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Pakistan exchanged nuke tech for
missiles: Pallone

Democrat Congressman Frank Pallone on Friday criticised the United States administration for ignoring Pakistan's involvement in providing nuclear assistance to North Korea.

"What I find appalling is that this nuclear programme that the United States worked tirelessly to halt, was in fact sustained through the assistance of Pakistan," Pallone, founder of the India Caucus, wrote in a letter to President George W Bush.

"Not only did the transfer of critical equipment to North Korea take place around 1997, but in addition, this relationship has continued even after President [Pervez] Musharraf seized power in 1999," he said.

Pallone said, "It is clear that Pakistan most likely exchanged equipment with North Korea for missiles for the purpose of challenging India."

Demanding immediate steps to ban all military sales to Pakistan and re-imposition of Symington sanctions on the country for assisting a foreign nuclear weapons programme, he said Pakistan was thought to have provided technology even after September 11, 2001, which was particularly "outrageous".

"It is important to fully explore and disclose to what extent President Musharraf has been involved with North Korea since his military coup in 1999," he said.

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