Obama wants assurances over A Q Khan's future role

Updated on: 08 February,2009 06:40 AM IST |
PTI |

President Barack Obama wants assurances from Islamabad that released Pakistani scientist Abdul Qader Khan

AQ Khan waves to the media at his residenceu00a0AP Photo/Anjum Naveed

A Pakistani court on Friday ordered the release of Khan, considered the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, who spent five years under house arrest after admitting selling nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya.

"We've seen the reports of the release but have yet to receive official word from the government," Gibbs said.

"Obviously, this president has made clear many times the great concern that he has about nuclear proliferation."

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also expressed concern about the release of Khan. In the House, Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Berman said he is "deeply concerned" that Pakistan may be giving Khan "license to resume, perhaps directly, his past actions to aid, abet and profit from the spread of nuclear weapons."

Congress, Berman said, will take Pakistan's refusal to allow US officials to interview Khan "into account as we review and create legislation on US-Pakistan relations and the circumstances under which US assistance is provided to Islamabad."u00a0u00a0u00a0

Obama appoints Indian American to key White House post

US President Barack Obama has appointed Indian-American Nicholas Rathod, who was part of his 15-member transition team, to a key White House post. Rathod, 33, will serve as Deputy Associate Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. He worked as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Obama-Biden Transition Project earlier.u00a0

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