Advanced nuclear designs already in Iran?
posted at 8:24 am on June 16, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
The AQ Khan network had advanced nuclear-weapons designs that could fit on ballistic missiles, the Washington Post reported yesterday. The intelligence community has an analysis that determined that Iran, North Korea, and other clients of Khan could have everything they need besides fissile material to build nuclear warheads, a much graver situation than originally thought when the Khan network got exposed. In fact, Khan’s clients may not just have included nations:
An international smuggling ring that sold bomb-related parts to Libya, Iran and North Korea also managed to acquire blueprints for an advanced nuclear weapon, according to a draft report by a former top U.N. arms inspector that suggests the plans could have been shared secretly with any number of countries or rogue groups.
The drawings, discovered in 2006 on computers owned by Swiss businessmen, included essential details for building a compact nuclear device that could be fitted on a type of ballistic missile used by Iran and more than a dozen developing countries, the report states.
The computer contents — among more than 1,000 gigabytes of data seized — were recently destroyed by Swiss authorities under the supervision of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, which is investigating the now-defunct smuggling ring previously led by Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan.
But U.N. officials cannot rule out the possibility that the blueprints were shared with others before their discovery, said the report’s author, David Albright, a prominent nuclear weapons expert who spent four years researching the smuggling network.
Earlier analyses of the AQ Khan product suggested that the types of device designs it produced would have little practical value as end products themselves. The devices were too heavy and too awkward for ballistic missiles or for terrorist sneak attacks. However, the Swiss discovery shows that Khan also had more compact and efficient design available — and now no one knows how many copies got into how many hands.
The Pakistanis officially forgave Khan a few years ago, but they have now found out that his sins went beyond what they imagined. According to the report, the Musharraf government confirmed that the designs represented their most classified work and modern weapons in their arsenal. They realized that Khan sold out their most critical work to foreigners for profit and left them exposed to hostile powers, and apparently they still felt some surprise about it. They had claimed that Khan never stole Pakistan’s own designs.
This makes it even more critical to keep uranium enrichment out of the hands of nations with ballistic missile capability as well as terrorist connections. Iran qualifies on both counts. If they acquired the plans discovered on the computer of Khan’s Swiss colleagues, the only part they don’t have is the weapons-grade uranium or plutonium.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
If this is true,after all the Washington post says so,
than I think that would make this situation on Iran,
now with so-called minatue nuke warhead,and I thought
the US arsenal only had the mini w-88 warhead!
Well,this is the canary in the coal mine singing,or
a 10 alarm fire,especially if there is solid intel!
But don’t worry,be happy,Obama misiah has it under
control(sarc.)!
canopfor on June 16, 2008 at 8:41 AM
I am not concerned. Hussein will be talking to Iran and everything’s going to be OK. Got to go. Losing Interest wireless in my bunker.
saved on June 16, 2008 at 8:42 AM
I am not concerned. Hussein will be talking to Iran and everything’s going to be OK. Got to go. Losing
InterestInternet wireless in my bunker.saved on June 16, 2008 at 8:43 AM
I’m shocked, shocked I tell you, where is El-Baradei, oh yea, he’s an Iranian stooge working his ass off to cover up the Iranian nuclear weapons program…
doriangrey on June 16, 2008 at 8:48 AM
No time left for talking… Bombs away.
Keemo on June 16, 2008 at 8:50 AM
It’s interesting how they “forgot” to report this when the story first broke over 4 years ago, but they decided now it was OK. I wonder what changed.
I wonder why this information wasn’t reported over 3 weeks ago, when the evidence was actually destroyed.
Now that the material is destroyed, we are free to say whatever we’d like about what was there. How liberating.
dave742 on June 16, 2008 at 9:10 AM
Boy, there’s an understatement. Iran is the chief exporter and supporter of terrorism on the planet! We are waaaaay overdue in confronting them over it. Reagen should have done something when we lost over 200 Marines in Lebanon. The fact that Iran has a hand in killing our servicemen and women in Iraq is infuriating! Yet we let then get away with it.
Ordinary1 on June 16, 2008 at 9:11 AM
12-12-2012
madmonkphotog on June 16, 2008 at 9:20 AM
The remaining question is who strikes whom first, Iran or USA/Israel. If Iran strikes us, the nutroots will be blaming Bush for not removing the nuclear threat.
