A.Q. Khan Admits to Nuke-sharing Activities
Here's the full text, excerpted from the NYT via the French Press Agency:
Quote:
My dear ladies and gentlemen, Assalam-ul Alaikum, it is with the deepest sense of sorrow, anguish and regret that I have chosen to appear before you in order to atone for some of the anguish and pain that have been suffered with the people of Pakistan on account of the extremely unfortunate events of the last two months.
I am aware of the vital criticality of Pakistan's nuclear program to our national security and the national pride and emotion which it generates in your heart.
I am also conscious that any untoward event, incident or threat to this national security draws the greatest concern in the nation's psyche.
It is in this context that the recent international events and their fall out on Pakistan have traumatized the nation.
I have much to answer for. The recent investigations was ordered with the government of Pakistan consequent to the disturbing disclosures and evidence by some countries to international agencies relating to alleged proliferation activities by certain Pakistanis and foreigners over the last two decades.
The investigations have established that many of the reported activities did occur and these were inevitably initiated at my behest.
In my interviews with the concerned government officials I was confronted with the evidence and findings and I have voluntarily admitted that much of it is true and accurate.
My dear brothers and sisters I have chose to appear before you to offer my deepest regrets and unqualified apologies to a traumatized nation. I am aware of the high esteem, love and affection in which you have held me for my services to national security and I am grateful for all the awards and honor that have been bestowed upon me.
However it pains me to realize in retrospect that my entire lifetime achievements of providing foolproof national security to my nation could have been placed in serious jeopardy on account of my activities which were based in good faith but on errors of judgment related to unauthorized proliferation activities.
I wish to place on record that those of my subordinates who have accepted their role in the affair were acting in good faith like me on my instructions.
I also wish to clarify that there was never ever any kind of authorization for these activities by the government.
I take full responsibility for my actions and seek your pardon.
I give an assurance my dear brothers and sisters such activities will never take place in the future.
I also appeal to all citizens of Pakistan in the supreme national interest to refrain from any further speculations and not to politicize this extremely sensitive issue of national security. May Allah keep Pakistan safe and secure. Pakistan Paindabad! [Long Live Pakistan!].
My dear ladies and gentlemen, Assalam-ul Alaikum, it is with the deepest sense of sorrow, anguish and regret that I have chosen to appear before you in order to atone for some of the anguish and pain that have been suffered with the people of Pakistan on account of the extremely unfortunate events of the last two months.
I am aware of the vital criticality of Pakistan's nuclear program to our national security and the national pride and emotion which it generates in your heart.
I am also conscious that any untoward event, incident or threat to this national security draws the greatest concern in the nation's psyche.
It is in this context that the recent international events and their fall out on Pakistan have traumatized the nation.
I have much to answer for. The recent investigations was ordered with the government of Pakistan consequent to the disturbing disclosures and evidence by some countries to international agencies relating to alleged proliferation activities by certain Pakistanis and foreigners over the last two decades.
The investigations have established that many of the reported activities did occur and these were inevitably initiated at my behest.
In my interviews with the concerned government officials I was confronted with the evidence and findings and I have voluntarily admitted that much of it is true and accurate.
My dear brothers and sisters I have chose to appear before you to offer my deepest regrets and unqualified apologies to a traumatized nation. I am aware of the high esteem, love and affection in which you have held me for my services to national security and I am grateful for all the awards and honor that have been bestowed upon me.
However it pains me to realize in retrospect that my entire lifetime achievements of providing foolproof national security to my nation could have been placed in serious jeopardy on account of my activities which were based in good faith but on errors of judgment related to unauthorized proliferation activities.
I wish to place on record that those of my subordinates who have accepted their role in the affair were acting in good faith like me on my instructions.
I also wish to clarify that there was never ever any kind of authorization for these activities by the government.
I take full responsibility for my actions and seek your pardon.
I give an assurance my dear brothers and sisters such activities will never take place in the future.
I also appeal to all citizens of Pakistan in the supreme national interest to refrain from any further speculations and not to politicize this extremely sensitive issue of national security. May Allah keep Pakistan safe and secure. Pakistan Paindabad! [Long Live Pakistan!].
Comments
Total load of BS if you ask me.
It's like the hypocrisy has come full circle now. We invaded Iraq, but they clearly [don't] have (and never had) any nukes, and the country we're in bed with in the "war against terror" is an Islamic state that now admits its chief nuke scientist not only made a real bomb and tested it (which we all knew ahead of time), but sold the technology to not one but several countries. But of course, we'll do nothing to Pakistan (ever), because we need their help with respect to Afghanistan and Bin-Dickhead.
[added crucial missing word
Also after 9-11 the world blamed the US for not helping the rest of the world enough. After all it was the "root cause" and all that nonsense. But now all I hear is "'merica first" from enlightened liberals.
Before you call me a ****ed up, unpatriotic liberal again, "God Bless America".
[I am not American, though I have spent a few years of my life there]
Originally posted by talksense101
Why is the admin wasting money on pampering Pakisthan instead of being a little stern with them?
The US is clearly stern while trying to keep Musharraf in power and the government, including Musharraf, under control. I don't know all of the political forces, but my understanding (from the situations in Pakistan I have studied in depth) is that it's a very complicated situation and the current government not only adds a lot of stability, but it is very 'responsive' to US requests/demands.
But, yeah, there is a whole lot of hypocrisy in the Bush admin's public face. They just hope you don't look at pakistan. Hopefully it won't backfire too much in terms of national security.
Bigtime hypocrisy.
