Nuclear Spy AQ Khan – CIA/America Refused Arrest in 1975 & 1985

I had recently mentioned Khan in dKos comment followed by a diary, for which I was downrated by the folks there.

Another grave loss of nuclear secrets was Pakistani student Khan attending the Technical University in Delft early 1970’s. Khan went on to work at the German-Dutch UCN – Ultra Centrifuge for Enrichment Nuclear Fuel and nuclear research lab NIKHEF. The International Intelligence community has been aware of the theft for more than thirty years. It was also known he used former colleagues to forward sensitive, specialized nuclear instruments. Another Dutchman involved in this case has been placed under arrest for illegal export to Pakistan.

Sometimes the US and the West cooperate with Saddam to murder a million Iranians during their war, apparently the Justice department has received a call to open up their old files and arrest some people.

A.Q Khan displaying his gold medal awarded by Pakistani President Rafiq Tarrar in Lahore after the 1998 tests.

More advanced Dutch Urenco nuclear technology leaked to Pakistan, Iran and Libya

Pakistan has acquired more advanced Dutch ultracentrifuge technology in the 1970’s than was publicly known so far. Information compiled by Nuclear Fuel suggests that, besides the previously assumed theft from the Netherlands by the nuclear spy Abdul Qadeer Khan of the technology of three other models (CNOR, SNOR and G-2), know-how from the later 4-M ultracentrifuge programme of UCN made its way to Pakistan. UCN is formerly the Dutch branch of the British-German-Dutch company Urenco, now Enrichment Technology Nederland, or ET NL.

According to experts in Nuclear Fuel parts of the so-called P-1 centrifuge resemble the design of the 4-M centrifuge. P-1 is a Pakistan-built ultracentrifuge that has been sold by black marketeers to at least Iran and Libya.

Dutch VPRO radio programme Argos, that has a copy of the secret report, mentions so this morning. The public report nowhere says a word about 4-M and is in general very reserved in mentioning what Khan could have taken away from the Netherlands to Pakistan in the 1970’s.

The connection between the 4-M and P-1 centrifuge is also remarkable, as most publications so far assumed that P-1 was a variant of older European models, mostly G-1 or G-2. Even UN nuclear agency IAEA wrote in February last year in a report on the Libyan nuclear programme that: “The L-1 centrifuge design is an old design of European origin, also referred to as G-1, or P-1.” That footnote now appears to be incorrect. The G-1 centrifuge is an older, simpler, originally German type of ultracentrifuge.

Nuclear Fuel though quotes a senior official involved in both the Libyan and Iranian investigation, who says: “There is no connection with G-1 in the centrifuge programme in either Iran or Libya” and: “If there is a statement in a report that equates P-1 and G-1, it is a mistake.” According to the official the ‘finger prints’ are Dutch, not German. Research by Nuclear Fuel also reveals that some details of the P-1 significantly resemble the 4-M centrifuge, for example regarding the number of four rotor-tube segments.

These new details throw important new light on the three decades long dragging nuclear espionage affair, in which the Netherlands plays a dubious role. Because of laxity and possibly even on purpose, Khan and consorts have had free way for many years. 26 December 2004, the New York Times made headline news here with their claim that the CIA had twice withheld Dutch authorities from arresting Khan, one time in the late seventies and once in the eighties, to keep a better eye on Pakistan’s nuclear programme.

VPRO radio program Argos als broadcast today’s interview with fomer PM Ruud Lubbers confirming the issue on thwarted arrests of AQ Khan. – Ed  

Ruud Lubbers – a biography

Ruud Lubbers was directly involved with both decisions by Dutch government, in 1975 as Minister of Economic Affairs and during the years from 1983-1994 as Prime Minister. Ruud Lubbers had the longest reign of any Dutch PM. Lubbers was vetoed to become EU Council president in the nineties by German chancellor Kohl. Lubbers dared to warn the German administration for severe economic repercussions when incorporating East Germany into the Western economic union. Later Lubbers was passed for position of NATO secretary general, on negative advise by Casper Weinberger, who obviously felt Lubbers was part the left wing of the Dutch Christian Democratic party (CDA) and not suitable. Lubbers was youngest minister in cabinet Joop Den Uyl of the Labor Party (PvdA) from 1973 to 1977. During early eighties, his Dutch cabinet had to survive a conflict on placing a nuclear arsenal of cruise missiles on its soil, to counteract the Soviet threat of their SS-20 missile deployment. The Dutch population protested on the streets in the city of The Hague. With a crowd near 500,000, it became the largest demonstration ever. Lubbers managed the conflict in superb manner, probably not to the liking of the White House and the Reagan administration at the time.

Solution Afghan refugees

Lubbers was asked through personal intervention from Kofi Annan, to head the UNHCR. He did a good job, thereby never failing to point towards necessary improvement, on several occasions expressing concern and critizing US foreign policy and the EU for its lack of a coordinated policy on asylum and immigration. He stepped down last year when pressured by MSM reports, the clearance he got from Kofi Annan on a allegation of an incident of sexual harassment was a white wash.  Soon upon return on Dutch soil, Ruud Lubbers was asked as chairman of the board at research facility: Energy research Center of the Netherlands ECN Petten, north of Amsterdam.