Nuclear Proliferation: Germany's Contribution

(Deutsche Übersetzung folgt am 10.2.04)

While the German media endlessly spin the "BUSH LIED" saga they largely miss a very important development:  the international nuclear proliferation scandal. Apparently the CIA did a great job finding the trails of international nuclear dealers such as the Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan and of his esteemed customers in Lybia, Syria, North Korea, Iran and - Iraq:

Musharraf was said to be stunned by the detailed evidence against Khan and his associates. "It seemed that the Americans had a tracker planted on Khan's body," a Pakistani official said. "They know much more than us about Dr. Khan's wealth spread all over the globe."

Among other things, he added, the U.S. officials presented evidence of Khan's alleged attempts to sell nuclear secrets to Saddam Hussein when he was president of Iraq and reported that Khan had traveled to Beirut for a clandestine meeting with a top Syrian official in the mid-1990s. (emphasis added)

What I find most disturbing is the alleged contribution of Germans:

Deutsche Welle:

Germans Allegedly Involved in Pakistan Nuclear Scandal

According to the Pakistani Foreign Minister, three Germans acted as middlemen in the illicit transfer of nuclear secrets during the 1980s and 1990s.

Days after the "father of the Pakistani atomic bomb," Abdul Qadeer Khan, publicly confessed to handing over nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri confirmed that Germans were involved in the illicit activities.

"We have the German's names, and we have as much evidence against them as we have against Khan," Kasuri told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. ...

This is not the first time that German ties to the Pakistani nuclear program have raised suspicions. In 1988, a German parliamentary committee examined the issue.

Interesting - the 1988 nuclear proliferation scandal (scroll down to "Nuclear Exports to Pakistan Reported") in Germany listed partly the same names and firms as are mentioned now. In 1988 the German government was responsible for a lack of export controls - and my guess is not much has changed since then. I was suspecting German involvement in this nuclear proliferation scandal all along.

It's hard not to agree with the assessment of the Wall Street Journal:

All of this anti-WMD progress contrasts dramatically with what took place during the late 1990s, when the U.S. was supposedly just as worried about nuclear proliferation. We now know that those were the years when Mr. Khan spread his nuclear wares, when Gadhafi gathered his centrifuges, when Iraq kicked out U.N. inspectors and Iran deceived the world, and when North Korea was preparing to enrich uranium even while it negotiated new "disarmament" deals with the Clinton Administration. One obvious conclusion is that none of these proliferators believed the U.S. or U.N. were serious about confronting them. And at the time they were right.

All of that changed with the Bush policy of challenging terrorists and the states that support them after 9/11. With the fall of the Taliban and Saddam, the world's dictators have learned that protecting terrorists or pursuing WMD can interfere with lifetime tenure. So they are deciding to turn state's evidence, against themselves and others. Or to put it in terms even Washington may understand: The Bush strategy is working.

If I may repeat myself: "I'm just glad, President Bush has a bold nuclear containment strategy!"

(Translation checked by Ray D.)

Comments

[Erik Eisel]

Great posting, Raymond!

Too bad, it doesn't matter what you say or what evidence the WSJ comes up with. Your opponents will say, Bush lied, Bush hat gelogen, etc., and the debate will be over.

At this time, I would also like to remind DM readers of the WSJ article, which pointed that Germany's banks were the biggest lenders to North Korea, Syria and Libya. The biggest lender to Iran and Iraq were the Frogs...

So, the Germans and the French were making money on both sides of the fence. Transporting nuclear material and secrets, then financing the purchase on favorable terms to the banks.

Gutes Geschaeft!

P.S. If you read the WSJ article this morning about the UN's oil-for-"food" program, you will understand how this form of capitalism was also condoned by the UN.

[Chris Josepshon]

There's groups of people, large and small, in all our countries who seem to be immune to facts when it comes to Pres. Bush and the US. Doesn't make *any* difference at *all* if you give references to show that neither Bush or Blair 'lied' in the sense these people say they did. The same is true about other topics as well. Ideology always trumps facts for these groups.

If it were not for the fact that the Western countries are facing a war with the radical Islamists, I'd just laugh at these people. They want to believe in their own fairy tales and reason like children, not adults.

I took the time to educate myself about those people who declared war on the US. Read histories as well as current websites. It's very clear to me that radical Islamists have a stated goal: to bring the rule of the Quaran to all the world. They will usher in this rule by force, if needed.

These people threaten even the moderate Muslims. Just look at what they did to the Muslims in Afgahnistan. The radical Islamists are determined and spread out world-wide. This is the time for countries to pull together.

Instead we have groups, even within the US, who are blind to what is going on. All they can see is through their prism of anti-US hate. They miss the fact that unless they are willing to become what the radical Islamists want, they could die.

This is why the perpetuation of 'fairy tales' (Blair lied, Bush lied, etc.) bothers me. All this energy and time looking at fairy tales, while ignoring the threat that looms over all of us.

I'm not even a Bush supporter. Didn't vote for him last time and could vote for someone else this time. But, I credit him with standing up to a group of people that want to see us all dead.

I criticize Pres. Bush. This is fine. Don't care who else does, as long as it is done with facts and not fairy tales.

PS:

I had read so much about the UN's dubious oil for food program that I renamed it: the UN's OIL FOR ANYTHING BUT FOOD program. Plenty of people, not Iraqis, getting rich off that program.

I'd like to see that program audited and results made public. Never will happen. Don't think the UN believes in public audits of its programs. Too bad. Would make for some great reading.

[N.Hale]

Hey Chris,

The initials UN can be defined as (not, non, opposite of, lacking) and so UN, and so UN and so UN.

Furthermore, I agree with everything that you have written. Well said!

As far as German or French involvement in the spread of nuclear technology, I can say only one thing, the drive to make money spurs some to go against the accepted norms of behavior. The need to make a large profit by these reported businessmen, outweighs the lives of thousands, hundreds of thousands or even millions of their fellow human beings.

It should come as no surprise that the European communities largest members, have been playing both sides of the fence for years. While there are many people in these countries who are hard working people and want to live their lives in peace and prosperity, there are those who want to undermine this normal lifestyle anyway that they can, just to make a large deposit into their bank accounts.

I too, support the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of England in their bold stand regarding terrorism. The war on terrorism is going on and will do so for a long time to come. The toppling of one countries corrupt regime and the toppling of the Taliban in Afghanistan are only two examples of this war on terror. There are so many other operations ongoing that are not publicized as of yet. Time will show, that the war on terror has been conducted on many different levels, not only battlefields.

In regards to the upcoming presidential election, I believe it is important to keep the current administration inplace. They have the duty to carry out the war on terror. They have planned it, and they need to continue with their plans as long as they can. They are committed to their duty and to the security of the United States. They are also responsible indirectly for the security of the rest of the world, including the European continent. This security allows the readers here and everywhere to comment from the safety of their homes without fear of reprisals from radicals from anywhere.

I still applaud David for his ongoing crusade against the German media! Keep up the great work!

And of course all the readers and those who comment, keep on reading and commenting, we must remain united, or surely Divided we fall!

[Erik Eisel]

Chris--

We hope to get your vote for the Prez in November. The choice is between someone who could care less what the German media says about him, and someone who would lose sleep, like Hamlet, if he isn't welcomed with open arms in Berlin. Who do you want to be your leader?