Book claims Mossad could target AQ Khan

Disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist AQ Khan could be on the hit list of Mossad the Israeli espionage agency according to a book on the Israeli secret service, authored by Gordon Thomas.

In the book, Gordan says that after Mossad traced the travel routes of Khan's associates to Saudi Arabia and Tehran, during Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's regime, they were moved from the agency's 'detain' list to its 'kill' list. Sources say Khan too could be on the 'kill' list.

The book Gideon's Spies reveals how Mossad kept a sharp eye on the movement of Khan after al-Qaida's No 3 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed revealed to US investigators in 2003 of a dirty bomb plot in the US.

The book goes on to relate how Mossad told the US of Khan's meeting with Osama bin Laden in April 2003. Accompanying Khan was another nuclear scientist, Murad Qasim, a leading expert in the complexities of centrifugal technology at Khan Laboratories.

The publication of the book comes at a time of revived fears that the proliferation network could be easily re-activated by Khan, who was released by a Pakistani court last week.

According to Thomas, in May 2003, Khan hosted six nuclear scientists at his Rawalpindi residence – Murad Qasim, Muhammed Zubair, Bashiruddin Mahmood, Saeed Akhtar, Imtiaz Baig and Waheed Nasir. All had earlier been associated with Khan in the North Korean nuclear project. Bashiruddin Mahmood, one of the scientists had in fact admitted to meeting Osama and Mullah Omar, but told Pakistani investigators that he had refused their demand for a dirty bomb.

After Khalid Sheikh Mohammed revealed their names to US officials, these scientists disappeared from Pakistan but were seen in Saudi Arabia in 2004-05. In October 2005, Mossad had traced Khan's associates to Tehran. Their presence in Tehran coincided with North Korea's liquid propellant transfer to Iran for its Shahab 3 missile.

The book also points to the possibility of Khan resurrecting his clandestine network without much difficulty. Interestingly, several of Khan's network are out, having served their time in jails in various countries. Swiss brothers – Marco and Urs Tinner – indicted in selling nuclear technology from Khan's labs to Libya have served three years in detention and have been released.

Another key member of the Khan nuclear network Buhary Abu Tahir Sayed, a Sri Lankan national detained in Malaysia was released quietly a few months back.

According to sources Dawood Ibrahim is known to have offered his organised crime network for the use of Khan's nuclear blakmarket through a Dubai company.

The book points to the fact that Khan's nuclear network is free and deployable in the service of rogue nations and terror groups.

Probably in anticipation, the US last month imposed financial sanctions on a host of individuals and groups that could be instrumental in furthering the designs of Khan and company.