Brazen nuclear sales

last updated 8 January 2015

Islamabad

Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan’s nuclear smuggling operation was so sophisticated, he had a glossy brochure describing the banned equipment he offered for sale, the Los Angeles Times reported this week. Purchasers could choose from a variety of centrifuges for enriching uranium, or they could buy the consulting services of Khan himself. U.N. investigators said they were shocked at the extent of the smuggling network. Libya, Iran, and North Korea are known to have bought nuclear technology from Khan, but investigators are unable to account for the rest of the equipment sold through his network. “These people have been doing business all over the world,” said U.S. diplomat Robert Oakley. “Nobody paid attention to what they were doing.”