Pakistan and the FMCT (Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty) - Conference on Disarmament

[Ultimate Warrior]

Pakistan Rejects Atom Bomb Material Cut - Off Talks

GENEVA (Reuters) - Pakistan, citing a "clear and present danger" from its nuclear-armed rival India, ruled out on Monday global negotiations to ban the future production of material to make atomic bombs.

Confirming a Reuters report from January 22, Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Zamir Akram, said such a treaty would leave Pakistan -- the most recent member of the nuclear club -- at a permanent disadvantage.

Pakistan's stance, triggered by nuclear and arms deals between India and the United States as well as with other nuclear powers, is a blow to the Obama administration's efforts to revive global disarmament.

It also raises a stumbling block to the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament, where members had proposed starting work on talks to halt production of the highly enriched uranium and plutonium used to make nuclear weapons in what would be known as a fissile material cut-off treaty (FMCT).

"A fissile material cut-off treaty that only bans future production of fissile material is unacceptable to Pakistan," Akram told reporters. "It would only accentuate the disparity and imbalance that exists and that simply is not acceptable."

DISAPPOINTED OPTIMISM

Akram said Pakistan was willing to negotiate a fissile treaty that encompassed reductions of existing stocks of material.

It also was ready to discuss other areas proposed at the 65-member conference: nuclear disarmament, limiting the militarisation of outer space, and "negative security assurances" -- promises by nuclear powers not to use atomic weapons on non-nuclear states.

The conference broke a 12-year deadlock last May when all members, including Pakistan, agreed on a programme of work, including talks on a fissile treaty.

But Pakistan subsequently refused to allow the talks to start.

Akram said Islamabad's initial optimism about the Obama administration's disarmament intentions, which had led it to back the conference programme, had quickly evaporated.

Other countries were selling India weapons, he said, and under the terms of a civilian nuclear agreement Washington signed with India in 2005, India was negotiating deals with the U.S. and elsewhere to acquire nuclear technology and material.

Akram neither disputed nor confirmed estimates that India already has twice as many nuclear weapons as Pakistan.

A civilian deal signed with France would provide India with fissile material for its reactors for 60 years, allowing it to use its own stocks for weapons, he said.

India's nuclear and other arms plans were complicating the environment for disarmament talks, he said, saying it was unclear why the United States was helping India build up its nuclear potential.

"But for us it presents us with a clear and present danger arising out of the asymmetry in strategic capabilities in South Asia," he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/25/world/international-uk-arms-nuclear-pakistan.html?_r=1

 

[QADRI]

good going Pakistan..if world want us to stop nuclear production then they have to do this first...being nuclear power is a right of every country...USA, Russia, india, and so on, all are producing nuclear weapons they why don't we. Pakistan is a independent country and it must do everything to secure its boundary from evils.

 

[Awesome]

Fully support it.

 

[graphican]

No compromise on National Security and means of keeping ourself save from aggressor nuclear arms loaded countries including India. When world is happy to arm India with Nuclear Fuel, letting India utelize its full production potential to use on weapons, why is Paksitan pinching in the @ss of the west who is only relying on its own means to produce fuel for civil and militry usage? No Compromise on that. I fully support this move by the Government of Pakistan.

 

[Ultimate Warrior]

No compromise on National Security and means of keeping ourself save from aggressor nuclear arms loaded countries including India. When world is happy to arm India with Nuclear Fuel, letting India utelize its full production potential to use on weapons, why is Paksitan pinching in the @ss of the west who is only relying on its own means to produce fuel for civil and militry usage? No Compromise on that. I fully support this move by the Government of Pakistan.

India is doing this for meeting the energy demands of its ever growing economy. It is for civil use.

But Pakistan is involve in crazy arms race and causing great concern world over. How mush is enough for Pakistan as you already claims that you are nuclear power with more atomic weapons than India then why are you going on.

