This annotated chronology is based on the data sources that follow each entry. Public sources often provide conflicting information on classified military programs. In some cases we are unable to resolve these discrepancies, in others we have deliberately refrained from doing so to highlight the potential influence of false or misleading information as it appeared over time. In many cases, we are unable to independently verify claims. Hence in reviewing this chronology, readers should take into account the credibility of the sources employed here.
Inclusion in this chronology does not necessarily indicate that a particular development is of direct or indirect proliferation significance. Some entries provide international or domestic context for technological development and national policymaking. Moreover, some entries may refer to developments with positive consequences for nonproliferation.
January 2005
Poland and Libya sign a cooperation accord in the field of WMD disarmament. Polish PM Marek Belka says that his country would cooperate with Libya in transforming the WMD installations, stores and equipment and help them scrap their WMD facilities. Possibilities of implementing a more efficient cooperation in the fields of energy, armament, construction and chemical industries and other "great military cooperation opportunities" may occur.
--"Libya, Poland Sign Accord in Scrapping WMD Facilities," Panafrican News Agency, 6 January 2005.
January 2005
Mu'ammar Qadhdhafi says that the United States and the United Kingdom have not rewarded Libya for dismantling its WMD program, although they have made pledges.
--"Qadhafi Says U.S., U.K. Have Not Yet Rewarded Libya for Renouncing Weapons of Mass Destruction," Global Security Newswire, 31 January 2005.
January 2005
The General People's Congress (GPC) of Libya calls on all countries possessing Weapons of Mass Destruction to get rid of them with a vision to make the world safer. Libya also renews its call to make Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East WMD-free regions without exception, including Israel's nuclear arsenal.
--"Libya Calls on All Countries to Scrap WMDs," Panafrican News Agency, 13 January 2005.
January 2005
In an interview asking about Iran's nuclear weapons, Al-Qadhdhafi says that Iran is an independent country and knows where its interests lie. He also calls upon countries such as the US, Britain, France, Russian, China, India and Israel to destroy their weapons.
--"Al-Qadhafi Says Libya 'Served World Peace' By Halting Nuclear Programme," BBC, 2 January 2005.
January 2005
With the abandonment of WMD, Libya is called upon by Western nations like France, Germany, Canada, Britain, Italy and United States and opens its doors to better relations and economic ties. Libya is also asked to play a full role in the North African dialogue with the European Union.
--"West Beats a Path to Forgive Libya its Pariah Status," Times Online, 18 January 2005.
February 2005
A U.S. test strongly suggests that North Korea provided Libya with uranium hexafluoride gas, although the same evidence could point to Pakistan as well. Traces of plutonium are found on a canister produced at Yongbyon, yet according to IAEA tests, the canister is found to have originated from Pakistan.
--"Nuclear Evidence Could Point To Pakistan," Washington Post, 3 February 2005.
February 2005
Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid admits that there were nuclear proliferation and technology transfers to Iran, Libya and North Korea but nothing was admitted as far as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or other Arab states.
--"Pakistan Denies Nuke Tech Sale To Arab States," Reuters, 7 February 2005.
February 2005
The United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns reiterates the US's desire to establish normalized relations with Libya and gave praise to Libya for abandoning WMD. Burns also reviewed matters of "specific concern over Libya's past involvement in terrorism."
--"U.S. Reaffirms Goal of Normal Libya Relations," Agence France-Presse, 11 February 2005.
5 February 2005
French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie travels to Tripoli to sign a letter of intent on military cooperation and procurement.
--"France, Libya Intensify Military Cooperation," Le Monde, 8 February 2005.
25 March 2005
South Korea denies that it was informed by the United States earlier in the year about intelligence stating that North Korea was in fact paid by Libya after having exported nuclear material (namely uranium hexaflouride UF6) through Pakistan. A U.S. government spokesman said, "We are not in a stage where we can conclude there was a financial transaction between North Korea and Libya."
--Ryu Jin, "Seoul Denies Report on NK-Libya Nuclear Deal," Korea Times, 26 March 2005.
30 March 2005
Switzerland agrees to return a German national to his home country, where he is accused of assisting Libya's past nuclear arms effort. After having been arrested in Switzerland in November, Gotthard Lerch has one more opportunity to appeal the extradition according to Switzerland's Justice Ministry. German authorities say that Lerch received up to $4.25 million to assist in Libya's uranium enrichment centrifuge development between 2001 and 2003.
