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Australia blocks Pakistan shipment over WMD fears
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Australia has blocked a shipment of scientific equipment to Pakistan over fears it could be used to help build weapons of mass destruction, a report from Sydney says.
Defence Minister John Faulkner invoked on April 6,Tuesday, the 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act to stop an Australian company, identified in some media reports as GBC Scientific Equipment, exporting instruments and accessories to a Pakistani firm.
The company wanted to sell two atomic absorption spectrophotometers, which analysed liquid samples but was unable to convince the authorities they could not be used to analyse metals used for centrifuges and missiles.
“The minister forms the view, based on advice from the Department of Defence supported by other agencies, that there are unacceptable risks associated with the provision of these goods,” John Faulkner's spokesman said.
This is for the fourth time that the Australian Defence Ministr had used the law of the land to block a shipment going overseas. On previous occasions, the goods had been destined for Iran or countries deemed at risk of passing them on to Iran.
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