In light of all the current angst about the turmoil in Pakistan and concern over its nuclear weapons and the possibility that they, or more likely, relevant technology, equipment, and material, might leak elsewhere, it seems relevant to note this synopsis by the Partnership For Global Security of its workshop, Building Confidence in Pakistan's Nuclear Security.
According to the press release:
Courtesy of the Secrecy News blog, a project of the Federation of American Scientists Project on Government Secrecy, comes this post:
Launch of BASIC’s new Getting to Zero program on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, held at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC.
There are some interesting references to Dr Khan in the book, The Nuclear Sphinx of Iran. Here is one:
Call it serendipity, but the authors of the new book I mentioned previously, which just became available here in the past couple of weeks, will be in a certain superpower capitol city in the near future.
It appears that the story of Dr Khan provides a nearly endless saga for those seeking to discern lessons to be learned from his experiences. In that regard the newest batter to step up to the plate is the US Government Accountability Office, which just today, released the report Nonproliferation: US Efforts to Combat Nuclear Networks Need Better Data on Proliferation Risks and Program Results (GAO-08-21, October 31) .
You are not a truly significant global threat until someone significant holds a conference full of suitably distinguished people, complete with PhDs, talking about it. Thus, on that very reasonable premise, I am happy to note that the IAE is holding a junket, I mean a conference, next month, hosted by the British government.
This is, to be precise, the International Conference on Illicit Nuclear Trafficking: Collective Experience and the Way Forward, to be held November 19-22.
One more entry from Valerie Plame's book seems noteworthy. It appears that Dick Cheney was interested in Dr Khan, as well as Saddam Hussein. Jeez, Dick Cheney; as if Dr Khan didn't have enough problems. Read this excerpt from the very interesting afterword, written by Laura Rozen, the enormously capable reporter and blogger: