Pragmatically speaking, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s recently concluded tour of East Asian countries is replete with prospects. And these prospects should not be seen in the billion-dollar perspective or in the East Vision Policy alone because the tour has many dimensions attached to it. It has also provided a golden opportunity to Pakistan to make some leading economies and successful polities of Asia understand Pakistan in its true essence as being a country of cultured, educated and affable people whose partnership in all prominent areas including commerce and industry, will prove to be a worthwhile proposition. Certainly, it is like laying the foundations of a prosperous Pakistan with a methodology based on greater economic interaction and on sharing our experiences. This is by all standards the most acceptable and most appealing technique of diplomatic and economic expansion in the contemporary world. It stands many a chance of increasing Pakistan’s immense potential. Even our dormant potential, especially the human resource, is going to grow tremendously after the raising of a structure capable of absorbing newer ideas and innovations in a world whose evolution has not yet stopped. This is rather conforming to Islam, the religion of all times as well as to the modern world’s expectations. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has spoken his mind on all vital issues besides initiating steps for Pakistan’s economic uplift with external collaboration. He has also touched the issue that has been unfortunately and unjustifiably made controversial under different banners the most conspicuous one being labeled “Clash of Civilizations”. It is a farce, says Aziz, created gratuitously to deepen the grudge among different fraternities. Aziz has also talked about other burning issues confronting the Islamic Ummah but the focus of his exchanges and addresses has throughout been action. At one point, the PM advised his brethren-in-faith to avoid Nato, an acronym used by him to describe “No action, talk only.” His stress is on action instead of mere talk. Even the 10-point roadmap that Aziz has given for the salvation and rise of Muslim Ummah during his address to the World Islamic Forum the other day at Malaysia, is based on ground realities as well as good, workable ideas whose implementation is not at all impossible. It, however, requires proper identification of those irritants and ills that can be successfully tackled with slight application of intelligence and above all, with a common, unified approach.  Take for instance, the salient points of the roadmap. One of
stresses on promoting greater unity within the Muslim Ummah and here the Prime Minister is loud and clear in drawing a distinction from the hackneyed rhetoric of cohesion within the Ummah. According to Aziz, this unity has to be achieved in practical terms through resolution of dissensions within our societies because it helps in evolution of a common purpose. Another point is ensuring good governance through people’s participation, transparency and accountability, freedom and equality in addition to empowerment of women and minorities for achieving the goal of an enlightened and progressive society. Fortunately, Pakistan is not lagging behind other countries in this area. Pakistani leadership has rather been vigorously focusing on the concept of good governance that forms a vital part of President Pervez Musharraf’s reforms. Islamabad administration, during the last six years, has taken to a course that is seemingly headed in the direction of good governance. It is in that backdrop that Prime Minister Aziz has advised other Islamic states to implement reforms to restructure our economies to leverage the full potential of our productive capacities. This is quite significant especially the question of implementation of reforms. Aziz is going beyond mere introduction of reforms. The reforms ought to be implemented for raising the living standards of our people, that’s the moral. The focal point of Aziz’s roadmap, apart from his emphasis on quality and high learning in scientific fields and creation of Ummah’s collective assets through pooling of natural and human resources, is moving forward towards an eventual Islamic Economic Union to ensure a win-win situation for all. There is no denying the fact that the Islamic states direly need such a platform even if a large number of leaders of these countries are not enthusiastic about establishing such an entity in view of their peculiar modalities of rule and the concomitant mindset. Aziz appears to be aware of this common inadequacy. That is why he has emphasized the need for having an economic union, the attainment of which goal requires a practical, well-planned start. On one hand, Aziz has built up a logical case by drawing a map of plus and minus points with reference to the actual state of affairs confronting the Ummah. This is indeed a step in the direction of breaking the inertia prevailing in most of the capitals of the Islamic world whatever the background of that inertia. On the other hand, Aziz has suggested ‘first steps’ instead of taking a blind and abstract leap. For sure, the practicability of any strategy is itself a big source of motivation and smashing of rampant lethargy that we urgently need in the instant case to develop immeasurable potentialities of Ummah.
