Pak gave nuke tech to Libya: US

Pakistan was the source of the centrifuge design technology that made it possible for Libya to make major strides in the last two years in enriching uranium for use in nuclear weapons, Bush administration officials in Washington said on Monday.

The officials emphasised that they possessed no evidence that the Pakistani government knew about the transfer of technology to Libya, which helped finance Pakistan’s early nuclear weapons programme three decades ago. Many of the centrifuge parts that Libya imported, which Italy intercepted in October, were manufactured in Malaysia, according to experts familiar with continuing investigation.

The timing of the transfer of the centrifuge design from Pakistan calls into question Musharraf’s ability to make good on his vow to President Bush that he will rein in Pakistani scientists selling their nuclear expertise around the globe. The main aid to Libya appears to have come since he made that pledge.

‘‘It has all the hallmarks of a Pakistani system,’’ an official in Washington said. ‘‘These guys are now three for three as supplier to the biggest proliferation problems we have,’’ he added, referring to previously disclosed Pakistani aid to the nuclear programmes of North Korea and Iran.—(NYT)