Abdul Qadeer Khan

Khan made the confession in a written statement submitted "a couple of days ago" to investigators probing allegations of nuclear proliferation by Pakistan, according to the official.

The transfers were made during the late 1980s and in the early to mid-1990s, and were motivated by "personal greed and ambition," the official said.

The official could not give details of the nuclear transfers but said the government had not authorized them.

The 66-year-old Khan -- long regarded as a national hero in Pakistan -- was sacked Jan. 31 from his position as a scientific adviser to the prime minister.

Pakistan began its investigation in November after revelations by Tehran to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Allegations of nuclear transfers to Libya and North Korea have also surfaced.

The Japan Times Weekly: Feb. 7, 2004
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