriotic in taking all the blame. West may have also felt that they found a trustworthy, straightforward, and honest person to negotiate.
Why this understanding developed? Reason is obvious. West needed Pakistan. West had nothing to gain by putting sanctions on Pakistan, a nuclear power, and in process looses an ally on war against terror (terror for them though to an extend, there was terror for Pakistan too, in the form of sectarianism and religious violence that was also creeping into criminal violence and development of armed state within Pakistani state). West also knew that sanctions would destabilise Pakistan that may make lot of people suffer in Pakistan but it could also make Pakistan a very dangerous nuclear country, in the hand of lunatics (headache for future).
Thus, west acknowledged that what happened regarding proliferation from Pakistan is now a past issue and as long as it does not continue, it would be acceptable. Musharraf must have given his words that it would not continue, that west trusted.
Regardless, Pakistan had a scientist, that even if he escapes Pakistan to any country that want to be nuclear, this scientist could make that country nuclear within short time. Thus, it is obvious that west wanted to neutralise this scientist, as even if Pakistan does not proliferate, this scientist could change the equation easily. Even if Pakistan can trust this scientist, west was unwilling to trust. West must have demanded Musharraf to hand him over but Musharraf must have told them that it is impossible (as that could bring lot of turmoil within the country), promising that Pakistan would do everything to neutralise him as much as he can. Without any choice, west (USA) agreed and thus we saw grave of proliferation blame for Pakistan along with obscurity of Dr AQ Khan.
**Note: **If there were extreme sanctions, Pakistan would have been in big trouble. Pakistan depends on almost everything from outside (medicine, oil, machinery, chemicals etc). Even all those oil rich Muslim countries would have obeyed USA (their boss) in putting sanctions on Pakistan.
As for being father of Pakistan nuclear bomb: It was A Q Khan accomplishment of getting Uranium enrichment to weapon grade. When A Q Khan introduced it to Pakistan, it was completely a new technology, though he got the initial cue from the place he was working in west (he obtained the concept of enriching Uranium at very basic stage).
If any country can enrich uranium to weapon grade, rest of the work is ordinary to get nuclear device. Regardless, what I know, it was under the supervision of A Q Khan that Pakistan produced all other ordinary work (for making nuclear device) too, that led to Pakistan having nuclear device (obviously, most work was done under his supervision, by scientists working in A Q K research Laboratory). As for money coming from all those proliferation, if it was for A Q Khan, then I am sure A Q Khan would have become multi billionaire in dollars (but reality is that, no one believes that A Q Khan did all for personal gains). Truth is that, money obtained are used to make Pakistan more potent in other defense and delivery systems.
As for credit for making Pakistan nuclear: Its like, credit for Independence of Pakistan goes to Quid-e-Azam though there were millions of Muslims that were following him, else Quid-e-Azam could not have fought successfully for Pakistan. Credit of capturing Spain (for Muslim) goes to Tariq-bin-Ziyad though obviously, there were many soldiers with him else he could not have done the fete. At university, credit for all research work goes to person supervising the researcher and to researcher with the consent of supervisor.
When talking about genocide of Jews (and others) in Germany, blame goes to Hitler and similarly credit goes to Chengez Khan for all victories made by his army. Gandhi may have led India to independence but if it was not for millions of people behind him, he could not have done anything. Well, history is full of this story of credit/blame.
President Musharraf (an acclaimed General himself) surely should know that when an army wins/lose a battle, there are thousands of soldiers involved, but credit/blame rightly goes to the General and how that General led the forces. History is full of genius Generals that lead a weak army to victories and lousy Generals that lead a very strong army to defeat.
So do not think that Musharraf does not know this fact. Problem is what to sacrifice, Pakistan or AQ Khan? If it was Mullah Umar (or for that matter, Qazi Saheb), they would have sacrificed Pakistan but for Musharraf, it seems ‘Pakistan first’ rest is second.]