As for whether or not he quietly hinders the search for Bin Laden, I wouldn't be surprised. That's his only leverage to be sure. OTOH, if HIS PEOPLE found and turned Bin Laden over to us, there's no way we'd ever lay a hand on Pakistan. We couldn't touch him with a ten foot poll at that point. Cuts both ways....
Originally posted by Moogs
As for whether or not he quietly hinders the search for Bin Laden, I wouldn't be surprised. That's his only leverage to be sure. OTOH, if HIS PEOPLE found and turned Bin Laden over to us, there's no way we'd ever lay a hand on Pakistan. We couldn't touch him with a ten foot poll at that point. Cuts both ways....
my guess is that he doesn't necessarily hinder the search for bin-laden, but he's probably not helping all that much either. but your right, he's better than most of the given alternatives.
Originally posted by giant
I'm all for supporting Musharraf (it's clearly necessary), but you have to recognize that he's a dictator that allows nuclear tech to spread
mush is one of the worst there is.
responsible for the kargil attack on india
responsible for the attempted bombing of parliament in delhi
the s.o.b wouldnt even take his own soldiers back that had
died in the kargil war
he needs to be gotten rid of & somone else who can finally
try to restore democracy in pak should be in place
disclaimer: i am an indian & ive seen enough suffering
& bloodshed caused by this weasel to trust anything he says
responsible for the attempted bombing of parliament in delhi...
the s.o.b wouldnt even take his own soldiers back that had
died in the kargil war...
Supporting links for these two items in particular? If the first item is true, someone ought to write a few letters to the editors of this nation's biggest papers. That's disturbing to say the least. Would shed a nice light on the situation for all of America, along with this nice little nuclear issue.
indiatoday needs a sub for their web edition
it was covered by quite a few papers indian & bbc
i was already living here in san diego at this time
& followed the news via the web & by calling my parents
to make sure they were ok
this happened quite a few years ago.
general mush was the architect of the kargil war
where the pak army unleashed an assault near the international
border.short story..they got their asses kicked
the pak pow's were released to their govt who disclaimed
all responsibilty......his own soldiers & he wont take them back..
the bomb incident happend shortly after the indian pm
made a peace initiative
the link to that is
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/wo...00/1709717.stm
mush & his fellow cronies have a pathological hatred of india...which is ironic because 2 of my closest friends here
are from pakistan & are the nicest, kindest people you could
ever know.
bottom line..the military in pak has always been obsessed
with defeating/destroying india at any cost & trying to
annexe kashmir..never mind the fact that india is much like
the u.s, multicultural & multi religious democracy & the people there have no mad desire to run over to pakistan
im just sorry that the people in pak have to suffer
under a war mongering nutjob
peace
in 86 or thereabouts bombay was hit by 13 bombs
including at the stock exchange & a lot of people were killed.
i was there & there were a lot of dead kids...they had
blown up a school bus
the guys who did this were from pak & trained by their
isi/military...
cut short a few years later & the same clowns did a job
on the world trade center in ny..this was way before 911
so no ..i dont have a desire to see my tax dollars
go to arming/supporting a country that turns around
& screws us & then exports nukes all over the planet.
yeah we can write to the media here & it wont make any difference.the indian media has been shouting itself hoarse
for years & was ignored by our media here...& now the chickens
are coming home to roost.
off the hook...
NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION.
A friend in the war on terrorism indeed.
They did EXACTLY what the Bush administration went to war in Iraq to supposedly prevent... and we do nothing.
Nice.
And pakistan won't let american troops on their soil to hunt for Osama.
Originally posted by chu_bakka
AND Musharaf pardoned him today...
off the hook...
NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION.
A friend in the war on terrorism indeed.
They did EXACTLY what the Bush administration went to war in Iraq to supposedly prevent... and we do nothing.
Nice.
And pakistan won't let american troops on their soil to hunt for Osama.
not much we can do about it. we need what little help we can get from these guys. for now they are somewhat cooperative as a government, even if most of their country hates us. the really scary thing is that one of these days the "bad guys" are not only going to get their hands on a nuke, but they'll also try to use it. the day that happens is the day we will turn that whole region into one big parking lot. i see no other way around it unfortunately.
Originally posted by running with scissors
the really scary thing is that one of these days the "bad guys" are not only going to get their hands on a nuke, but they'll also try to use it. the day that happens is the day we will turn that whole region into one big parking lot.
You wouldn't be a foreign policy advisor to President Bush, would you? That statement is something I would expect GWB to use.
You allow poliferation. You don't exercise control on rogue nations for your own political needs. You do what is necessary to meet your ends. When things get out of hand, you switch sides and carpet bomb the place... sheesh!
Originally posted by talksense101
You wouldn't be a foreign policy advisor to President Bush, would you? That statement is something I would expect GWB to use.
You allow poliferation. You don't exercise control on rogue nations for your own political needs. You do what is necessary to meet your ends. When things get out of hand, you switch sides and carpet bomb the place... sheesh!
actual no, i can't stand the guy. i blame most of the current mess squarely on the shoulders of his administration. i certainly don't wish the use of force over diplomatic means. however, the fact is we are where we are, and no matter how hard we try diplomaticaly to stop groups like bin Laden's from getting a hold of nukes, they will get them and use them one day. and if governments of the region are unwilling to make the effort to put an end to that kind of threat, then they will be held accountable. if you think we as a nation were out for blood following 9-11, imagine what will happen if a nuke goes off targeting americans. do you honestly think most americans are going to give a rat's ass if their goverment decides to lay waste to whole countries in order try and protect them from further attacks? i doubt it. i'm not saying it's right, far from it. i'm just affraid that is where this could be heading some day.