But not to worry. Obama will solve it. He’ll send John Kerry to Iran to engage them in nuanced dialogs.
Woe is us.
petefrt on June 16, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Sarkozy (standing with W): “West has to choose between Iran with Bomb or Bombing Iran.”
Anita on June 16, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Not true. The last NIE said we don’t have to worry about Iran and a nuclear bomb until the year 2199.
danking70 on June 16, 2008 at 9:44 AM
Nothing will be done until it’s too late. 60 years from now some new Pat Buchanan will write a book painting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran as the victims….
TheBigOldDog on June 16, 2008 at 9:53 AM
So Khan actually betrayed his country? You mean he is a traitor, and not a hero? I’m shocked! He sold his countries highest classified nuclear secrets to anyone who would pay the price?
But…but…but…
rockhauler on June 16, 2008 at 9:54 AM
Explains why they are refusing any diplomatic solutions. Yikes!
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on June 16, 2008 at 9:54 AM
“President Pascal Couchepin stunned his Swiss compatriots last week by announcing that the Tinner files, believed to number around 30,000 documents, had been shredded… A former senior IAEA official said: ‘I am quite astonished. It’s very unusual to see people destroying documents like this.’… The extraordinary move, prompting demands for a parliamentary inquiry…
The Americans were also present, according to the international official. ‘The Americans were involved in the destruction. They were calling the shots,’ he said.
[The destruction] was warranted to prevent the documents ‘getting into the hands of a terrorist organisation or an unauthorised state’, according to Couchepin.”
So upon pressure from the US, the Swiss government makes the “very unusual” and “extraordinary” step to shred documents from an ongoing case. The act is so unusual it prompts a parliamentary inquiry. Why is it done? Because the Swiss president is afraid a terrorist group or state will get their hands on the documents. He doesn’t even trust his own government to not turn over the documents to terrorists. This is strange, because Mark Fitzpatrick of ISIS says that “we know that copies were made.” And we know from the WaPo article that Iran probably copies. So why is the Swiss government so worried that they themselves will turn over these documents to terrorists when the terrorists already have them? That’s strange. It’s especially strange seeing that the Tinner case is in progress, and “Swiss legal experts have argued that the destruction of the files could harm the prosecution case against the Tinners.”
So it’s best to destroy these documents because the Swiss government doesn’t trust themselves not to turn them over to terrorists, even though they already have them, and even though it will hurt their case against members of the Khan network. Luckily, now that they are destroyed, we are free to say whatever we want about them.
It is amazing what you people will believe.
dave742 on June 16, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Please…Please…Please. Somebody ask Barry “Given this, whatchu ‘n Mo gonna talk about?…”
eeyore on June 16, 2008 at 10:19 AM
A ban on the production of fissile material? So he is going to shut down every reactor on the planet? Even the most mamby-pamby light water reactor converts uranium into plutonium (3%). That nuclear fuel can be enriched further thru the centrifuge process.
So Barry, how the hell are you going to elimiate the production of fissile material without shutting down every reactor on the planet (which would include are entire nuclear Navy)?
Limerick on June 16, 2008 at 10:30 AM
So, Dave742 (10:03) what is it about this story you believe is not true?
rockhauler on June 16, 2008 at 10:36 AM
I don’t think he’s said it but I believe Obama is in, or at least courting, that camp that believes we shouldn’t be using nuclear technology at all, including nuclear for power generation. Solar and wind power baby!
SPCOlympics on June 16, 2008 at 10:40 AM
NIE is great isn’t it? I mean their report in 2005 said they’re at least 10 years away, IE 2015. Now the latest report said they hadn’t been working on it for 4 years, since 2003 to be specific. Oddly enough they still could have the bomb in 2015. (So I guess the new deal is that when any intelligence estimate says “10 years” that really means “We have no idea”)
Dave_d on June 16, 2008 at 10:52 AM
I’ve said it for awhile now…
The NIE that said Iran had stopped researching plans for a bomb were correct… why research what you already have?
Remember the laptop that the NIE found in Iran awhile back?… IF it had Docs from the same souce… its trouble…
Romeo13 on June 16, 2008 at 10:57 AM
rockhauler:
Use your keen analytical skills and try and figure out for yourself what is wrong with this story.
Limerick:
I believe what he wanted to say was “seeking a global ban on the production of fissile material for weapons,” which is what he has said previously.
