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India-Pakistan
Pentagon says Pakistan nuclear arsenal secure
2007-12-29
WASHINGTON - Pakistan’s nuclear weapons arsenal is secure despite political turmoil after the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, the Pentagon said on Friday. “Our assessment is that the Pakistani nuclear arsenal is under control,” said Pentagon spokesman Col. Gary Keck. “At this time, we have no need for concern.”
I'm not sure I'd phrase it that way.
U.S. military and defense officials have said PakistanÂ’s nuclear weapons remain securely under the control of the Pakistani military. Those officials have repeatedly called the Pakistani military a responsible steward of the arsenal and said it would remain out of countryÂ’s political conflict.

Concern about the security of the arsenal surfaced in November, when Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency, prompting protests and arrests.

Despite the PentagonÂ’s assurances, some experts and U.S. lawmakers have argued instability raises risks in Pakistan, where the military is still suspected by some of at least knowing about the smuggling activities of PakistanÂ’s A.Q. Khan network that sold weapons technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya.
Posted by:Steve White

#12  Be nice just to take those nukes and give them to Iran to keep...unpacked of course.
Posted by: Slappy   2007-12-29 13:38  

#11  As recently as 8 months ago, Pakistan's longest range missile was the Ghauri-III, which only has a range of 2500 km.

This still would not threaten the West, especially not the U.S., which
at its closest point is over 11,000 km away; however, it would be able to reach Jerusalem, which is approximately 2200 km away.

More at my blog: leightonweese.squarespace.com
Posted by: LeightonW   2007-12-29 13:00  

#10   I can't understand why we'd worry about a nuclear power having the latest in failsafe stuff.

What the Chinese have, they can reverse engineer.

What they can reverse engineer, they can construct disabling procedures for.

And those procedures can and will be passed along to others.
Posted by: lotp   2007-12-29 08:02  

#9  That's very reassuring.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2007-12-29 08:00  

#8   I wonder how sophisticated and secure the safing system is for Pak nukes. A lot of things in sequence must happen for US nukes to go off.

There was a thread around here sometime back. The Pakistanis weren't allowed access to US safety-tech. There was worry it could fall into the hands of the Chineese. I can't understand why we'd worry about a nuclear power having the latest in failsafe stuff. Urban legend sez the technology was purposely leaked to the USSR in the sixties for both sides peace of mind.

Someone here knows this.... I can't remember the poster tho.
Posted by: Thomas Woof   2007-12-29 06:37  

#7  I seriously wonder how well-maintained the things are. It's my understanding that without regular and rigorous maintenance by well-trained technicians, the things are simply shiny, radioactive paperweights.
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-12-29 06:17  

#6  I hope "no need for concern" means that there's a SSBN targeting the storage facilities 24/7.
Posted by: Canuckistan   2007-12-29 04:14  

#5  I wonder how sophisticated and secure the safing system is for Pak nukes. A lot of things in sequence must happen for US nukes to go off.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2007-12-29 02:44  

#4  "At this team, we have no reason for concern."

Same could have been said on the E-Ring of the Pentagon, 0915 hrs on 9/11. Hardly reassurning. Weasel words, all.
Posted by: Besoeker   2007-12-29 02:05  

#3  Define the meaning of secure please!
Posted by: 3dc   2007-12-29 01:09  

#2  I'm wondering if there is some way their nukes might just 'happen' to spontaneously detonate in their storage locations? Some kind of red-green wire maintainance 'accident' or something?
Posted by: Glenmore   2007-12-29 00:37  

#1  SPACEWAR > PAKISTAN IS A FAILING NUCLEAR POWER. Not exactly - YET - but defini gettin' there.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2007-12-29 00:04  

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