Print
Email
ShareAnother New Tack on North Korea
Washington’s latest revisions to its stance on North Korea nuclear-disarmament talks, experts say, threatens to undermine...
Interviewee: Charles D. Ferguson, Fellow for Science and Technology, Council on Foreign Relations
Interviewer: Jayshree Bajoria, Staff Writer, CFR.org
June 16, 2008
New revelations about the founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, A.Q. Khan, have thrust the scientist back into the international spotlight. The New York Times reports investigators found blueprints for a compact, easily concealed nuclear device, linked to Khan computers, which raises questions about who might have bought the weapons designs. Earlier in June, Khan recanted claims (Daily Times) he had made about passing nuclear secrets to Iran and Libya.
Charles D. Ferguson, CFR's fellow for science and technology, says the United States should make more of an effort to gain access to Khan in order to interview him and learn about the nuclear black market. Khan has been under house arrest for the last four years, and Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has denied the international community access to him. "I have not seen any significant evidence to show that the U.S. government has really pressured President Musharraf" to get access to Khan, Ferguson says.
Ferguson says the remnants of Khan's network remain dangerous today because a country like Iran would have to turn to black markets if it wanted to buy supplies for a nuclear weapons program. But many in the Bush administration are afraid to take a hard look at the issue, Ferguson says, because it might implicate Musharraf. He advocates a nuanced diplomatic approach, noting that the Pakistani government might react sharply against additional pressure: "We shouldn't hem ourselves in saying we can only focus on shoring up the Pakistani government or pushing hard on them to really get a handle on what went on with the Khan network. I think we need to do both."
* Editor's note: This podcast interview was recorded prior to the news of the nuclear blueprints.
Terms of Use: I understand that I may access this audio and/or video file solely for my personal use. Any other use of the file and its content, including display, distribution, reproduction, or alteration in any form for any purpose, whether commercial, noncommercial, educational, or promotional, is expressly prohibited without the written permission of the copyright owner, the Council on Foreign Relations. For more information, write outreach@cfr.org.
Saudi Arabia on the Edge
A leading Middle East scholar pens this "good introduction to the Saudi paradox of social change and political stability and an invaluable guide to the challenges the country faces." More
American Force
An investigation of the use of American force since the end of the Cold War. More
The Struggle for Egypt
A sweeping account of Egypt in the modern era: what Egypt is, what it stands for, and its relation to the world. More
Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East
Gause posits that, though the Arab Awakening has caused tensions in Saudi-American relations, the two countries do not face a crisis and still have significant mutual interests that should be prioritized.
Partners in Preventive Action
The authors assess the strengths and weaknesses of international institutions and provide a set of practical recommendations for how the United States can strengthen the global architecture for preventive action by partnering with those organizations.
Washington’s latest revisions to its stance on North Korea nuclear-disarmament talks, experts say, threatens to undermine...
An interactive, multimedia guide to the dispute between North and South Korea.
Matthew H. Kroenig argues that the world will not be safer if the United States had no nuclear weapons.