The arrest this month of a businessman accused of smuggling nuclear bomb triggers to Pakistan is the latest sign that the important U.S. ally in the fight against terrorism remains a major player in the nuclear black market. Asher Karni, 50, is accused of being the middleman for a Pakistani company's purchase of dozens of triggered spark gaps — electronic devices that can be used to trigger nuclear weapons. Agents arrested Karni on Jan. 2 at Denver International Airport. If the devices were indeed headed for Pakistan's nuclear program, the most likely explanation would be that Pakistan was planning to construct more nuclear bombs. That could complicate Pakistan's relations with nuclear rival India.
| Assuming they're for Pak use. NKor's reputed to be in the process of building a few bombs... |
The United States has restricted sales of nuclear and missile equipment to Pakistan for years because of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program. Officials from the United States and other governments say Pakistan also was the likely source for at least some of the know-how and equipment for nuclear weapons programs in Libya, North Korea and Iran. Secretary of State Colin Powell said this month that American officials have presented evidence to Pakistan's leaders of Pakistani involvement in the spread of nuclear weapons technology. Pakistani officials say the government is not involved in any black-market nuclear deals. But Pakistan has questioned three top nuclear scientists in recent months based on information from the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We have investigated. We haven't come across any evidence" of proliferation, Ashraf Qazi, Pakistan's ambassador to Washington, said Wednesday.
| "Nope. Nope. Never happened. Nothin' to see here. Move along. These aren't the 'droids you're looking for..." |
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