Some good ‘first steps’ are “entering into multilateral free trade arrangements among Muslim countries, promoting the free flow of labour and material resources and subsequently creating a world-class capital market to attract international capital.” The Prime Minister has also suggested enhancing the capacity of Islamic Development Bank from mere development to promotion of investment and trade and re-invigoration of OIC. The problem with both these setups has been that of the organizers’ failure to identify the shortcomings. However, in the case of Organization of Islamic Conference, the shortcomings are known but the peculiar mindsets of some prominent players have been forming impediments in effective performance by OIC, the result being that even the meanest of genuine expectations could not be met. Aziz has rightly demanded re-organization, re-invigoration and re-positioning of OIC for the ultimate empowerment of the Ummah to meet the challenges of the new millennium. Here too, we need to move on a guided, instead of a blind, track. The last point of the roadmap provides the key. And that is Aziz’s advice to create the necessary intellectual environment for the renaissance of the Muslim world through achieving intellectual revival, academic excellence and the spirit of enquiry. If adjudged merely on the yardstick of economy, even then Aziz’s tour carries much promise. Aziz is not wrong in saying that the main objective of his visit to South Korea was to place Pakistan on the radar screen of Korean investors since Pakistan offered tremendous opportunities for investment. This is by now a fully established fact that Pakistan has gained the increased confidence and trust of various foreign entities in terms of greater investment. And although some countries and their entrepreneurs have at times shown their reservations on the old pretext of “unstable and uncertain atmosphere”, Islamabad leadership has left no stone unturned in providing a facilitating atmosphere for foreign investment in addition to endeavouring in dead earnest to put an end to innumerable apprehensions nurturing in the minds of other nations about Pakistan. Pakistan’s performance over the last few years gives us encouraging figures in this area. Pakistan, according to latest reports, has topped 16 Asian states last year in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) figures with 1 billion $. Not only the former Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Muhammad but also the Korean President, Roh Moo-hyun, have lauded Pakistan’s tremendous economic growth especially that of the last year. Korean president has also described Aziz as ‘Mr Clean’ and ‘Mr Reforms’. Trade between Pakistan and Korea is also likely to reach $1b by end-2005. Besides that, Korean companies and investors have shown great interest in investing in various mega projects in Pakistan including investment in infrastructure and oil and gas sectors in Pakistan.
 

Iranian nuclear pursuits
Shahid Saleem Afzal

The United States demonstrated the destructive power of nuclear weapons during the Second World War. After the war, on 15 November 1945, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada proposed the establishment of a U.N. Atomic Energy Commission for the purpose of “entirely eliminating the use of atomic energy for destructive purposes”, and to place all nuclear resources under international ownership and control. But efforts on disarmament failed. The Soviet Union in 1949, the United Kingdom in 1952, France in 1960, and the Peoples Republic of China in 1964, became nuclear-weapon states. Subsequently, Israel followed and became a nuclear power in the 1970s. India and Pakistan achieved the capability later. North Korea is also believed to be nuclear capable by some circles. How did these countries become nuclear? One thing is certain that nuclear proliferation took place and it takes cooperation between at least two parties to proliferate.
Proliferation has become a serious issue these days and the West is particularly concerned that Iran should not enrich uranium the same can also be used to produce nuclear weapons. Hence, Iranian nuclear programme is under the hammer these days. The international media has trumpeted much about the Khan affair but it is well known that about twenty countries have assisted Iran in her nuclear programme. The Centre for Non-Proliferation Studies has issued a detailed list of nuclear related items exported by countries to Iran. Unfortunately, United States has taken the lead in providing these materials. She supplied a 5 MWt Research Reactor and 5.545 Kg enriched uranium in 1967, Tektronix oscilloscopes, logic analysers, pulse generators, centrifuge parts, and a range of other dual use equipment in 1993.
The Argentine Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEA) supplied 115.8 kg of 20 percent enriched uranium in 1993 for the University of Tehran Nuclear Research Centre as fuel. Belgium provided a 30MeV Ion Beam Applications Cyclotron in 1991. China supplied two sub critical reactors; an open tank facility and a graphite moderated reactor in 1992. In 1994 she sold a 27kWt miniature neutron source reactor (MNSR), 900g of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel, and heavy water. Subsequently, she built a heavy water, zero power, research reactor in 1995. The Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (BRIUG) assisted Iran with uranium exploration.
