2006年VOA标准英语-Experts: Questions Still Linger Over Khan

By Stephanie Ho
Washington
07 June 2006

U.S. officials, lawmakers and experts on nuclear proliferation are pushing for more answers in the case of a global nuclear black market, run by AQ Khan, who used to head Pakistan's secret nuclear program.  Their calls come several weeks after Islamabad announced that its investigation¹ into the AQ Khan network is finished.  VOA's Stephanie Ho reports from Washington. 

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Abdul Qadeer Khan (File photo)
  

The man widely regarded as the father of Pakistan's nuclear program, AQ Khan, also ran a clandestine² global network that sold nuclear material and technology to Iran, Libya, North Korea, and possibly others. 

In early May, Pakistan released without charges Mohammed Farooq, a close associate of AQ Khan.  Pakistani foreign ministry³ spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said this marked the apparent end of Islamabad's investigation in Khan's nuclear network.

"As far as we are concerned, this chapter is closed.  I would presume that with Dr. Farooq's release, there is a closure to that case," she said.

But speaking recently in Washington, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Nuclear Non Proliferation, Andrew Semmel, said Washington still considers the issue open and ongoing⁴.

"No, I don't think the case is closed, no," he said.

Semmel said U.S. officials are engaged in what he described as a "continuous, deep-seated, serious effort" to unravel⁵ the AQ Khan network.  But, he added that there are many aspects of the case that even he is not privy⁶ to because nearly all of the U.S investigations⁷ are being handled through what he called  "intelligence channels."

"So, in a sense, the information is sensitive.  It's not out in the public and shouldn't be out in the public," he explained.

The U.S. official added, though, that an independent description of how sensitive this issue is for Washington is, in his words, "not inaccurate⁸."   He was referring to comments made by Daryl Kimball, of the non-profit Arms Control Association.

"My personal hunch⁹ is that there are some conflicts in U.S. policy that are leading to this standoff," he noted¹⁰.  "That is, we don't want to make life too tough for Pervez Musharraf.  But we want to get information about the AQ Khan network at the same time."

Kimball said getting more information about the Khan network involves directly questioning A.Q. Khan and other top figures, something the Pakistani government has prohibited.  Islamabad has pardoned Khan, who remains¹¹ under house arrest in the Pakistani capital.

Meanwhile, Kimball says the most urgent matter requiring Khan's input¹² is what nuclear technology the network provided to Iran.  Specifically, he raised the issue of Iran acquiring a piece of equipment known as a centrifuge, which has compartments¹³ that spin around a central axis¹⁴ to separate nuclear materials.

"One of the outstanding questions that Mohamed el Baradei, the IAEA director general, has is whether P-2 centrifuges, more advanced centrifuges, were passed on to Iran," he said.  "If so, then the timeline for the ability to produce highly-enriched uranium could be shorter."

The AQ Khan network provided nuclear technology to Libya, a country that has abandoned its nuclear program.  The network also is believed to have provided material and know-how¹⁵ to North Korea, another country Washington accuses of having a nuclear weapons program.

Congressman¹⁶ Ed Royce recently chaired a House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on the nuclear black market run by AQ Khan.  He blamed the Pakistani government for complicity in the Khan case, and urged the U.S. government to get tougher on Islamabad. 

"Pakistan receives some $700 million annually¹⁷ in U.S. aid," said Mr. Royce.  "President Bush has designated Pakistan a major non-NATO ally.  Given this support, the grave consequences of Khan's acts, and his relevancy to the Iranian and North Korean crises of today, the U.S. and the international community should expect more from Pakistan's government."

The congressmen heard testimony¹⁸ from outside experts, including independent consultant¹⁹ Leonard Weiss, who said it is crucial that investigators²⁰ find out more about Khan's activities in other countries.

"It is known that he and his associates visited Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Chad, Mali, Nigeria, Niger and Sudan," said Mr. Weiss.  "What did Khan do there?  We need to know, and in detail."

He added that he and many other independent observers do not believe the Khan network has been completely or effectively shut down.

"We don't really know to what extent the Khan network has been rolled up, to what extent new additions to the network have been made, and whether increased surveillance of Pakistani nuclear activity is making much of a difference," he noted.

Author Andrew Koch, former Washington bureau chief for Jane's Defense²¹ Weekly, adds that he thinks many of the network participants were involved for financial, not geopolitical, reasons.  He adds that many of them are still there, willing and able to sell to whoever has enough money

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 clandestine   

adj.秘密的，暗中从事的

参考例句：

• She is the director of clandestine operations of the CIA.她是中央情报局秘密行动的负责人。
• The early Christians held clandestine meetings in caves.早期的基督徒在洞穴中秘密聚会。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

5 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

6 privy   

adj.私用的；隐密的

参考例句：

• Only three people,including a policeman,will be privy to the facts.只会允许3个人，其中包括一名警察，了解这些内情。
• Very few of them were privy to the details of the conspiracy.他们中很少有人知道这一阴谋的详情。

7 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

8 inaccurate   

adj.错误的，不正确的，不准确的

参考例句：

• The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确，而且夸大其词。
• She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。

9 hunch   

n.预感，直觉

参考例句：

• I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉，他并不真正想去。
• I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

13 compartments   

n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层

参考例句：

• Your pencil box has several compartments. 你的铅笔盒有好几个格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The first-class compartments are in front. 头等车室在前头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 axis   

n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线

参考例句：

• The earth's axis is the line between the North and South Poles.地轴是南北极之间的线。
• The axis of a circle is its diameter.圆的轴线是其直径。

15 know-how   

n.知识；技术；诀窍

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the know-how to run a farm.他没有经营农场的专业知识。
• I don't have much know-how about engines.发动机方面的技术知识我知之甚少。

16 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

17 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

18 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

19 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

20 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。