U.S. Aide Will Go to Pakistan; Talks on A-Arms Seen
Under Secretary of State Michael H. Armacost will visit Pakistan to discuss issues including charges that a Pakistani tried to import special U.S.-made steel for nuclear weapons production, a State Department spokesman said Friday.
Spokesman Charles Redman said Armacost will also go to India, Turkey and Greece. Armacost probably will start the trip during the last week of this month, Redman said.
The announcement came a day after U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphael saw Pakistan President Zia ul-Haq in Islamabad about the arrest of a Canadian resident of Pakistani origin last Friday in Philadelphia.
The suspect, Arshad Z. Pervez, allegedly tried to buy 50,000 pounds of a special alloy called maraging 350 steel, used in the production of weapons-grade uranium, from the Carpenter Steel Corp.
Redman said Ambassador Raphael had told Zia of serious U.S. concern about possible violation of U.S. export control laws and any role Pakistan may have played.
“Ambassador Raphael was assured that the government of Pakistan is taking this matter as seriously as we are,” he added.
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