Update: The Middleman

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Back in April, as part of a joint investigation by Mother Jones, Frontline/World and the Center for Investigative Reporting, Mark Schapiro reported on Asher Karni, a “genius” in South Africa’s military electronics trade, now in jail in Brooklyn awaiting sentence for orchestrating a nuclear black market deal. (See The Middleman.)

Schapiro recently spoke by phone with Karni’s collaborator, Humayun Khan, an Islamabad businessman with close ties to the Pakistani military. In the interview, Khan, who has been indicted by the U.S. Justice Department but remains at large in Pakistan, protests his innocence but eventually admits that all the evidence “is pointing right at me.” Listen to the phone interview at Frontline/World (where you can also read email exchanges between Karni and Khan in which the Pakistani, known as “the Guru,” asks Karni to purchase items prohibited under nonproliferation laws.) This story is developing by the week, so stay tuned.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate