Nuclear spy Khan

[M123]

Thought this might be interresting.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4135998.stm

Pakistani nuclear expert AQ Khan was not arrested when living in the Netherlands as the CIA was monitoring him, an ex-Dutch prime minister says.

Ruud Lubbers said the CIA had asked the Netherlands in 1975 not to prosecute Abdul Qadeer Khan, who is now dubbed the father of Pakistan's atom bomb.

Mr Khan admitted last year that he had leaked nuclear secrets to North Korea, Libya and Iran.

He came under suspicion while working for a Dutch uranium firm, Urenco.

He has been under close guard at his home in Islamabad since his public confession.

According to Mr Lubbers, US intelligence wanted to find out more about Mr Khan's contacts while he was working as an engineer at the top secret Dutch uranium enrichment plant at Almelo.

"The Americans wished to follow and watch Khan to get more information," he told Dutch radio.

Mr Khan returned to Pakistan in 1976 to set up the country's nuclear weapons programme.

[kreket]

Su****ion has become a dirty word.

[Enders]

Because only America can have nukes...

[Toastar]

Because only America can have nukes...

hey now, they're the only ones that have used them responsibly...wait....nevermind

[Kak]

North Korea, Iran, and Libya are not known for their well structured political system, and Nuclear Weapons wouldn't be a good thing to have in their hands. Especially in the Islamic state such as Iran, where 3 out of every 5 people questioned on the street are of the opinion that Jews are sub-human and Israel needs to be destroyed.

I do feel however it is ironic that my country is the leader against Nuclear Weapons yet we are the only ones to have used them in combat, and we did it twice on a civilian population.

[Toastar]

I do feel however it is ironic that my country is the leader against Nuclear Weapons yet we are the only ones to have used them in combat, and we did it twice on a civilian population.

not the fact that they've used them before makes them ironic, the fact that they have the worlds second largest stockpile of them and isn't getting rid of them makes it hypocritical

[Skyler]

hey now, they're the only ones that have used them responsibly...wait....nevermind
That's right, we should have lost hundreds of thousands of lives invading mainland Japan instead of dropping the bomb...

[Kak]

We are getting rid of them, though not as fast as we are making Russia get rid of theirs. And we have the largest supply of operational nukes, whereas Russia has more but like a thousand don't work or can't be used.

And also, Americans generally think that they are the top guys and need to watch over the world, and have the largest and most logical self controll, especially over using nuclear weapons.

I would disagree with a lot of that, but I do think that we are the most trustworthy country when it comes to nuclear weapons.

[GrosPoisson]

Russia needs to get rid of theirs fast, or at least get some decent security measures in place for all their NBC weapons. I saw a news report a while back that detailed the amazingly crappy measures that pass for security in Russia. They went to a couple of chemical weapons storage facilities, and the only thing protecting some of the buildings containing the stockpiles were chains and a rusty padlock.

[Kak]

Yes I'm well aware of all those news reports that show some unsecure nuclear sites or that we are giving them millions in aid to help destroy their weapons. But it's really not that easy to get nukes from there, at least, not as easy as the west portrays it to be. And if a nuke was stolen, it would most likely be used right away against Russia and not the USA.

[GrosPoisson]

True, the Chechens are closer and would have an easier time blending in.

[Kak]

Exactly, that bomb would be on a one way ticket to Moscow.