BACK TO THE NASTY REAL WORLD AGAIN – AT 8:17 A.M. ET:  There is no more important issue than the spread of nuclear weapons.  The nuclear weapon does exactly what it's supposed to do.  Technicians can even predict its effects in particular cities.  It may be hard to get, but it's easy to use.  Any good customer can follow the instructions.

Therefore, this story by the outstanding Eli Lake of The Washington Times, needs examining, and requires concern:

Scientists, engineers and financiers involved in the A.Q. Khan nuclear-smuggling network are being contacted by several governments in an effort to lure these specialists out of retirement.

The development is raising concerns among U.S. intelligence agencies about the revival of the proliferation network that was thought to have been shut down years ago.

Two U.S. intelligence officials and other U.S. officials with access to intelligence reports said information compiled over the past seven months showed that agents from several foreign governments — including Brazil, Burma, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Sudan and Syria — pursued members of the network named after Abdul Qadeer Khan, the scientist considered to be the father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program.

"They have propositioned them to get them to come out of retirement," one senior U.S. intelligence officer said.

Not everyone agrees with the assessment:

Earlier this month, a classified analysis was distributed on the Defense Intelligence Daily — a compendium of intelligence products shared with senior executives in the military and the Pentagon — on evidence that elements of the Khan network may be reactivating. It did not answer that question conclusively. The report, however, did confirm the existence of new intelligence on the recruiting efforts.

I hope this is being taken very seriously inside the intelligence establishment.  We've seen too many cases before when officials, pushing their own agenda, have produced distorted reports.  The most infamous is the report that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003, a conclusion picked up and amplified by the thankful left-wing media.  TIME slapped the conclusion on its cover with the blurb, "Now they tell us."  The report turned out to be pathetically optimistic, but reflected the views of those trying to bring down the Bush foreign policy. 

It's entirely logical that those with expertise in nuclear weapons, and a history of selling that expertise, would be contacted by atomic wannabes.  And a little knowledge goes a long way.

July 29, 2010