US extremely active in non-proliferation efforts: Rice

WASHINGTON: Terming the dismantling of Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan's nuclear network as one of the 'great victories' for non proliferation efforts, the United States has said it is 'extremely active' in working to prevent atomic weapons from ending up in dangerous hands.

"The United States has been, under President Bush, extremely active in fighting the scourge of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in general," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Jerusalem, according to an official transcript made available here.
   
Rice said the US was intent on working actively with the international community to prevent "the world's most dangerous weapons from ending up in dangerous hands".
   
".....we have worked very actively to undermine networks. And indeed the wrapping up of the A Q Khan network, which was a black market way to transfer nuclear materials, nuclear equipment to states, rogue states, was probably one of the great victories for the anti-proliferation efforts," Rice remarked.

The Secretary of State dodged a question on whether she thought Syria was running a covert nuclear programme, in the wake of the recent air attacks by Israel on Syrian targets.

"..We're making very great efforts (against nuclear proliferation) but I won't comment on specific cases," she said.