--"Switzerland to Allow Extradition of German National in Libya Nuclear Arms Case," Global Security Newswire, 31 March 2005.
31 March 2005
The Bush administration and United Nations inspectors say that the uranium found in Libya's supply most likely came from North Korea. This supports the case that North Korea has exported dangerous materials to not only Libya, but other nations as well. A large payment was directed to North Korea, presumably for the uranium hexafluoride that arrived in Tripoli in 2001. Because of the intelligence failures in Iraq, "the knockout piece of evidence" that has yet to be found is keeping many in doubt about Washington's findings.
--David E. Sanger and William J. Broad, "Using Clues from Libya to Study a Nuclear Mystery," New York Times, 31 March 2005.
5 April 2005
Mu'ammar Ghadhdhafi's son, Seif al-Islam Ghadhdhafi, uses Libya as an example for what needs to be done with North Korea. In a statement, he said, "It's not fair all the time just to press, to push North Korea. We have to give them political and economic incentives so that they will be much better." He also declines to comment on whether North Korea helped Libya with its weapons program.
--"Gaddafi son: North Korea needs incentives on nukes," Reuters, 5 April 2005.
6 April 2005
The United States claims that it has clear evidence that North Korea exported nuclear material to Libya through a Pakistani broker. U.S. negotiator to the six-party talks Christopher Hill says, "We believe it was brokered through Pakistan with [North Korean] knowledge that it would end up in Libya." Hill also said that the "broker" is believed to have been the A.Q. Khan network in Pakistan.
--"U.S. has evidence of N.K. nuke exports to Libya," The Korea Herald, 7 April 2005.
13 April 2005
Reports indicate that British and Libyan diplomatic relations peaked in 2003 and 2004 when Libya voluntarily relinquished its weapons of mass destruction programs. Although U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair made an historical visit to Libya in 2004, subsequent diplomatic exchanges have been less frequent and conducted by lower ranking government officials.
-- Camille al-Tawil, "First Anniversary of Blair's Libya Visit Passes Without Interest," Al-Hayah, 13 April 2005, in FBIS Document GMP20050413700002.
7 April 2005
Ma'maar al-Qadhafi's son, Sayf al-Islam, claims that in late 2003 "Libya was in a state where it was possible to make nuclear weapons in five years."
-- "Ties with U.S. "before end of year'," BBC, 8 April 2005.
17 April 2005
North Korea claims that "once again the U.S. information is based on fiction and fabrication" after a March 20th Washington Post article expressed possible doubts about the credibility of U.S. statements to Japan and South Korea that North Korea had supplied nuclear materials to Libya.
-- "North Korea Daily Attacks U.S. 'Fraud Information' on Nuclear Facilities, Export," BBC, 17 April 2005; Dafna Linzer, "U.S. Mislead Allies about Nuclear Export; North Korea Sent Missile Material to Pakistan, Not to Libya," Washington Post, 20 March 2005.
3 May 2005
Production engineer Peter Griffin receives 50,000 pounds in libel damages after the Guardian newspaper falsely reported that he played a prominent role in setting up Libya's nuclear weapons production program. The article, printed in February 2004, claims that Malaysian police found Mr. Griffin guilty of supplying Libya with equipment and technology that was used in nuclear weapons production, setting up a workshop in Malaysia to build centrifuge components, and creating a front company to buy necessary parts for nuclear engineering.
-- Jan Colley, "Libel Damages for Engineer," Press Association, 3 May 2005.
3 May 2005
White House spokesman Scott McClellan urges Iran and North Korea to follow in the footsteps of Libya's decision to voluntarily disarm its nuclear program. He advises both Iran and North Korea that "you will realize better relations if you pursue a course like Libya, and abandon your nuclear weapons programs."
-- Bill Sammon, "Rice Warns North Korea of American Might," Washington Times, 3 May 2005.
13 May 2005
Germany extradites Swiss engineer Urs Tinner to Switzerland who is suspected of supplying gas-centrifuge parts to Libya between 2001 and 2003. Both Urs Tinner and his father Friedrich are accused of overseeing production of parts used for nuclear weapons in Malaysian factories. This is part of a larger Swiss led investigation in which 15 individuals and two companies are being investigated for illegally exporting materials to Libya's nuclear weapons program.
-- "Swiss Engineer in Libya Nuclear Probe to be Extradited from Germany," BBC, 13 May 2005.
