Global Security Newswire

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested yesterday the Obama administration was still not prepared to open nuclear trade with Pakistan, the New York Times reported (see GSN, July 19).

Islamabad has made it clear it wants a deal with Washington similar to the U.S.-Indian civilian nuclear cooperation agreement signed under the Bush administration.

However, Pakistan's past history as a nuclear proliferator cannot be ignored, Clinton said yesterday in the South Asian nation's capital when asked about the situation. Former chief Pakistani nuclear weapons scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan operated an illegal proliferation ring for years that sold nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea (see GSN, May 28).

"The problems with Mr. A.Q. Khan raise red flags with people around the world," Clinton said. "They cannot be overlooked or put under the carpet."

Pakistan has also blocked progress on establishing formal negotiations for a treaty that would prohibit the production of any fissile material for nuclear weapons and it has not provided sufficient details regarding the planned acquisition of two Chinese nuclear reactors, Clinton asserted (see GSN, April 14; Mark Landler, New York Times, July 19).

The 46-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group "has posed series of questions that need to be answered" about the China-Pakistan deal, Clinton said. "There are clearly reservations. Pakistan knows that. I’m looking forward to the answers to the questions,” she added in an Asian News International report.

The alliance of atomic exporters generally prohibits sales of sensitive technology to nations that have not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Nuclear-armed Pakistan remains outside the pact. India is also a nontreaty state with nuclear weapons but received a waiver from the group for trade in atomic technology and materials.

"Pakistan, right now, is the only country standing in the way of the Conference on Disarmament pursuing something called the fissile material cutoff treaty," Clinton said (Asian News International/Thaindian News, July 20).

"So people say, 'why?' Why is Pakistan the only country not agreeing?" the secretary said (RTT News, July 20).

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi defended the trade deal with China in a joint media briefing with Clinton yesterday. Under the trade pact, Chinese nuclear firms would construct two nuclear power reactor's at the nation's Chashma atomic complex, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Qureshi said the deal was necessary as Pakistan has severe energy shortages that have significantly impaired its farming industry and greater economy (Xinhua News Agency, July 19).