India denies buying N-parts from Israel

NEW DELHI, April 21: India denied on Thursday that it had purchased electronic equipment for its nuclear programme from an Israeli middleman who was recently arrested in the United States.

"We have seen those reports which are regarding prosecution proceedings of Asher Karni, an Israeli national in the US," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said.

He was referring to reports that Asher Karni may have sold advanced electronic equipment to government agencies in India. The reports also mentioned that one Humtek Communications of Bangalore had sought to buy electrical components for the Space Applications Centre through Asher Karni.

Mr Sarna said: "We have examined these reports and have found no evidence of any procurement as reported in these news reports. Space Applications Centre has confirmed that no item has been procured from Humtek Communications. Furthermore the Space Applications Centre is responsible for civilian space applications and does not work on rockets as mentioned in these reports."

He said India's indigenous multi-dimensional space programme has been developed in "a transparent manner" in order to utilize various space applications such as satellite communications, TV broadcasting, weather prediction and management of natural resources as well as disasters, so as to facilitate the overall social and economic development of India.

American prosecutors disclosed earlier this month that the Israeli national working in South Africa had pleaded guilty of arranging illegal exports of American-made nuclear equipment to India, Pakistan and other countries. The New York Times said Asher Karni entered the guilty plea last September and had been cooperating with investigators.

It is acknowledged in some quarters that of the five nuclear bombs India tested in 1998, atleast two of them could have been Israel's bombs. Can anyone provide more information on this?

Besides, the tests were so secretive that the CIA and other agencies got to know of the tests only after an Indian minister declared it to the world. India probably could have escaped American sanctions imposed immediately after America got to know of the tests if they had kept the tight-lip.

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/asiapcf/9805/13/india.cia.update/

India's nuclear tests: U.S. intelligence 'failure' seen

Hearings, inquiry planned May 13, 1998 Web posted at: 11:58 a.m. EDT (1558 GMT) In this story: CIA to investigate intelligence lapse Report: Spy satellite showed test preparations Indian potential was well known Sources: U.S. steps up focus on Pakistan, too Related stories and sites WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Republican chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence alleged Wednesday that U.S. intelligence gathering suffered a "colossal failure" in not detecting India's intention to set off underground nuclear tests this week.

Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama said the U.S. intelligence community was caught completely off guard. "Something went wrong," he told CNN in a live interview. "It was a colossal failure of U.S. intelligence."

Shelby's committee planned to hold a hearing Wednesday on India, plus a closed hearing Thursday with top CIA officials to discuss the problem.

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Map showing India's nuclear test site

Have India's nuclear tests brought apocalypse closer?

India willing to weather sanctions for nuclear tests

U.S. imposes sanctions on India --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The inability to detect India's intentions is "the biggest failure of our intelligence gathering agencies in the past 10 years or more," he said. "Somebody is responsible for this."

Richard Shelby Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Indiana, agreed. "When we have had notice of preparation, we could talk to the Indians and persuade them not to do it," he said on Tuesday. "Here we didn't have notice and we lost the chance."

CIA to investigate intelligence lapse The CIA announced on Tuesday it was launching a blue-ribbon assessment of U.S. intelligence performance on the India nuclear issue, to report to CIA Director George Tenet within 10 days.

The assessment team will be headed by retired Navy Adm. David Jeremiah, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Tenet said he will share the results of the assessment with the White House and Congress.

Report: Spy satellite showed test preparations The Washington Post reported Wednesday that a U.S. spy satellite picked up clear-cut evidence of test preparations at midnight Sunday, six hours before the blasts.

But because no unusual activity had been detected earlier, none of the U.S. intelligence analysts responsible for tracking India's nuclear program were on duty.

Sen. Richard Shelby comments on the situation 430K/20 sec. AIFF or WAV sound 527K/25 sec. AIFF or WAV sound They did not see the more revealing satellite photos until they arrived at work Monday, after the test had already been conducted.

Indian officials were careful to give no indications of the impending tests in talks with U.S. counterparts just days before the underground blasts. This, combined with the lack of intelligence warning, left U.S. officials in the dark.

Indian potential was well known U.S. officials have told CNN that although they picked up no concrete signs of an imminent underground nuclear test, the United States was well aware of the Indian government's repeated warnings of its intentions to proceed with nuclear testing.

Several high-ranking U.S. officials have visited India in recent months to attempt to persuade India not to conduct further tests and to sign a global ban on nuclear testing.

Sources: CIA steps up focus on Pakistan, too U.S. sources said that, in the wake of India's nuclear tests, the CIA and other intelligence agencies are also stepping up observation of neighboring Pakistan, which has fought three wars with India and promises to match its nuclear development.

CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia "We're focusing on the region intently," said one official, who acknowledged that additional satellite surveillance and other information-gathering devices are being adjusted to "tweak up our capabilities."

"The potential for possible Indian nuclear tests has been known for many years," the CIA said in announcing its assessment effort.

The CIA said the issue was given "close scrutiny" in 1995 and again in recent weeks after the firing of a Pakistani medium-range missile.

"It is apparent that the Indians went to some lengths to conceal their activities and intentions," the CIA said in an attempt to explain the intelligence community's apparent failure to forecast the Indian nuclear tests.

World Affairs Correspondent Ralph Begleiter contributed to this report.

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