This aim of Obama was included on a bill that was introduced by Obama and Hagel which was designed to prevent nuclear terrorism, and which the Senate passed.
You are free to look this stuff up on your own if you like.
dave742 on June 16, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Wrong. EVERY reactor produces plutonium. The type of reactor only determines the quantity and quality. One the spent uranium rods/pellets are removed from a reactor the material then goes to the centrifuge process for enrichment.
Centrifuge facilities can be ANYWHERE. You can put them in a bunker or you can put them in grandma’s garage.
You CANNOT ban the production of plutonium without banning nuclear energy.
What Barry said is what Barry said. You said you ‘believe’ he meant something different. There is no ‘different’. NO FISSIL material means NO NUCLEAR POWER.
You are free to look this stuff up on your own if you like.
Limerick on June 16, 2008 at 11:22 AM
I think you answered your own question. Let me help you: “it will hurt their case against members of the Khan network.”
How can it hurt the case unless they have to be disclosed further during the legal proceedings thereby increasing the risk of dissemination? It’s the same issue we have with prosecuting terrorists in open court. To do so requires classified information, sources and methods to be disclosed which is more harmful in some cases than the particular terrorist.
TheBigOldDog on June 16, 2008 at 11:27 AM
El-Baradei will do nothing. Anything that helps his mooselimb brothers obtain nuke weapons is just fine with him and his crew. Aloha Snackbar!
MCPO Airdale on June 16, 2008 at 11:30 AM
What Barry said is that he is an idiot. He is a daydreaming lefty hak. His flavor is “If you can’t dazzle them with brillance then baffle them with bull****”.
An assine statement like his, ‘ban fissile material’, shows the leaders of the world that he is a know-nothing hak. They’ll love to get this fella at the negotiating table.
Limerick on June 16, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Limerick:
The plutonium contained in spent fuel from a nuclear reactor is not “fissile material” that can be used to make a nuclear weapon. It has to be reprocessed in order to do that. This can be monitored, as the Hagel-Obama bill seeks to do.
“To achieve the high percentages of Pu-239 required for weapon grade plutonium, it must be produced specifically for this purpose. The uranium must spend only several weeks in the reactor core and then be removed. For this to be carried out in a LWR – the prevalent reactor design for electricity generation – the reactor would have to be shut down completely for such an operation; this is easily detectable.”
Obama made a mistake and left out two words. He does not want to stop nuclear power production. He wants to stop the production of new fissile material that is usable for nuclear weapons in order to help stop the possiblity of nuclear terrorism. Please try to grow up.
dave742 on June 16, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Yes. Please do. This is exactly the proposal that the EU is offering Iran and that Iran REJECTS.
The EU is offering light water (low plutonium end product) with controls on the spent fuel rods to prevent enrichment.
Iran says NO. Now please tell me, how the hell do you control the production of plutonium without controls on the primary ingredient?
Limerick on June 16, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Limerick:
Iran is rejecting the proposal because the proposal bans uranium enrichment. Iran is not saying “NO” to IAEA inspections, which will very easily (as the above link says)detect any attempt at plutonium production for nuclear weapons. Your posts become more idiotic as you get angrier.
TheBigOldDog:
All countries have the equivalent of the US’s “Classified Information Procedures Act” to deal with these types of cases. Besides, why are we worried about dissemination if Iran already has the information?
dave742 on June 16, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Um, because Iran is not our only concern?
TheBigOldDog on June 16, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Source?
Didn’t think so.
Limerick on June 16, 2008 at 12:10 PM
BTW, you do realize that once you have the capability to reprocess you can at any time decide to weaponize it rather than put in a reactor right? Simply watching it is pretty feckless.
TheBigOldDog on June 16, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Take a guess……2008? No! 2007? No! 2006? No! 2005? No!
2004? No! 2003? Bingo!
And this was BEFORE Dinnerjacket took office. This country has not budged one inch on the enrichment of uranium in the last seven years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2994674.stm
Limerick on June 16, 2008 at 12:17 PM
TheBigOldDog:
If by “it,” you are referring to plutonium, then the Federation of American Scientists is wrong. Please E-mail them for me.
