The man who armed Iran & North Korea with Nuclear secrets
Born in Bhopal, Dr. A.Q. Khan is a German-educated metallurgist who, from May 1972 to December1975 was employed by Physics Dynamic Research Laboratory (also known as FDO), an engineering firm based in Amsterdam. October 2003 interception of a ship headed for Libya and carrying centrifuge parts, Pakistan began seriously investigating A.Q. Khan as did the west. The United Nation's International Atomic Energy Agency in November 2003 itself warned Pakistan of possible nuclear leaks. After two months of investigations, in late January 2004 Pakistani officials concluded that two of the country's most senior nuclear scientists had black market contacts that supplied sensitive technology to Iran and Libya. In July 2008, he told Pakistani reporters that Pakistan had transported uranium enrichment equipment to North Korea in 2000 with the full knowledge of the country’s army, then headed by Mr. Musharraf. Abdul Qadeer Khan, shocked the world in Feb 2004, when he went on television and confessed to leaking nuclear secrets for money. Many of Pakistan's nuclear scientists are committed Islamic fundamentalists so it is too late to stop the flow as the army is corrupt yet the USA and others need Pakistan to fight the insurgents 2009. Khan is now free as at Feb 6th 2009 after the courts bowed to pressure yet the USA has lent them billions to prop up the military.
There was certainly no remorse on Khan's part for his actions in selling nuclear secrets that have now been transformed into bombs. "I will always be proud about what I did for Pakistan," Khan said. "I am obliged to answer only to my government, not to any foreigners," he continued, signaling that he will continue to resist attempts by officials from the U.S. and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to interview him about his role in the world's biggest nuclear scandal. Last year, a United Nations nuclear watchdog said Khan's network was active in 12 countries.
THOSE WHO HELPED ARM PAKISTAN:
Belgium:Supplied New Labs plutonium extraction plant
Canada: Supplied Kanupp power reactor including fuel and spare parts until 1976
China: Supplied a tested bomb design and high-enriched uranium fuel, Supplied special magnets to help gas centrifuges enrich uranium, Building a power reactor and training technicians at Chashma despite de facto international nuclear supply embargo, Helping to build a secret plutonium producing reactor at Khusab
Supplied tritium that could help increase bomb yields,
France:Designed Chashma plutonium extraction plant.Contracted to renovate controls at Kanupp
Germany: Supplied nuclear fuel fabrication equipment and technology, including high-powered welding and drilling lasers. Supplied factory to make uranium hexafluoride used at Kahuta enrichment plant.
Sold electronic components to control gas centrifuges. Exported "preforms" for gas centrifuge scoops for Kahuta enrichment plant. Supplied natural lithium, useful in making tritium for boosted nuclear weapons
Set up tritium gas purification plant and provided a small amount of tritium for testing
Supplied information for design and construction of secret research reactor
Netherlands: Source of centrifuge design, materials and manufacturing equipment secretly procured by Dr. A.Q. Khan
Norway: Sold computers and software useful in nuclear weapon design
Sweden: Supplied flash X-ray machines, useful in nuclear weapon development
Switzerland: Supplied components for centrifuge enrichment plant
Supplied high vacuum valves and gasification and solidification units
United States: Supplied Pakistan's first research reactor and fuel which Pakistan used for secret experiments in tritium production