Iran imported computer-numerical-control (CNC) lathes and vertical turning machines from the Czechoslovak firm Strojimport. Leybold of Germany sold Iran vacuum pumps in 1990–91 and Magnetfabrik Bonn supplied Iran with ferretic ring magnets for centrifuges in 1993. As part of the Russian-Iranian nuclear accord, Moscow agreed to complete the Bushehr VVER-1,000MW reactor, deliver 2000 tons of natural uranium and construct a uranium mine. According to European officials, South Africa supplied Iran with a large quantity of uranium concentrate (yellowcake) in 1988-89. AGIE and Charmilles Technologies of Switzerland sent electrical discharge machinery (EDM’s) to Iran for use in manufacturing Gas centrifuges.
In 1991, UK firms i.e. Air Products, British Nuclear Fuels, Fisons, and Leeds & Northtrup allegedly sold Iran fluorine gas, a precursor for making UF6 gas which is critical in the production of weapon grade uranium. UK also exported high-speed cameras and flash x-ray equipment to Iran. This equipment is useful in the production of nuclear weapons.
Denmark supplied 10 Kg of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) in the mid 1970s. Argentina provided about 3 tons of uranium dioxide in 1986 and hot cells cyclotron and technical expertise to install the cyclotron in 1997. A Japanese company “Sunbeam” sold 3100 sighting lenses in 1995. Kazakhstan sold Beryllium in 1993 and Georgia provided nuclear reactor equipment worth $ 36,000.
Besides importing a variety of equipment and materials to support its nuclear programme, Iran has invested heavily over the years in training of engineers and scientists. From the late 1950s to 1979, many young Iranians went abroad, particularly to the United States and Europe, to earn scientific and engineering degrees and to gain work experience in nuclear technologies. By 1975 Iran had advisers from the United States, Britain, and India, and had sent some 350 students to West Germany, the United States, France, Britain and India for nuclear training. After qualifying and gaining experience these students returned to Iran and stimulated the development of indigenous training and research facilities in various fields related to nuclear technology.
In the mid-1980s, Iran revamped its nuclear programme giving it a new life and adopted a new strategy by securing assistance from Russia, China and India. At this stage, Iran sent 15,000-17,000 students abroad for nuclear-related training. Also, at this time, Sharif University of Technology was established for the indigenous education of physical scientists and engineers. Much of its curriculum is applicable to nuclear power or weapons programmes. In the late 1980s Iran was able to attract thousands of expatriate scientists. These scientists tried to enrich uranium but with no success. Iran continued to lay emphasis on higher education and the number of state universities grew from 22 in 1978 to 98 in 2000. Iran has made tremendous progress in improving her indigenous capabilities, but continues to train scientists abroad in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Germany, Russia and India.
Iran has long since achieved the capability to enrich uranium, much to the displeasure of the US and the big EU Three (UK, France, Germany). Iran suspended uranium enrichment in November 2004 as part of an agreement with Europe to avoid UN sanctions. The suspension included the building of centrifuges used in enrichment and the reprocessing of uranium into the gas spun in the machines. Subsequent to the recent Presidential elections, the new Iranian President Ahmedinejad after taking over vowed to recommence the nuclear programme. Iran removed the seals of the UN inspectors from the uranium conversion plant on 10 August 2005, though it has not restarted enrichment as yet. Iran says its program is peaceful, intended only to produce electricity. Iran has said that it would rather endure sanctions than backing down from the programme. Iran is a signatory to the NPT. Iran’s position is best understood by going through Article I and II of the NPT.
Article I requires the five nuclear weapon states not to transfer possession or control of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices to any recipient and not to assist, encourage, or induce any non-nuclear weapon state to acquire nuclear weapons.. Under Article II, non-nuclear weapon state parties undertake not to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or seek or receive any assistance in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Article I has already been violated as the US has placed a large number of nuclear weapons in Europe. Besides, nuclear powers including the US, UK, and France assisted Israel in producing nuclear weapons. Yet this proliferation is hardly discussed but the name of A Q Khan is splattered in the international media. Article II is applicable to Iran which does not prohibit non nuclear weapon states from producing enriched uranium for peaceful purposes. Hence Iran’s pursuits are within the ambit of the NPT and there appears to be nothing wrong if Iran enriches uranium as it does not violate any agreement.