The United States is investigating whether Pakistani scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan sold nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia and other countries, Time magazine reported on Sunday. The news weekly, citing a source in Pakistan's defence ministry, said that Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, had also played a bigger role in helping Iran and North Korea with their nuclear programs than had been previously disclosed.
"US intelligence officials believe Khan sold North Korea much of the material needed to build a bomb, including high-speed centrifuges used to enrich uranium and the equipment required to manufacture more of them," Time said.
Iran also may have bought centrifuges and weapons designs from Khan in the mid-1990s, Time said, adding that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had confirmed at least 13 meetings between 1994 and 1999 with representatives of Khan's network.
Among the countries known to have been helped by Khan was Libya. Time said the Pakistani scientist had given the Libyans equipment for centrifuges and "technical instructions for how to build a nuclear warhead."
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