Fresh revelations from former CIA officer James Lawler have reopened one of the most controversial chapters in global nuclear proliferation — the sprawling black-market network created by Pakistan’s top nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, widely known as the architect of Pakistan’s atomic bomb.
Lawler, who led multiple covert CIA operations aimed at stopping the spread of nuclear weapons, has shared unprecedented insights into how the agency penetrated, sabotaged and ultimately dismantled AQ Khan’s secret global trafficking web.
CIA Warned Musharraf With ‘Incontrovertible Evidence’
In an interview, Lawler said the CIA confronted former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf with irrefutable proof that AQ Khan was illegally selling Pakistan’s nuclear secrets abroad. CIA Director George Tenet personally briefed Musharraf, revealing that Khan had transferred nuclear technology to Libya, Iran, North Korea and possibly others.
Musharraf’s reaction, Lawler recalled, was explosive:
“I’m going to kill that son of a bch,”** he allegedly said.
The Pakistani leader later placed AQ Khan under house arrest — a move the CIA considered crucial to shutting down the network.
‘Merchant of Death’ and His Hidden Empire
Lawler said he nicknamed AQ Khan the “Merchant of Death,” describing his ability to build an underground supply chain that operated across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Over three decades, Khan created a sophisticated black-market system capable of supplying centrifuges, blueprints, components and technical expertise to rogue regimes.
The CIA’s biggest breakthrough came in 2003 when agents intercepted the German ship BBC China. Its cargo contained nuclear components destined for Libya — undeniable proof of Gaddafi’s clandestine weapons programme. When confronted, Libyan officials were forced to admit the truth.
Pakistani Generals Were on Khan’s Payroll
One of the most explosive claims made by Lawler is that AQ Khan had “certain Pakistani generals and leaders on his payroll”. This suggests that elements within Pakistan’s military establishment may have supported or benefited from the illegal trafficking network.
How the CIA Sabotaged the Network
Lawler detailed how the CIA established front companies, posed as suppliers, and covertly entered Khan’s procurement chain. The small, top-secret team used sabotage techniques developed with US national labs to disrupt centrifuge programmes and stall nuclear development abroad.
According to Lawler,
“To defeat proliferators, you must become a proliferator.”
Iran and Future Risks
Lawler warned that a nuclear-armed Iran could trigger a “nuclear pandemic” in the Middle East, pushing rival nations to seek their own weapons and increasing the risk of conflict.
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