The United States expects all countries to crack down on illicit technology transfers within their borders, officials said today, after the stunning exposure of nuclear trade activities in Pakistan.
A number of countries extending from Europe, Asia and beyond have been implicated in a nuclear weapons black market of middlemen and parts producers linked to Pakistan's now disgraced top atomic scientist, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.
After confessing that he sold nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea and absolving his country's government and military of blame, Khan was pardoned on Thursday by President Pervez Musharraf in an apparent effort to lay the controversy to rest.
The United States, reflecting a delicate balancing act between its usual aggressive stance against proliferation and its support for Mr Musharraf, refused to criticize its anti-terrorism ally.
"This is a decision for the government of Pakistan to make," a senior administration told reporters.
Another senior official told reporters: "Pakistan is pursuing sources of this technology leak and it remains to be seen what the specific actions will be taken by Islamabad against the network."
"There are other countries which have been mentioned and we would expect them too to take action," he said.
"All of these countries need to look carefully at the activities that are alleged to have happened or did happen on their territories. (Except for Pakistan), all of them are signatories to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. All have an interest in ensuring that their international regime obligations are fully fulfilled," he added.