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India sees foul play in reports on nuclear issue
Rajeev Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 24
The Government of India smells a rat in recent reports in the international press casting aspersions on Indian nuclear programme.

The government believes that the reports are actually a smokescreen for Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation and an attempt to deflect attention from Pakistan to make it seem that the problem is not just limited to Pakistan.

New Delhi is of the opinion that such reports obfuscate the main issues and deflect the focus away from the main offenders.

The government is of the opinion that whenever there is some pressure on Pakistan with new revelations of its clandestine networks and proliferation bazaar, an attempt is made to somehow drag India into the picture, despite there being not a shred of evidence in this regard.

The case pertains to a recent report in the “International Herald Tribune”, which was picked up by other newspapers as well, about the prosecution proceedings in the US of Asher Karni on Israeli national, who operated from South Africa.

The US authorities arrested Karni in Colorado on January 2 last year on charges that he had illegally exported 200 high-voltage “triggered spark plugs” that could be used as synchronised electronic pulse detonators for nuclear bombs.

Karni ordered these switches from a US firm for export via Cape Town and Dubai for its final destination in Pakistan.

A known agent for the Pakistan military, Humayun Khan, was in contact with Karni. Criminal charges have also been brought against Humayun Khan.

The IHT report states that as part of the plea agreement with the US authorities, Karni reportedly acknowledged that “he was also involved in selling advanced electronic equipment in 2002 to government agencies in India, some of which were involved in nuclear weapons and missile research.”

The report in large part deals with the connection between Karni and Humayun Khan. In the end, it also mentions that “in one transaction, Karni was asked by Humtek Communications in Bangalore to buy electrical components for India’s Space Applications Centre, which works on rockets and is barred from receiving advanced US technology”.

New Delhi’s contention is that the government has checked these reports and has found no evidence of procurement efforts as mentioned in these reports. The government has also issued a denial and maintained that its civilian space programme is transparent and aimed at utilising the benefits of various space applications.

The question being asked in official circles here is why should these reports, which emerge from the US, also bring in India, especially when there is no conclusive basis. New Delhi contends that the fact remains that the dealings of Karni are with Pakistan agents for their nuclear programme.

Analysts believe that this may be a deliberate move. Recently the “Washington Post”, in its March 20, 2005 report, had detailed how Pakistan’s role in supplying Uranium Hexaflouride to Libya was suppressed in recent briefings given by the US to its allies on North Korea’s N-proliferation activities. Japan and South Korea were told that Pyongyang had supplied this to Libya, concealing the fact that it was Pakistan that had procured it from North Korea and had transferred it to Libya.

Pakistan’s role, both as buyer and seller, was not mentioned.

A pattern thus emerges, which is to avoid putting Pakistan in a tight spot.