18 May 2005
At the NPT review conference Chinese disarmament ambassador Hu Xiaodi praises Libya's decision to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. He states that "Libya's renunciation of weapons of mass destruction and acceptance of IAEA's nuclear inspection are positive achievements of international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation by peaceful means and have important significance for the consolidation and strengthening of the international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism."
--"PRC Disarmament Ambassador Urges Nuclear States to Provide Security Assurances at UN," Beijing Domestic Service, 18 May, in FBIS Document CPP20050519000016.
30 May 2005
France announces that it has agreed to help Libya develop a nuclear energy program for peaceful purposes.
--"France ready to help Libya with nuclear program: Tripoli," Khaleej Times, 31 May 2005.
6 June 2005
China denies accusations of cooperative efforts with Libya to produce nuclear weapons. In response to suspicions that China aided Libya's nuclear program in the past Kang Rixin, the general manager of China National Corporation, says that "our international cooperation is for the peaceful use and we strictly follow relevant rules and principles. We have no such cooperation with Iran, North Korea, or Libya."
--"Kang Rixin Says PRC has no Nuclear Cooperation with Iran, North Korea, Libya," Agence France Presse, 6 June 2005, in FBIS Document CPP20050606000061.
9 June 2005
A senior IAEA official highlights recent Libyan cooperation that has aided efforts to solve the A.Q. Khan nuclear black market puzzle. Libya has relinquished two CD-roms and one computer hard drive that contain a set of drawings and manuals for P-1 and P-2 centrifuges originally sold by the A.Q. Khan network. The official asserts that Libya is the only country that has relinquished sensitive nuclear materials from the A.Q. Khan network.
-- Ian Traynor, "UN Alert as nuclear plans go missing," Guardian, 9 June 2005.
29 June 2005
In a national address delivered from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, American President George Bush says that the U.S. invasion of Iraq has influenced Libya's decision to dismantle its clandestine nuclear weapons program. He asserts that "before our coalition liberated Iraq, Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons. Today the leader of Libya has given up his chemical and nuclear weapons programs."
-- "Bush Addresses Nation, Discusses Iraq, War on Terror," MENA, 29 June 2005, in FBIS Document GMP20050629710009.
30 June 2005
Swiss authorities transfer custody of Gottard Lerch, a German national, to German officials to face charges of providing assistance to Libya's nuclear weapons program.
-- "Switzerland Extradites German Smuggling Suspect," Global Security Newswire, 30 June 2005.
10 July 2005
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's finance minister, states that the U.S. invasion of Iraq has provided a "deterrent effect" and consequently persuaded Libya to dismantle its clandestine nuclear program.
-- "UK Speech by Israel's Netanyahu Warns West to Unite Versus Iran's Nuclear Threat," Sunday Times, 10 July 2005, in FBIS document EUP20050710031005.
29 July 2005
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) 2004 Report on Implementation of Nuclear Safeguards Measures deems that its current assessment of Libya’s nuclear stance is one of consistency, compliance, and transparency after three separate reports from the director general were submitted to the Board of Governors throughout 2004 regarding the implementation of comprehensive safeguards agreements. The report states that “Libya’s declaration regarding its uranium conversion programme, enrichment programme, and other past nuclear related activities appears to be consistent with the information available to and verified by the Agency. Verification of the correctness and completeness of Libya’s declarations is ongoing.”
— “Safeguards Statement for 2004,” International Atomic Energy Agency, 29 July 2005.
6 August 2005
In a telephone meeting with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, British Prime Minister Tony Blair indicates an interest in improving his country’s relations with Libya, which cooled soon after Libya’s voluntary abandonment of its weapons of mass destruction programs.
— “Qaddafi Receives Telephone Call from Blair,” Qatar News Agency, 6 August 2005.
6 August 2005
Libya, which surrendered its clandestine weapons of mass destruction programs in 2003, says it will attend the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, which marks the 60th anniversary of an atomic bomb being dropped on the city of Hiroshima.
— “32 Nations to Attend A-Bomb Ceremony,” Asahi Shimbun, 6 August 2005, in FBIS Document JPP20050806000021.
