Pakistan’s Nukes
Noted Pakistani nuclear physicist Pervez Hoodbhoy, however, is skeptical that such strict accountability has been the rule since Pakistan's nuclear program began seriously in 1975 under the direction of Pakistani metallurgist AQ Khan. He is not convinced that fissile material has not leaked outside the system.
There certainly have been egregious leaks of nuclear know how. Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb and a national hero, ran until the late 1990s a supermarket of nuclear proliferation, selling Pakistan's nuclear technology and know how to North Korea, Iran and Libya, among others. Pakistan finally unmasked him in 2003. He was dismissed from his august position in the nuclear establishment, interrogated by Pakistani investigators and placed under house arrest. Musharraf, however, despite repeated requests has never allowed the IAEA, the United States or anyone outside Pakistan to talk to him, though the president insists that all the information that has been gathered from his interrogation has been shared with U.S. and other agencies investigating nuclear proliferation.
All leaks have been plugged, Kidwai says, ever since Musharraf set up the country's command and control organization in 2000. "We think we have been completely transparent and have held nothing back," Kidwai says of the information gleaned from Khan's interrogation. The Khan affair, he adds, "is a dead horse that has been flogged many times over." But American officials would disagree.
Nuclear researchers and analysts have long speculated that a key element of Pakistan's nuclear security program ntry is that the country's nuclear warheads—Pakistan is believed to have some 40 to 60—are separated by some distance from the delivery systems of missiles and aircraft. But Kidwai says that distance is not an issue. "Whether separated by a yards or miles the weapons will be ready to go in no time," he says.
In a stretch of credibility, Kidwai also claims that Pakistan's nuclear program is transparent and holds only two secrets: the number of nuclear devises it possesses and their location. To prove his point that Pakistan's nuclear program is fully under control he says that over the past few years 800 incidents of illegal nuclear trafficking have been undercover around the world, mainly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, but none in Pakistan.
Kidwai says he can foresee no scenario in which Pakistan would lose control of any of its nuclear assets, especially to Islamic extremists taking over the Pakistani state. He says militants couldn't come to power through democratic means since Pakistan's political parties are largely "moderate and middle of the road." He dismisses the chance of a breakdown of law and order or a violent revolution saying that such behavior would be very un-Pakistani. Finally he also excludes the possibility of a radical military takeover, saying the country's military establishment is moderate, largely middle class, cohesive, disciplined and pro-Western. "There is no conceivable scenario, political or violent in which Pakistan will fall to extremists of the Al Qaeda or Taliban type," he confidently says.
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Member Comments
Posted By: mportland @ 01/30/2008 11:50:50 PM
Comment: The inherently criminal Americans are the only criminals who have used nukes and other weapons of mass destruction (like banned chemical and biological weapons) against innocent civilians). They now fear they may now have to pay through their nose and in the same coin. Their fear is justified!
Posted By: shaista @ 01/30/2008 7:03:42 AM
Comment: Musharaf is an Indian agents and working in accordance with their objectives and wishes. His last 8 years rule depicts his inner anti Pakistan sentiments and making the country situations worst just in accordance with Indians objectives
The Kargil war were planned for to exclude the doubt on Musharaf as Indian agents for subsequent take over and strategies
In kargil Musharaf make his own Army defeated and casualties were more than 65 wars
Musharaf after take over make and run this country with that objective and exercised all that actions which India wanted
The Pakistani Muslims often raised and protest against Babri Mosque and self bomb and destroy Red Mosque to make a ground for India to exercise the like situations where they want to do so.
Further Pakistan often protest against Indian forces combating in Kashmir against terrorist now self exercised such fighting against their own people to make India free from such protest
When India exercised such fighting Pakistan protest to Human Rights violations but now what Pakistan will respond as they self violate
DURING an interview by the BBC Television, President Musharraf said that the day he felt he had become so unpopular that the Pakistanis no longer wanted him in power, he would quit (Jan 24).
However, when asked how it would be determined that he was no longer required, he could not give any clear-cut reply and conveniently proposed that there was no other way except for him to conclude this himself.
Apart from that, when his attention was drawn to the recent call by many former services chiefs and generals for him to step down, he said that these were the people who write newspaper articles ??? as if that is an unwise act. He must know that people like Tony Blair, Henry Kissinger and other senior diplomats and officials have also done that when they found it necessary, many of which have even appeared in Dawn, Mr Musharraf, too, had once or twice tried his hand at writing articles. So, what???s wrong with that?
He then went on to say that these critics consist of two types of people: those whom he had removed and those who couldn???t get anything from him (meaning any posts or favours).
And, what about the other services chiefs of the navy and the air force, the many judges (why were all 60 of them removed?), including former chief justices, the 23 senior ex- diplomats and prominent members of civil society, who want him to go, most of whom do not fit his description?
Also, the numerous American and British legislators and even the prime minister of Canada, who wanted him to resign?
The noted American expert on South Asia, Stephen Cohen, had written some weeks back that Mr Musharraf is either suicidal or out of touch with the situation. The US think tank, ???Cato Institute,??? has compared him to the former Shah of Iran and advised Washington to stop supporting this ???Shah of Pakistan??? otherwise the consequences will be as disastrous for the US and Pakistan as they were in the ca
Posted By: Laila @ 01/28/2008 11:03:58 PM
Comment: Dr. Richard Trickle: Why the Americans are so racist? You remember 3000 deaths (result of extremely abominable acts) but forget the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi kids who died during sanctions, thousands of palestinians deaths, millions killed in Vietnam and Cambodia. To people like you, only American and jew lives matter and the rest of the world is just second grade. We are determine to kick out Americans forces out of muslim lands and we will scucceed. Israeli zionists supported by Bush, big oil money and Pentagon are the worst terrorists in the world