Germans Allegedly Helped Libyan Nuclear Program
August 27, 2004
A German man accused of trying to help Libya develop nuclear weapons has appeared before the Federal Court in Karlsruhe, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office said.
Authorities issued an arrest warrant against the 65-year-old for "acting as an accessory to attempted treason", as well as "aiding the attempted development of atomic weapons", the Office said in a statement.
The judge released the man, identified as Gerhard W., on bail on Thursday. W., who lives in South Africa, and a suspected accomplice named Gotthard L., residing in Switzerland, are believed to have played a role in an international ring that tried to procure materials for making nuclear weapons in 2001.
Supplying equipment for uranium enrichment
Prosecutors say W. worked as a mediator in obtaining an order for a South African company to make and supply aluminum tubing to be used in a uranium enrichment plant, the statement said. He was paid €1 million ($1.2 million) for his services, the Office added.
Nuclear technology underlies particular secrecy provisions and is classified as a state secret."According to our current level of knowledge, the tubing was never delivered to Libya," it said.
Swiss authorities have searched the home of his alleged accomplice, the 61-year-old L., and seized documents and bank statements. "To what extent L. was involved in the international procurement network is still being investigated," the Prosecutor’s Office said.
Libya chooses disarmament
In the early 1980s, Libya began a program to develop uranium enrichment plants using so-called gas centrifuge technology. In 1997, the government decided to import centrifuges and related equipment.
Officials thus made contact with an international illegal procurement network, which mainly did business from Dubai in distributing gas centrifuge technology. Abdul Qadeer Khan (photo), the "father" of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb, initiated this network in the 1980s.
Libya announced late last year that it was abandoning attempts to develop nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and revealed its weapons program to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Officials have thus had access to valuable information, particularly about foreign suppliers.