The clandestine operations of Pakistan’s leading nuclear scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, and the subsequent compromise of the nation’s atomic secrets have been brought to light by former CIA operations chief James Loller. Loller’s revelations detail how Khan engaged in the covert sale of advanced nuclear technology and classified information to international buyers, causing widespread alarm among global intelligence agencies. He shared that CIA Director George Tenet personally confronted then-President Pervez Musharraf with concrete proof of Khan’s illicit activities, which implicated countries including Libya as recipients of sensitive nuclear materials.
The intelligence shared with Musharraf reportedly led to an explosive reaction, with the President expressing intense rage and vowing retribution against Khan. This led to Khan being confined to his home under house arrest for an extended period. Khan’s association with nuclear proliferation and illegal smuggling operations had previously drawn scrutiny, culminating in his arrest in 2004. He later admitted to his part in the network but also accused former President Musharraf and ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of complicity.
According to Loller, Tenet had warned Musharraf that Khan was acting against Pakistan’s national interests. Extensive monitoring by the CIA revealed that while Khan was instrumental in building Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, he was simultaneously leaking critical nuclear data to foreign entities. Loller coined the moniker “the Merchant of Death” for Khan due to these actions. Khan’s network was found to have supplied Iran with P1 and P2 centrifuge designs, and intelligence also pointed to the illicit transfer of ballistic missile data and blueprints for a Chinese nuclear weapon. Loller cautioned that Iran achieving nuclear weapon status could ignite a catastrophic “nuclear pandemic” across the Middle East.