The report finds that following the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan made a successful and very public effort to crack down on the network. Dr. John Chipman, Director General of IISS, said in a speech that the attacks on the US "dramatically changed the dynamic, forcing President Musharraf to ensure that his country was not on the wrong side of the United States. Many of Pakistan's internal reforms since 2001, and then following Khan's confession and confinement to house arrest in 2004, have been transparent and appear to have worked well. A robust command-and-control system is now in place to protect Pakistan's nuclear assets from diversion, theft and accidental misuse." Pakistan's steps "go some way toward overcoming the international opprobrium and label of irresponsibility that Pakistan earned as a result of the Khan saga."
A new report out from the International Institute for Strategic Studies details the extent to which A.Q. Khan, former head of Pakistan's nuclear arms program, aided in the proliferation of nuclear weapons technology. The report, entitled "Nuclear Black Markets: Pakistan, A.Q. Khan and the Rise of Proliferation Networks," assesses the Pakistani nuclear program, the black market network, and the illegal trade in nuclear material the Khan network spawned. The report finds that, prior to his arrest in 2004, Khan oversaw an operation "which had, over almost two decades, provided nuclear technology, expertise, and designs to Iran, North Korea, Libya and possibly other countries."
The report finds that following the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan made a successful and very public effort to crack down on the network. Dr. John Chipman, Director General of IISS, said in a speech that the attacks on the US "dramatically changed the dynamic, forcing President Musharraf to ensure that his country was not on the wrong side of the United States. Many of Pakistan's internal reforms since 2001, and then following Khan's confession and confinement to house arrest in 2004, have been transparent and appear to have worked well. A robust command-and-control system is now in place to protect Pakistan's nuclear assets from diversion, theft and accidental misuse." Pakistan's steps "go some way toward overcoming the international opprobrium and label of irresponsibility that Pakistan earned as a result of the Khan saga."
However, Chipman added, "Most of Khan's foreign accomplices remain free and only three have been convicted and imprisoned. The international framework of export controls still contains serious gaps that could be exploited by a network similar to that of A.Q. Khan." In addition, "Today, Iran remains the most active customer in the international nuclear black market and it has built a network equivalent to, if not larger than, Khan's. Iran has sought dual-use goods from some of the same people and firms previously linked to Khan, but has also turned to new technology brokers. Although supplier countries have heightened their vigilance, Iran still tries to evade export controls by repeatedly changing front companies and financing arrangements."
