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| 05 February 2004 | Thursday | 13 Zilhaj 1424 |
Decision up to Pakistan: US: Fate of scientists
NEW YORK, Feb 4: The US state department said on Tuesday that it would be up to the Pakistan government to make a decision "as to what should happen to individuals and programmes" following admissions by scientists
that they had transferred nuclear technology to other countries.
Welcoming the outcome of the investigations, spokesman Richard Boucher observed: "It marks the sign of how seriously the government takes the commitments that President Musharraf has made to make sure that his nation is not a source of prohibited technologies for other countries."
"We are following the events in Pakistan very closely," he said.
Responding to a question, Mr Boucher said: "Pakistan, in this process, has been working very closely with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and with other governments, as they investigate and as they look at the information that is coming out of, especially, the IAEA, on what's been going on."
"So we welcome President Musharraf's actions, as do other members of the international community, but it's for them to talk about what they're doing," he underscored. Asked whether some materials were apparently sent to North Korea aboard Pakistani military planes, he said: "I wouldn't be able to confirm something like that."
As regards US contacts with other governments on the subject of nuclear proliferation, Mr Boucher said: "Certainly, we've had exchanges with Pakistan in the past on nuclear developments around the world. We know this has been a subject of importance to us. But I think if you look at the information the Pakistanis are providing, that they're really talking more about information that came out through the mechanism of the IAEA."
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