U.S. warned Pakistan in August 2002

WASHINGTON, March 3 (UPI) -- The United States and Pakistan have been working quietly to unearth a network of nuclear proliferators since late 2002.

U.S. and Pakistani officials told United Press International the U.S. government knew about the activities of the gang, headed by now-disgraced Pakistani scientist Dr. A.Q. Khan, since 2001.

In March 2001, the U.S. government convinced Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to remove Khan from the chairmanship of the country's main nuclear facility, the Khan Research Lab, sources said.

In August 2002, the State Department formally informed the Pakistan Embassy in Washington that Khan was heading a gang of nuclear proliferators, which was exporting nuclear secrets and technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea, the sources said.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher also confirmed the contacts when he told a recent briefing that "in October 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell had a series of discussions with President Musharraf about proliferation."

These talks included "some discussions of the activities of Mr. A.Q. Khan," Boucher said.