There is one book which one would like to present to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, his External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Foreign Secretary Mr. Shivshankar Menon, not to speak of Mr Narayanan who now seems seriously embroiled in foreign affairs. And that is the 586-page expose of American deception and double talk and Pakistan'sefforts at ruthlessly blackmailing Washington, written by two top American journalists, Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark, entitled Deception: Pakistan, the United States and the Global Nuclear Conspiracy.
The book is primarily a study of how the United States allowed itself to be black mailed by Pakistan, how successive American governments fell victims voluntarily, how Pakistan, with the help of A.Q. Khan set up plans to build nuclear bombs, how western nuclear secrets were stolen, how European manufacturers provided active support to Khan'sinfrastructural needs with or without knowing Islamabad'saims and objectives, how China was wooed, how China gave full and uninhibited assistance to Pakistan'snuclear ambitions, how successive American Presidents willingly went along cheating their own Congress and the world at large by refusing to accept that Pakistan was developing nuclear weapons, how money?both American and Saudi American?came pouring in into the Pakistan Treasury, how that money meant for economic development was used to build Pakistan'sarmed forces, how Pakistan was actively selling nuclear secrets to countries like Iran, Libya and North Korea, how China shipped to Pakistan weapons-grade highly-enriched uranium to fuel a nuclear bomb, how knowing full well that Pakistan was not only set on making nuclear bombs but was freely indulging in selling nuclear technology and secrets to those willing and anxious to buy them at any cost.
President Reagan'smessage was that he could ?live with the Pakistan bomb?. The White House had ?a well-spring of intelligence on A.Q.Khan?s? activities which never reached Congress. As the author has put it, ?Behind the scenes, the Reagan administration was desperately struggling to suppress evidence that A.Q Khan was designing ( a nuclear) bomb?. Washington also knew that Pakistan was selling nuclear secrets but ?White House instructions (to its officials ) was only to warn Pakistan to do their nuclear trading discreetly, rather than demanding from them a rollback?. Even knowing that Pakistan was ?the most dangerous proliferator?, the US sat on its intelligence and willingly threw out American officials who protested White House instructions. A.Q.Khan who hated ?Indian bastards? had procurement operations running across Europe, overseen by ISI agents operating under the cover of diplomatic postings? in full knowledge of the CIA. China helped Pakistan ?freely? with no strings attached.
According to Pakistani diplomat Aga Shahi, China provided Pakistan with Tritium ?an isotope that could substantially boost the power of a nuclear device?. Shahi is further quoted as saying: ?China'ssupport to Pakistan was a deliberate act of sabotage, undermining the value of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty?? The level of collusion and ?professed ignorance among European companies was staggering?, according to the authors. Money was everything. Some European companies had even their staff at Kahuta, the Pakistani nuclear bomb base. There was no objection from anybody. After all, Pakistan was helping the US to throw the Soviet forces out of Afghanistan and its nuclear and proliferating sins were to be ignored. Say the authors: ?It was no longer just inexperienced Pakistan striving for a bomb and the US turning a blind eye. It was Pakistan backed by a sophisticated and proven nuclear power with the US burying the bad news from elected officials?.
The European intelligence community frequently warned Washington of what was going on ?but the Reagan Administration continually denied there was a problem?. It was the same case with President Carter. All this is not hearsay; the authors quote chapter and verse from available documents. Even today, say the authors, ?the old nexus, China-Pakistan-Korea has not been broken?. According to the authors ?Pakistan was proliferating with the kind of candour that came from knowing no one was likely to touch it, least of all its partner in the war on terror, the Bush Administration?? So what is the US doing? Nothing! Towards the end, the authors write: ?Pakistan continues to sell nuclear weapons technology (to clients known and unknown) even as Musharraf denies it, which means either that the sales are being carried out with Musharraf'ssecret blessings or that he did not know and he is no more in control of his country'snuclear programme than he is of the bands of jihadis in the tribal belt?? And what do the jihadis, headed by Osama bin Laden want? A book written by a Jordanian journalist. Fouad Hussein says it all. Al Qaida has a grand six-stage plan to bring under its control the whole world under ?one and a half billion Muslims? by 2020. The vicious plan of murder and massacre is to be read to be believed.
To read this book which reveals top secrets almost in every page is to wonder at the naivett? of Dr Manmohan Singh and his bureaucratic chamchas like Ron Sen who believe George Bush is ?the best ever friend India ever had?. Deception should be prescribed reading for all diplomats, and so-called foreign policy experts and advisers like Mr Narayanan, who want India to sign the 123 Agreement, making India enslaved to the US while Pakistan merrily blackmails Washington and does what it wants. We have remarkable ignoramuses ruling the country. With the United States and China as friends, we do not need enemies. Fancy Pakistan doing everything wrong by any international standards and getting away with it, caring two hoots for the Nuclear Supply Group while India is waiting with bagging hands for American and NSG assistance and international guarantees. Haven'twe as a nation, any sense of shame? We have done away with the food shortage problem. Haven'twe the courage to stand up to the world on the nuclear problem?
