fatman17
PDF THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 32,563
- Reaction score
- 98
- Country
- Location
Mullen offers reassurance on Pakistan's nuclear weapons
Farhan Bokhari JDW Correspondent - Islamabad
Trefor Moss Asia-Pacific Editor - London
Key Points
Admiral Mullen has stressed that Pakistan has adequate safeguards to prevent terrorists from seizing the country's nuclear weapons
Following these reassurances Pakistan successfully test fired a Ghaznavi (Hatf 3) short-range ballistic missile
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has publicly acknowledged that Pakistan's nuclear weapons are protected by adequate safeguards, confirming assurances made by Pakistan in the face of mounting international concern.
Speaking in Islamabad on 9 February, Adm Mullen said that he was "very comfortable that the nuclear weapons are secure [and that] there are proper procedures in place. I am not concerned at all that they're going to fall into the hands of any terrorists."
The remarks came after a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf, General Ashfaq Kiyani, the chief of army staff, General Tariq Majeed, chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and retired lieutenant general Khalid Kidwai, head of the Strategic Plans Division (SPD), which oversees the country's nuclear facilities.
Adm Mullen's visit included a detailed briefing on the safety procedures surrounding the nuclear programme by Kidwai at the SPD's headquarters in Rawalpindi, the military's main garrison town outside Islamabad.
Pakistan's nuclear programme has been the target of criticism by Western officials worried over the prospect of Islamic hardliners backed by Taliban militants gaining access to nuclear weapons. The international pressure led Kidwai, in his first ever briefing to Western journalists, to acknowledge that the alert level surrounding the country's nuclear establishments had been raised over the past year as Islamic militants increased their attacks on the military.
A senior Western defence official in Islamabad said that Pakistan's nuclear establishment would have been encouraged by Adm Mullen's comments. "Even if there are lingering concerns over Pakistan's past, the Pakistanis will see Mullen's remarks as a very positive development," he told Jane's . "The Pakistanis are trying very hard to convince us of their sincerity and that is a very positive trend, which helps the world stay engaged with Pakistan."
Pakistan followed Adm Mullen's visit by successfully test firing a Ghaznavi (Hatf 3) short-range ballistic missile on 13 February. The test firing of the nuclear-capable missile, which has a range of 290 km, came after the firing of a Ghauri (Hatf 5) intermediate-range ballistic missile earlier in the month. The launches were both routine training exercises but served as a reminder to India and others of Pakistan's nuclear capability.
Farhan Bokhari JDW Correspondent - Islamabad
Trefor Moss Asia-Pacific Editor - London
Key Points
Admiral Mullen has stressed that Pakistan has adequate safeguards to prevent terrorists from seizing the country's nuclear weapons
Following these reassurances Pakistan successfully test fired a Ghaznavi (Hatf 3) short-range ballistic missile
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has publicly acknowledged that Pakistan's nuclear weapons are protected by adequate safeguards, confirming assurances made by Pakistan in the face of mounting international concern.
Speaking in Islamabad on 9 February, Adm Mullen said that he was "very comfortable that the nuclear weapons are secure [and that] there are proper procedures in place. I am not concerned at all that they're going to fall into the hands of any terrorists."
The remarks came after a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf, General Ashfaq Kiyani, the chief of army staff, General Tariq Majeed, chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and retired lieutenant general Khalid Kidwai, head of the Strategic Plans Division (SPD), which oversees the country's nuclear facilities.
Adm Mullen's visit included a detailed briefing on the safety procedures surrounding the nuclear programme by Kidwai at the SPD's headquarters in Rawalpindi, the military's main garrison town outside Islamabad.
Pakistan's nuclear programme has been the target of criticism by Western officials worried over the prospect of Islamic hardliners backed by Taliban militants gaining access to nuclear weapons. The international pressure led Kidwai, in his first ever briefing to Western journalists, to acknowledge that the alert level surrounding the country's nuclear establishments had been raised over the past year as Islamic militants increased their attacks on the military.
A senior Western defence official in Islamabad said that Pakistan's nuclear establishment would have been encouraged by Adm Mullen's comments. "Even if there are lingering concerns over Pakistan's past, the Pakistanis will see Mullen's remarks as a very positive development," he told Jane's . "The Pakistanis are trying very hard to convince us of their sincerity and that is a very positive trend, which helps the world stay engaged with Pakistan."
Pakistan followed Adm Mullen's visit by successfully test firing a Ghaznavi (Hatf 3) short-range ballistic missile on 13 February. The test firing of the nuclear-capable missile, which has a range of 290 km, came after the firing of a Ghauri (Hatf 5) intermediate-range ballistic missile earlier in the month. The launches were both routine training exercises but served as a reminder to India and others of Pakistan's nuclear capability.
