Disgraced Pakistan atomic scientist AQ Khan recants

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WASHINGTON, June 4 (AFP): Disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan told US media Tuesday that he was not responsible for passing nuclear secrets to Iran and Libya, backpedaling from his earlier admissions.

In an interview with the McClatchy news organisation in Pakistan, Khan said that he introduced Tripoli and Tehran to Western businesses who provided the know-how on building a nuclear weapons programme.

Khan, regarded as the father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, said in a televised confession in February 2004 that he had run a network that passed atomic secrets and smuggled equipment and technological advice to Iran, North Korea and Libya over a period of 15 years.

But he recanted that admission in his interview with McClatchy, telling the news agency that he had merely given Iran and Libya "very small advice" on where to acquire the technology.

"When Iran and Libya wanted to do their programme, they asked our advice. We said: 'OK, these are the suppliers, who provide all.'"

Khan said that the companies who provided the technology to the two rogue regimes were European.

"The Germans have those drawings. The South Africans have those drawings. The French have those drawings. They were the suppliers. You can't blame me for it. They were selling. They were making money. Why put blame on me?" Khan said during the interview from his villa in Islamabad, where he remains under house arrest.

Khan said that nuclear secrets obtained by North Korea came from Russia.

"All the North Korean scientists and engineers studied in Russia," Khan said, describing Pyongyang's program as having "excellent technology" with "very sophisticated designs."