Limerick:
Of course not. Why should they? According to the NPT, Iran has the inalienable right to enrich uranium. No country in the world with any shred of dignity would give up an inalienable right that has been agreed to by nearly every country in the world (except for a few, like Israel). The US knows that no country in the world would agree to such a demand, which is the precise reason why they constantly demand it. Then when Iran refuses the unreasonable demand, the US has their pretext to bomb.
According to INFCIRC/153 agreements, facilities must be declared 180 days before nuclear material is introduced. Natantz was not yet within that window, and not reporting it was not a violation of Iran’s safeguards agreement. As for the other violations, at least 15 other countries have committed similar violations. Are we going to bomb all of them as well?
dave742 on June 16, 2008 at 1:10 PM
LOL…thank you for pointing out why it is useless to talk to Iran.
You can try to sugarcoat Iran’s intentions with the ‘but everyone else does it’ school yard plea but that hardly removes the primary issue. Mad Mullahs with an atomic bomb.
When a Mad Rabbi is in control of Israeli nuclear weapons and claims that Iran will soon be cease to exist then let me know.
Limerick on June 16, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Limerick:
I did not make the plea that “everyone else does it”. I made the plea that no country in the world would give up an inalienable right that has been agreed to in a treaty signed by nearly every country in the world. What would you say if Russia asked the US to stop enriching uranium for nuclear power, and if we do, Russia will supply us with all the nuclear fuel we need for our power plants. Would you want the US to agree to their proposal, or to tell them to go to hell?
dave742 on June 16, 2008 at 1:31 PM
I’m not concerned with Iran’s ‘right’ to the nuclear fuel cycle. I am concerned with Iran possession a nuclear weapon.
Your argument is ‘relativism’ writ large. No doubt you would argue that the mentally ill have the right to bear arms under the protections of the 2nd Amendment too.
Where does your argument end dave? Chavez? Mugabe?
Limerick on June 16, 2008 at 1:36 PM
Limerick:
Well, Iran is concerned about it.
Before the NPT existed, every country in the world had the legal right to manufacture nuclear weapons. Did you think that nearly every non-nuclear weapon state in the world signed the NPT and gave up their right to manufacture nuclear weapons just to be nice? Well, that’s not the reason. The reason they signed it relates to the “grand bargain” of the NPT. The non-nuclear states agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons in return for certain things, including:
1) Guarantees not to be attacked by nuclear weapons states
2) Assistance be given to them in developing their nuclear power capability
3) Retaining the right to the full nuclear fuel cycle
4) The agreement that nuclear weapons states will disarm their nuclear weapons
Here is the result of the NPT from Iran’s point of view:
1) The US threatens to attack Iran using nuclear weapons
2) The US does everything possible to hinder Iran’s capability to develop nuclear power
3) The US wants Iran to give up it’s right to the full nuclear fuel cycle
4) The US does nothing for 30 years regarding disarming their nuclear weapons, and works in the opposite direction and develops new nuclear weapons (a clear violation of Article VI on the NPT. I am sure sanctions against the US will begin soon).
Iran doesn’t seem to be getting a whole lot out of signing the NPT. I think they should simply withdraw.
Do you know why India never joined the NPT? Because they knew the US and other Western nations had no intention of honoring it. As a result, their are two more nuclear weapons states in the world.
dave742 on June 16, 2008 at 1:55 PM
When a Mad Buddist Monk drops a bomb on Israel let me know.
Limerick on June 16, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Limerick:
India is predominantly Hindu. Presently Hindus do not bomb Israel. If Israel at some point decides to occupy India, then Hindus will start bombing Israel. At that point, Hindus will become “terrorists”. Occupation breeds resistance.
The predominant religion in the LTTE is Hindu. The LTTE claims that Sri Lankans are occupying their land. As a result, the LTTE bombs Sri Lanka. Did you know that the LTTE has committed far more suicide bombings than Hamas ever has? You don’t hear about that much, because Israel does not have immediate plans to occupy India, so there is no present need to demonize them. So what is it about Hinduism that causes people to want to commit suicide bombings?
dave742 on June 16, 2008 at 2:14 PM
Gee. Then let me know when the Hindu’s drop a bomb on Israel. You can argue the Mullahs-will-be-responsible line all you want. Nobody is buying it. NOBODY.
Limerick on June 16, 2008 at 2:19 PM
For those advocating an attack on Iran: What is your thinking on how it will effect the price of oil?
Thanks,
Marc01 on June 16, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Comment pages: