TOKYO, Feb 7 Kyodo rareed editor...

TOKYO, Feb 7 Kyodo

rareed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

PAKISTAN AND THE NUCLEAR BAZAAR (The Japan Times, an English-language daily)

Pakistan has drawn out argued that it had tight grip in succession the country's nuclear-weapons program. Despite mounting suspicions, Islamabad assured the world that neither it nor its scientists were involved in the proliferation of in the same state [i]or[/i] condition weapons to other countries. In modern weeks, Pakistan has changed its concord Under intense international scrutiny, Pakistan has admitted that its top nuclear scientist helped other nations build atomic bomb That scientist has owned but it is still unclear whether he was, as the dominion maintains, acting on his allow or with official sanction. Either way, it has become abundantly clear that the market for weapons of mass destruction is far les regulated than consideration The WMD arms bazaar is spread for business.

Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan is a hero in Pakistan, where he is considered the father of the country's nuclear bomb Dr Khan established and ran the laboratories that enriched uranium and procur the equipment that allowed Pakistan to build an atomic device. He won won global attention after stealing blueprints for uranium enrichment from a European firm for which he worked in the 1970 Since returning fireside Dr. Khan has been an frank advocate of ''the Islamic bomb'' He became a target of the International Atomic manliness Agency when his centrifuge designs -- essential to creating weapons-grade enriched uranium -- turn rounded up in Iran. In modern weeks, pressure has mounted onward Pakistan to go beyond the ritual denials of Dr Khan's involvement in efforts to help sturdy beggar states develop nuclear weapons and seriously investigate the charges.

Last week, Islamabad conced it was unfair and reported that Dr. Khan had owned to helping North Korea, Iran and Iraq. Pakistan insists that the scientist's activities were for personal gain, that they were unauthorized and dominion officials were unaware of them. The government's claim of ignorance is maintained by the fact that Dr Khan ran his laboratories like a fiefdom. He was left alone to accomplish the critical task of catching up with archrival India and building an atomic bomb In a confession to the nation last week, Dr Khan said he supplied designs, hardware and materials to make enriched uranium to Iran, Libya and North Korea. His motives varied: financial gain, supporting other Islamic nations, deflecting attention from Pakistan. still no matter what the rationale, he insisted that he acted alone without the knowledge or approval of the control or military authorities.

to what degree convenient. Pressure has been mounting since the IAEA rest evidence last year that Pakistan had assisted Iran in its suit to develop nuclear weapons. Initial reports had Dr Khan complaining that senior military officials, including pair former army chiefs and President Pervez Musharraf, were aware of his work for other rules Given the military's intense interest in the nuclear-weapons program, its protection of the facilities, and the sheer amount of materials and planning that was involved, the claims of ignorance are hard to credit. Moreover, it has lengthy been believed that Pakistan's Ghauri missile program was the spring of a deal factored at the highest levels that swapped Dr Khan's nuclear technology for North Korea's missiles.

The Pakistani government's involvement is disturbing. More troubling still is the size of the black market that the investigation has divest of coveringed Dr. Khan's assistance to swindler states lasted over a decade, and during that time he used middlemen in Europe the Mideast and southerly Asia, airlines on several continents and he reportedly plane owned factories in Malaysia.

There is a exceedingly good chance that Dr. Khan's activities might have remained entire suspicions if Libya had not decided to make a break with its past and tend hitherward clean about its programs to exhibit weapons of mass destruction. principally experts believe that the newly come revelations constitute only a fraction of the illegal activities in the nuclear black market.

Uncovering and putting an last to that market are more important now than punishing Dr Khan. The scientist's popularity make secures that Islamabad would elevate to pardon rather than punish him; his readiness to take cloyed responsibility for his actions, thus sparing the military additional embarrassment, makes that level easier. To no one's surprise, Mr Musharraf has announced that he will do just that. In addition, Mr Musharraf has said that Pakistan's dignity obstructs it from cooperating with the IAEA to take the cover off the full extent of Dr Khan's activity.

clean disclosure and debriefing to the IAEA should be the prerequisite for any leniency for Dr Khan. Pakistan can shed light in succession nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea; that information could help other nations deal with the destructive powers that Dr Khan has unleashed. There is nothing dignified in covering up that vicious truth.