Nuclear Secrets - The Terror Trader

Nuclear Secrets - The Terror Trader - Pakistani Rogue Scientist A Q Khan's Nuclear Proliferation from GulZameen on Vimeo.
Nuclear Secrets, aka Spies, Lies and the Superbomb, is a 2007 BBC Television docudrama series which looks at the race for nuclear supremacy from the Manhattan Project through to Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme.

Episode five: The Terror Trader

"Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan: brilliant scientist, trusted colleague, nuclear spy. Khan's master plan: to bring technology from Europe, build an atomic bomb for Pakistan, and set up a network to sell technology to Middle Eastern states from Libya to Iran."

— Sean Pertwee's opening narration

Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan started working for URENCO in The Netherlands in 1972. working for the Pakistani Government, Khan gained access to technology due to lax security methods. Returning to Pakistan with his family in 1975.

Khan's Muslim family had fled to Pakistan in 1971 following defeat in the Indo-Pakistan War and Khan had become a fierce nationalist. Pakistani President Bhutto supports Khan and he builds a nuclear plant in the foothills of the Himalayas. Dutch enquiries in the 1980s finally reveal Khan's but he gets off on a technicality. The U.S. overlooks Khan's program in order to gain Pakistani support against the USSR in Afghanistan. Khan acquires missile technology from China and extends his network into the Middle East.

UN Weapons Inspectors in Iraq uncover documents implicating Khan in nuclear trading but the West fails to act. Khan continues his trade amassing a huge personal fortune and becomes a hero following the detonation of Pakistan's first bomb. A joint CIA/MI6 task force uncovers Khan's dealings with Libya but are unable to move as Pakistani support is again needed in the post-9/11 Invasion of Afghanistan. UN Weapons Inspectors in Iran uncover further evidence implicating Khan, which the Iranians confirm.

The task force targets Khan's network with a double agent and intercept a shipment of centrifuges to Libya. Muammar al-Gaddafi agrees to cooperate with UN Weapons Inspectors and the full extent of Khan's capabilities are revealed. Khan's deputy Tehir is arrested and interrogated in Malaysia and confesses. Pakistani authorities deny any knowledge of Khan's network and he is arrested and forced to confess on live television. Khan remains under house arrest in Pakistan where his secrets are protected.

Cast Dalip Tahil as AQ Khan Daniel Philpot as Security Guard Erich Redman as Gotthard Lerch Francis Montarry as Heinz Mebus Richard Demaye as Customs Agent Mourad Zaquui as Pervez Ashvin-Kumar Joshi as BSA Thair Ettuhei Abdellatif as Farouk

Contributors David Albright – Inst. for Science & International Security Richard Barlow – CIA 1985–88 Gordon Corera – Author Shopping for Bombs Trevor Edwards – Former URENCO employee Robert Einhorn – U.S. State Dept. 1999–2001 Olli Heinonen – Deputy DG IAEA Robert Joseph – U.S. State Dept.