The United States will not impose sanctions on Pakistan over suspected transfers of nuclear technology to North Korea, the Bush administration said yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 13).

Under U.S. law, countries found to have transferred nuclear technologies without international safeguards can face economic and military sanctions.  Such sanctions were imposed on Pakistan in 1979, but lifted last year due to Pakistan’s assistance in the U.S. war on terrorism, according to United Press International.

The president is allowed to waive sanctions if such a move is believed to be in the best interests of U.S. national security, according to UPI.  The United States plans to issue such waivers if a determination is made that would trigger the sanctions in regard to any Pakistani nuclear transfers to North Korea made prior to last month, when Islamabad assured Secretary of State Colin Powell that such assistance had ended, State spokesman Richard Boucher said (see GSN, Oct. 21).

“I think we’ll follow the laws as appropriate, including using any particular waivers that might exist,” Boucher said (Iqbal/Waterman, United Press International, Nov. 13).

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