9 August 2005
Former Netherlands Prime Minister, Ruud Lubbers, claims that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was notified in 1975 and again in 1986 regarding the existence of a nuclear black market led by Abdul Qadeer Khan, but requested that Dutch officials refrain from detaining or prosecuting the Pakistani engineer and former Urenco employee in the Netherlands. Former Prime Minister Lubbers asserts that “the American intelligence services preferred not to arrest the man but to let him go. They thought: ‘give us all the information but do not hold that man. Let him go, we will follow him and get more information’.” He alleges that the CIA abandoned the chance to prosecute A.Q. Khan because Pakistan was needed as a key U.S. ally while Afghanistan was fighting the Soviets. A.Q. Khan is believed to be the predominant supplier of nuclear technology to Libya’s clandestine nuclear weapons program.
— “Former Netherlands Prime Minister Claims CIA Prevented Atom Spy Kahn’s Arrest,” Rotterdam NRC Handelsblad, 9 August, 2005, in FBIS Document EUP20050810024005; “Ex-PM: Dutch let Pakistani nuclear scientist go at CIA’s request,” Tehran Times, 10 August 2005.
12 August 2005
Reporter Jason Leopold alleges that U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney has known of the existence of the nuclear black market led by Pakistani engineer, A.Q. Khan, since 1989 when he worked as U.S. Secretary of Defense. It is believed that A.Q. Khan was the supply source for Libya’s illicit nuclear weapons program. Cheney was first informed of the clandestine nuclear market by a report prepared by Pentagon analyst Richard Barlow, but reporter Leopold claims the findings of the report were “politically inconvenient” and subsequently dismissed during a time when the United States was negotiating a $1.4 billion contract to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan and also viewed Pakistan as a key ally in order to support Afghan rebels fighting the Soviets.
— “Cheney stopped action against Pakistan: book: Nuclear programme,” Dawn, 12 Aug 2005.
12 August 2005
Former Iranian President, Hashemi Rafsanjani, asserts that the West cannot force Iran to abandon its nuclear programs as it did to Libya and Iraq. In reference to Iran’s Western counterparts, he states that “these people think they have defeated Iran, but they should know that Iran is not a place where they can do what they did with Libya and Iraq.”
— “Ex-President Rafsanjani says IAEA statement on Iran is cruel, adds Iran is not Libya, Iraq,” Associated Press, 12 August, 2005.
19 August 2005
The White House announces that Richard Lugar, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, is scheduled to make a trip to Libya on behalf of U.S. President George W. Bush to discuss the possibility of normalizing relations between Libya and the United States. American and Libyan relations have improved recently as a result of Libya’s decision to voluntarily dismantle its weapons of mass destruction programs.
–– “Lugar to Meet With Libyan Officials,” Global Security Newswire, 19 August 2005.
17 September 2005
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice offers praise to Abn Al-Rahman Shalgam, Libya's Foreign Minister, for Libya's decision to voluntarily disarm its weapons of mass destruction arsenals.
--"Media Availability with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Libyan Foreign Minister Abd Al-Rahman Shalgam Following Their Meeting (As Released by the State Department)," Federal News Service, 17 September 2005.
23 September 2005
Libya is one of 16 Arab member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that signs a letter requesting that Israel's alleged nuclear arsenal is addressed at the IAEA annual conference.
-- "Nuclear Israel," Qatar News Agency, 23 September 2005.
28 September 2005
At the International Atomic Energy Agency annual conference Ma'tuq Muhammad Ma'tuq, the Libyan delegation leader, meets with the chairman of the Argentinean delegation, Jose Abirca, to discuss future cooperative efforts on nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
-- "Libya, Argentinean officials discuss nuclear cooperation," BBC, 28 September 2005.
3 October 2005
Libyan delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ma'tuq Muhammed Ma'tuq, and Syrian Othman, head of Libya's atomic energy commission, urge Israel to renounce its alleged nuclear weapons arsenal and join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
-- "IAEA Calls for Nuclear Weapon-Free Middle East," Global Security Newswire, 3 October 2005.
20 October 2005
Libya signs an agreement with TVEL, a Russian company, which will provide the Tajoura nuclear reactor, near Tripoli, with low enriched uranium to produce nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
-- "Russia to Supply Low-Enriched Nuclear Fuel to Libya," BBC, 20 October 2005.
8 November 2005
Robert Joseph, U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, asserts that Libya's decision to voluntarily disarm its weapons of mass destruction programs was complicated and was likely influenced by "the fact that we (U.S.) were deploying hundreds of thousands of forces to the region" due to the war in Iraq.
-- "Nuclear "Fuel Bank" Advances, Top U.S. Official Says," Global Security Newswire, 8 November 2005.
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Updated December 2005 |
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