Disturbing Claim Regarding U.S. State Dept Official And Nuke Secrets
A WHISTLEBLOWER has made a series of extraordinary claims about how corrupt government officials allowed Pakistan and other states to steal nuclear weapons secrets.
Sibel Edmonds, a 37-year-old former Turkish language translator for the FBI, listened into hundreds of sensitive intercepted conversations while based at the agency’s Washington field office.
She approached The Sunday Times last month after reading about an Al-Qaeda terrorist who had revealed his role in training some of the 9/11 hijackers while he was in Turkey.
Edmonds described how foreign intelligence agents had enlisted the support of US officials to acquire a network of moles in sensitive military and nuclear institutions.
Among the hours of covert tape recordings, she says she heard evidence that one well-known senior official in the US State Department was being paid by Turkish agents in Washington who were selling the information on to black market buyers, including Pakistan.
The name of the official – who has held a series of top government posts – is known to The Sunday Times. He strongly denies the claims.
However, Edmonds said: “He was aiding foreign operatives against US interests by passing them highly classified information, not only from the State Department but also from the Pentagon, in exchange for money, position and political objectives.”
She claims that the FBI was also gathering evidence against senior Pentagon officials – including household names – who were aiding foreign agents.
“If you made public all the information that the FBI have on this case, you will see very high-level people going through criminal trials,” she said.
Her story shows just how much the West was infiltrated by foreign states seeking nuclear secrets. It illustrates how western government officials turned a blind eye to, or were even helping, countries such as Pakistan acquire bomb technology.
How Pakistan got the bomb, then sold it to the highest bidders
1965 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan’s foreign minister, says: “If India builds the bomb we will eat grass . . . but we will get one of our own”
1974 Nuclear programme becomes increased priority as India tests a nuclear device
1976 Abdul Qadeer Khan, a scientist, steals secrets from Dutch uranium plant. Made head of his nation’s nuclear programme by Bhutto, now prime minister
1976 onwards Clandestine network established to obtain materials and technology for uranium enrichment from the West
1985 Pakistan produces weapons-grade uranium for the first time
1989-91 Khan’s network sells Iran nuclear weapons information and technology
1991-97 Khan sells weapons technology to North Korea and Libya
1998 India tests nuclear bomb and Pakistan follows with a series of nuclear tests. Khan says: “I never had any doubts I was building a bomb. We had to do it”
2001 CIA chief George Tenet gathers officials for crisis summit on the proliferation of nuclear technology from Pakistan to other countries
2001 Weeks before 9/11, Khan’s aides meet Osama Bin Laden to discuss an Al-Qaeda nuclear device
2001 After 9/11 proliferation crisis becomes secondary as Pakistan is seen as important ally in war on terror
2003 Libya abandons nuclear weapons programme and admits acquiring components through Pakistani nuclear scientists
2004 Khan placed under house arrest and confesses to supplying Iran, Libya and North Korea with weapons technology. He is pardoned by President Pervez Musharraf
2006 North Korea tests a nuclear bomb
2007 Renewed fears that bomb may fall into hands of Islamic extremists as killing of Benazir Bhutto throws country into turmoil
Read the full Times Online Article here.
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Humm Lets see.
Obama won Iowa. What was Obamas stand on Pakistan again?
Oh yeah -
White House hopefuls spar before New Hampshire
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/05/nh.debates/?iref=mpstoryview
Obama said he stood by his statements that he would go into western Pakistan if he had actionable intelligence pointing to terrorists regrouping in the region.
“We have a situation where al Qaeda — a sworn enemy of the United States, that killed 3,000 Americans and is currently plotting to do the same — is in the territory of Pakistan. We know that,” Obama said.
John Edwards called Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf an “unstable leader.”
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he would ask Musharraf to step down.
Looks like Time is trying to pave the way for a democratic president.
When has TIME ever reported anything that was actually not spun in the democrats direction?
January 6th, 2008 at 9:49 pmhttp://youtube.com/watch?v=qxFQcxy2jFg
January 6th, 2008 at 10:05 pmLet’s see the evidence, then I’ll pass judgement. Produce the evidence and bring it before the IG. Let’s see if it holds water or is the mole just blowing smoke.
And why would a US translator working for the FBI give such info to a British pub instead of a US pub? Hmmm…me thinks I smell fish….as in a fishy story.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:17 pmHmm. Name names.
Lets see, theres Madeline Albright (Theres a last name misnomer).
Then theres (insert Clinton administration official or appointee here)…
January 7th, 2008 at 2:16 ami actually dont doubt the story. the problem is that too many officials of the us state dept and security departments register as agents/lobbists of foreign govts after their service to our country. that should be illegal, and the press never reports on the officials who do this. if someone could compile a list of all the former us officials who register like this, all we would have to do is look at the countries they register for to see who the traitors are. i know albright and former clinton/carter stooge anthony lake have done this type of crap. they should hang by the neck till dead dead dead!
January 7th, 2008 at 3:44 am