The Hindu : U.S. aware of Pak. role?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 15, 2002

International

International

U.S. aware of Pak. role?

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington Nov. 14. Pakistan may have assisted the nuclear programme of North Korea as recently as three months ago; and the Bush administration is quite aware of this, says The Washington Post. "Let's put it this way: There were still shenanigans going on three months ago'', an unnamed administration official has been quoted.

The Bush administration which originally sought to give the impression that anything dubious between Pakistan and North Korea may have ceased in the post September 11, 2001 timeline is now privately saying that the transactions between Islamabad and Pyongyang may have continued through this summer. And this transaction included not just technical knowledge but also designs and materials.

The Post makes the point that administration officials would not discuss the extent of the evidence but only saying that it involved highly suspicious shipping trade. In the aftermath of the revelation surrounding the North Korean nuclear programme with the obvious weaponisation angle, senior administration officials were quick and careful not to mention Pakistan by name anywhere. All questions regarding the Pakistan-North Korea nexus were brushed off by senior State Department and White House officials as being in the realm of intelligence matters and therefore could not be discussed.

So careful was the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, that he preferred to argue that he was not in a position to do anything about something that has taken place in the `past'. "...the past is past and there isn't a whole lot I can do about it. I'm more concerned about what is going on now. We have a new relationship with Pakistan'', Gen. Powell said at the time of the North Korea revelation. And the White House went a step ahead. "September 11 changed the world and it changed many nations' behaviour along with it'', remarked the Spokesman, Ari Fleischer. If the administration preferred the muted route on Pakistan, it was for good reasons. Publicly rebuking Islamabad would jeopardise relations with a country already dubbed as a "stalwart ally'' and that too when the United States is keen on Pakistan's cooperation with the ongoing war on terrorism, especially as it pertained to Afghanistan.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

Iraq's neighbours hope war will be averted

'New Pak. members must swear allegiance to statute changes'

U.S. aware of Pak. role?

U.S. feels Osama tape is genuine

Relief over Saddam stance

Hardliners reject Ulster initiative

'Schroeder Govt. incompetent'

Pak. national faces execution

Ranil, Balasingham to review progress in peace process