Pakistan:  Reports Conflict Over Nuclear Scientists

Reports continued to conflict (see GSN, Oct. 31) last week over the release of Pakistani nuclear scientists who had been questioned about possible involvement with the Taliban and Osama bin Laden (see GSN, Nov. 12) and the depth of U.S. involvement in the investigation.

Several reports said the scientists were released last week.  The Associated Press reported Thursday that Pakistani authorities released Sultan Bashiru-din Mehmood and Abdul Majid, although Pakistani government spokesman Gen. Rashid Qureshi did not say when they were released.  Mehmood and Majid had been involved in Pakistan’s nuclear program and had frequently visited Afghanistan after retirement from the nuclear program.  They said their trips to Afghanistan were related to charitable activities and denied providing nuclear assistance to the Taliban or bin Laden (see GSN, Nov. 20).  Pakistani officials said the scientists had met with bin Laden at least twice (Associated Press/Washington Post, Nov. 23).

The London Guardian also reported that the two scientists had been freed, according to a government spokesman (London Guardian, Nov. 23).

The Washington Post, however, reported Friday that Pakistani authorities continued to detain Mehmood and Majid.  “We want to be absolutely sure before giving a clean chit to nuclear scientists who had confessed to having met Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar and several al-Qaeda leaders last year,” said a senior Pakistani official.  The Post quoted an intelligence official who said, “We are still not satisfied with their answers,” adding that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had ordered an extensive investigation.

Qureshi said Thursday that he did not think the scientists were in “continuous detention” but did not provide more details on their status, according to the Post. 

U.S. Involvement

Pakistani officials recently briefed a senior U.S. official on the investigation’s status, according to the Post (Glasser/Khan, Washington Post, Nov. 24). 

Meanwhile, Myanmar granted sanctuary to two other Pakistani nuclear scientists, Suleiman Asad and Mohammad Ali Mukhtar, at the Pakistani government’s request, the Press Trust of India reported Friday.  Pakistan said the two scientists had been involved in Pakistan’s nuclear program but had no connections to terrorist activities.  Pakistan said U.S. authorities were looking for Asad and Mukhtar, according to the Press Trust. 

Adding to various previous reports that U.S. officials were involved the investigation of Pakistani scientists (see GSN, Nov. 1), the Press Trust reported that CIA and FBI officials interrogated Mehmood and Majid Tuesday at the American Embassy in Islamabad (Press Trust of India, Nov. 23).

The Lahore High Court in Pakistan called on relatives of seven scientists allegedly detained to appear before the court to determine if the scientists remained in detention, according to Pakistan Newswire Friday.  The court has been dealing with a petition that alleged the United States had demanded the arrest of the scientists and called on Pakistan to turn the scientists over to U.S. authorities.  The petition asked the Pakistani government to refuse such U.S. requests and called for proper treatment of the scientists in accordance with their contributions to Pakistan (Pakistan Newswire, Nov. 23).

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India:  U.S. Nuclear Technology in India?

India and the United States have agreed to discuss ways to streamline procedures for transferring dual-use technology and increase high technology commerce, said Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee last Tuesday, according to the Hindu.

“We agreed to resume and broaden the Bilateral Economic Dialogue and extend our cooperation to energy, environment, health, biotechnology and information technology.  We will soon initiate discussions on cooperation in space programs and civilian nuclear projects,” Vajpayee said, adding that the U.S.-India Defense Policy Group would meet next month. 

Vajpayee’s statement came after his recent visit to the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United Nations (Hindu, Nov. 21).

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CTBT:  Latvia Ratifies Treaty

Latvia ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty on Nov. 20 (CTBTO release, Nov. 21).  Eighty-nine states have ratified the treaty (see GSN, Nov. 15), including 31 of the 44 specific nations that must ratify the pact before it can enter into force.

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