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Pakistan offers global nuclear fuel services again
Pakistan, the country of the disgraced nuclear scientist who provided Iran, Libya and North Korea with uranium enrichment technology, is once again offering its atomic fuel services to the world.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani made the public offer in a statement of his country's commitments presented at U.S. President Barack Obama's two-day summit on nuclear security. The written statement was distributed on Tuesday.
"As a country with advanced fuel capability, Pakistan is in a position to provide nuclear fuel cycle services under IAEA (U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards, and to participate in any non-discriminatory nuclear fuel cycle assurance mechanism," Gilani's statement said.
In 2004, Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan admitted to selling Iran, North Korea and Libya nuclear enrichment technology that can be used to produce fuel for civilian reactors or atomic weapons. Khan's movements have been curtailed since his public confession.
IAEA officials and analysts say that Khan's illicit network, which specialized in helping countries skirt international sanctions, created the greatest nuclear proliferation crisis of the atomic age.
Gilani did not refer by name to Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program and considered a national hero by many Pakistanis. But he said that Pakistan "is strongly committed to nuclear security."
He added that Pakistan "would continue to refine and modernize its technical and human resources and mechanisms on safety and security of nuclear weapons, nuclear materials, facilities and assets."
"Pakistan has maintained the highest standards for non-proliferation," he added. "When problems surfaced we addressed them definitively and kept the international community informed."
Pakistan has denied that the government knew anything about Khan's activities. But Western diplomats and intelligence officials say that they believe some members of Pakistan's government and military were aware of Khan's network.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan, like India, never signed the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It has some 80 atomic bombs and fissile material for up to 150 more, experts say.
A new report commissioned from Harvard University professor Matthew Bunn by the U.S.-based Nuclear Threat Initiative said that the highest risks of nuclear theft today were in Pakistan and Russia.
Pakistan's heavily guarded nuclear stockpile "faces immense threats, both from insiders who may be corrupt or sympathetic to terrorists and from large attacks by outsiders," it said, adding that both al Qaeda and the Taliban posed a threat to the country's nuclear facilities and arsenal.
Gilani told delegates there was nothing to worry about.
Obama told reporters at the end of the two-day summit that he trusted the Pakistanis had control of the situation.
"I feel confident about Pakistan's security around its nuclear weapons programs but that doesn't mean that there isn't improvement to make in all of our nuclear security programs," Obama told reporters at the end of the 47-nation summit.
U.N. nuclear chief Yukiya Amano told reporters that there had been some improvements in nuclear security in Pakistan.
But Pakistan's nuclear-armed neighbour and regional rival India made clear that it still had concerns about the potential proliferation threat Pakistan might pose.
"Clandestine proliferation networks have flourished and led to insecurity for all, including and especially for India," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in his speech.
"There should be zero tolerance for individuals and groups which engage in illegal trafficking in nuclear items," Singh said. He did not mention Pakistan or Khan by name.
Pakistan offers global nuclear fuel services again | South Asia | Reuters
Pakistan, the country of the disgraced nuclear scientist who provided Iran, Libya and North Korea with uranium enrichment technology, is once again offering its atomic fuel services to the world.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani made the public offer in a statement of his country's commitments presented at U.S. President Barack Obama's two-day summit on nuclear security. The written statement was distributed on Tuesday.
"As a country with advanced fuel capability, Pakistan is in a position to provide nuclear fuel cycle services under IAEA (U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards, and to participate in any non-discriminatory nuclear fuel cycle assurance mechanism," Gilani's statement said.
In 2004, Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan admitted to selling Iran, North Korea and Libya nuclear enrichment technology that can be used to produce fuel for civilian reactors or atomic weapons. Khan's movements have been curtailed since his public confession.
IAEA officials and analysts say that Khan's illicit network, which specialized in helping countries skirt international sanctions, created the greatest nuclear proliferation crisis of the atomic age.
Gilani did not refer by name to Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program and considered a national hero by many Pakistanis. But he said that Pakistan "is strongly committed to nuclear security."
He added that Pakistan "would continue to refine and modernize its technical and human resources and mechanisms on safety and security of nuclear weapons, nuclear materials, facilities and assets."
"Pakistan has maintained the highest standards for non-proliferation," he added. "When problems surfaced we addressed them definitively and kept the international community informed."
Pakistan has denied that the government knew anything about Khan's activities. But Western diplomats and intelligence officials say that they believe some members of Pakistan's government and military were aware of Khan's network.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan, like India, never signed the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It has some 80 atomic bombs and fissile material for up to 150 more, experts say.
A new report commissioned from Harvard University professor Matthew Bunn by the U.S.-based Nuclear Threat Initiative said that the highest risks of nuclear theft today were in Pakistan and Russia.
Pakistan's heavily guarded nuclear stockpile "faces immense threats, both from insiders who may be corrupt or sympathetic to terrorists and from large attacks by outsiders," it said, adding that both al Qaeda and the Taliban posed a threat to the country's nuclear facilities and arsenal.
Gilani told delegates there was nothing to worry about.
Obama told reporters at the end of the two-day summit that he trusted the Pakistanis had control of the situation.
"I feel confident about Pakistan's security around its nuclear weapons programs but that doesn't mean that there isn't improvement to make in all of our nuclear security programs," Obama told reporters at the end of the 47-nation summit.
U.N. nuclear chief Yukiya Amano told reporters that there had been some improvements in nuclear security in Pakistan.
But Pakistan's nuclear-armed neighbour and regional rival India made clear that it still had concerns about the potential proliferation threat Pakistan might pose.
"Clandestine proliferation networks have flourished and led to insecurity for all, including and especially for India," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in his speech.
"There should be zero tolerance for individuals and groups which engage in illegal trafficking in nuclear items," Singh said. He did not mention Pakistan or Khan by name.
Pakistan offers global nuclear fuel services again | South Asia | Reuters
