PYONGYANG, North Korea, April 13 (UPI) -- A Pakistani nuclear scientist claims to have visited a secret underground nuclear plant in North Korea, the New York Times said Tuesday.
Abdul Qadeer Khan, known in his country as the father of the Pakistani nuclear power program, said during a trip to North Korea five years ago, he was taken to a secret underground nuclear plant and shown what he described as three nuclear devices.
Khan is also linked to the illicit sale of nuclear technology to countries such as Iran and Libya.
If his report is true, it would be the first time any foreigner has reported inspecting an actual North Korean nuclear weapon, the newspaper said.
U.S. intelligence officials cautioned they cannot say whether Khan had the time, expertise or equipment to verify the claims. But they note the number of plutonium weapons roughly matches previous CIA estimates that North Korea had one or two weapons and the ability to produce more.
