Author: Dr Manzur Ejaz
Publication: The Jang
Date: December 22, 2002
URL: http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/dec2002-daily/22-12-2002/oped/o5.htm
Pakistani nuclear scientists should
get their resumes and passports ready to move somewhere else: they are
considered the weakest link in proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Elements in Pakistan's nuclear programme are suspected of helping not only
the North Koreans but Iraqis and Iranians as well. While North Korea may
get by the Bush administration's wrath, Iraq and Iran cannot. As a matter
of fact, a debate is on in Washington whether Iran should be invaded even
before Iraq.
In recent weeks Pakistan's nuclear
programme has come under a close scrutiny. After the disclosure that Pakistan
helped North Korean nuclear programme anti-Pakistan forces are gaining
momentum within the Bush administration. It is difficult to tell if the
US will re-impose economic sanctions on Pakistan or not but one thing is
clear that pressure against Pakistan is increasing, according to David
Albright, president and founder of a small think-tank, Institute for Science
and International Security (ISIS).
Mr Albright raised the spectre of
Pakistani scientists' involvement in the Iranian nuclear programme. London
Time's story of a Pakistani scientist offering to build Iraq's nuclear
arsenal also fits in the pattern of stories circulating in Washington.
It appears that either the forces within the Bush administration are leaking
out these stories on purpose or some other anti-Pakistan elements are trying
to discredit the Pakistani government due to some ulterior motives. Nevertheless,
it is clear that Pakistan has been served a notice to control the spread
of nuclear capability it has achieved or face the wrath of Washington.
Many insiders believe that Pakistan will be in a big trouble if it was
found playing games.
For now, Washington circles are
convinced, that the Musharraf government is sincerely trying to control
the spread of nuclear technology. Nonetheless, rogue elements in Pakistani
scientists' community may be selling (or passing on) technical know-how
to other countries, opined Mr Albright. The Americans fear that there is
no easy way to control hundreds of Pakistani nuclear scientists. The US
has similar apprehensions about Pakistani nuclear scientists that they
had about the Russians after the Soviet empire collapsed and the country
was pauperised. Eventually, the US instituted programme to lure and absorb
Russian scientists to keep them from falling in the hands of hostile states
like Iraq and Iran. Such a programme is not there yet but one can expect
that the US may entice Pakistani scientists by giving them green cards
and lucrative jobs in American universities and other institutions.
The US is very sensitive about the
role the technical know-how or the intellectual capital plays in opening
up of the new scientific horizons. Immigrant scientists have played a pivotal
role in the scientific breakthroughs in the US: father of the US nuclear
bomb, Albert Einstein, was an immigrant from Germany. Now, the US does
not want other countries to benefit from the intellectual labour of other
countries.
The movement of intellectual capital
or the mental labour has become much easier with the advent of new information
technology and increased mobility of workers across states. Furthermore,
the intellectual labour is much more self-conscious about its international
market value due to enhanced means of communications. The intellectual
capital can be sold or bought in the market much more swiftly now than
ever in the history. The US fears that Pakistani nuclear scientists have
become such hot commodity in the international market. If their know-how
is allowed to be bought by the US adversaries, the status quo of nuclear
powers can undergo a drastic change. Therefore, Washington has started
concentrating on their movements. For one, the US forced the Musharraf
government to push-up Pakistani bomb's father, Abdul Qadeer Khan to a higher
position. The US was assured that Mr Khan was promoted to a higher level
because his movements can be monitored easily in that elevated position,
said Mr Albright.
Due to various reasons, Pakistani
troubles may take some time to invoke the US economic sanctions. However,
Iraq and Iran are in the category of the Middle Eastern states where the
US has already decided to undertake a set of actions. An overwhelming majority
of the US policy makers believe that to affect a change in the Middle East,
political systems in Iraq and Iran have to be reconfigured. US intentions
about Iraq are no secret to anyone: everyone knows that the US will not
be satisfied unless the Iraq regime is replaced with a much more US friendly
government.
Stories about Iranian nuclear programme
are part of the campaign. Some groups in the US policy-making circles argue
that there is no need to invade Iraq because it is already neutralised
and its ability to undertake any adventurous action is eliminated. On the
other hand, they argue, Iran is progressing smoothly and may become very
strong in coming days if the US does not take a direct action against it
now. Some circles are encouraging the Israelis to attack its nuclear plants
before it acquires the capability to enrich uranium and produce nuclear
weapons.
The US may follow varying tactics
to control the Middle East or Pakistan but the immigrants from these countries
are discriminated on the similar scale. Every visiting male from key Muslim
countries will be fingerprinted and registered with the Immigration and
Naturalisation Service. Such discrimination against a religious group is
unprecedented in the recent US history. More importantly, Pakistan's inclusion
in the list is indicative of some unpleasant things to come in the near
future. Most probably, Pak- US honeymoon is coming to an end.
(The writer is a freelance journalist
based in Washington DC, manzurejaz@yahoo.com, Washington Diary)
