How CIA "protected" A.Q. Khan

How CIA "protected" A.Q. Khan

Hasan Suroor

He was caught stealing designs from a Dutch uranium plant. Former Dutch Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers in a radio programme says the CIA saved Khan from going to prison.

LONDON: In a disclosure that is likely to embarrass American authorities, the former Dutch Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers has revealed how the CIA protected the controversial Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan and saved him from going to prison after he was caught stealing secret designs from a Dutch uranium plant in 1975.

Mr. Lubbers, who was Minister of Economic Affairs at the time, told a Dutch radio station on Tuesday that because of pressure from the CIA no action was taken against Dr. Khan and he was quietly allowed to return to Pakistan.

Hindu -Full article

I have the idea this story is not known to most among us. For the records, it's an interesting story, as Khan is suspected of having sold nuclear-weapons technology to, by our governments considered, rogue states, such as Iran, North Korea and Lybia.