The A.Q. Khan network

Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan was central in the development of the Pakistani nuclear bomb. It has long been known that Pakistan has imported both hardware and technological know-how for uranium enrichment from Europe. It has been presumed that Dr. Khan illegally appropriated the necessary information for this while working for a Dutch firm in the enrichment industry. There have long been speculations surrounding the potential nuclear weapons programmes in some countries, and from where these states could be acquiring the technology. In 2004, Khan admitted that he had sold enrichment technology to other countries. Investigation shows that Khan was the starting point for a global network of persons and companies that were able to provide most of the necessary components for a uranium enrichment program. Iran and Libya have admitted to dealing with the network. North Korea denies having bought enrichment technology, even though Khan has admitted selling such technology to Pyongyang. The Pakistani government maintains that Khan acted for his own personal gain and without the knowledge of neither his military nor civilian superiors. Khan is under house arrest, and the international community is not allowed direct access to him. This complicates the investigation and raises the question of whether Islamabad really wishes the full truth to be known. Around twenty persons connected to Khan have been questioned in Pakistan, but none of them have been prosecuted. Outside Pakistan, an unknown but relatively low number of people have been investigated. About fifteen persons in eight different countries on three continents have so far been charged with violations of export control laws. In the concluded trials, the sentences have spanned from fines to seven years in prison. The cooperation between states in this global investigation has not been optimal, possibly because some countries wish to protect their own intelligence sources and methods. In light of the exposure of the Khan network, it has become obvious that existing export control regimes can be circumvented. To remedy this, the UN has passed a resolution that requires member states to introduce and implement national regulations. Other international organisations have suggested similar measures for their member states.