Pakistani nuclear assets are for destruction because it take more power and work to construct something rather than destruct. It is real danger for the world. And look at the AQ Khan network and China's help from A to Z.

Our nuclear deal is of civil use, peaceful and constructive that's why International community is with us in this matter. Also look at India's clean record.

 

[graphican]

India is doing this for meeting the energy demands of its ever growing economy. It is for civil use.


Our nuclear deal is of civil use, peaceful and constructive that's why International community is with us in this matter. Also look at India's clean record.

Please back your claims with evidence and historical events. You are defending Indian stance not because of logic but because of patriotism. I would be happy to learn that India's sole use of every bit of Nuclear Fuel it makes, (Both obtained from other countries and produced on its own) and shred my views about it. So come about it with references or stop making these claims.

 

[Creder]

Fully support it as a matter of fact pakistan needs to ink a nuclear power plant deal soon with china, it is imperative not only for our energy needs but to maintain the deterrence that will keep the enemies of Pakistan at bay

 

[FireFighter]

But Pakistan is involve in crazy arms race and causing great concern world over. How mush is enough for Pakistan as you already claims that you are nuclear power with more atomic weapons than India then why are you going on.

Your entire post is full of typical indian-sponsored Pakistan's bashing. deviod of any facts and information, typical indian media's bullsh!t.

Let me get some facts to you straight.


Pakistan has faced tremendous electricity and power shortages the past five years to the extent that our industries suffered in billions of rupees. Pak needs more power plants for our economical survival than any other development at the moment.

Whereas India has gone crazy and wild on military spending that is unprecedented in any country's history in such a short time span on foreign acquisitions. The MRCA, nuclear subs, helicopters, naval warships, so on and so forth, deals worth over $50 billion dollars.

Yet you accuse Pakistan of a military build up?

Pray tell me how foolishly blind can one get?

 

[Hutchroy]

Diplomats see little hope in reviving arms talks

* US losing patience, signals may seek another venue

* Pak envoy says India has an unfair advantage with bigger fissile material stockpiles, ‘discriminatory’ N-deals

GENEVA: Nuclear powers and non-nuclear nations are unlikely to ease the deadlock in global disarmament talks next week at a UN forum that has failed to achieve any breakthrough for over a decade, diplomats said on Sunday.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the ministerial session in New York on September 24 to give political impetus to the Conference on Disarmament, the world’s sole multilateral negotiating body which is known as the ‘CD’.

But few people expect the 65-member Geneva forum to move forward on nuclear disarmament, despite endorsements from US President Barack Obama and others for a move toward a nuclear-free world.

“We must not discount the possibility that without a concerted dose of political will, this institution will atrophy into irrelevance,” Laura Kennedy, the US disarmament ambassador, warned in a speech last week.

After its launch in 1978, the CD clinched treaties banning biological and chemical weapons, as well as underground nuclear test blasts, but has been unable to reach the consensus it needs on substantive work for the past 12 years.

Its members include all five official nuclear powers — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – plus Israel, which is widely assumed to have atomic weapons, and Iran and North Korea whose nuclear programmes are under scrutiny.

Block: Since January, Pakistan has blocked a CD consensus to launch negotiations on halting production of nuclear bomb-making fissile material such as highly-enriched uranium and plutonium, citing a need to keep up with its nuclear-armed rival India.

Canadian Ambassador Marius Grinius, who has said the forum is “sleepwalking”, bluntly proposed last week that a one-year deadline be imposed for it to produce tangible results. Others expressed surprise that the successor START treaty, reached in April between Russia and the United States to slash their atomic arsenals, had not revived momentum in Geneva.

“There is a dynamic surrounding disarmament and non-proliferation, but the CD hasn’t taken off. The CD is stuck in the middle of nowhere. It’s a real problem,” said a Western diplomat who declined to be named. “Nobody sees a way out, ” the diplomat added.

Running out: Friday’s half-day session in New York is unlikely to yield an agreement to launch the so-called fissile material “cut-off” (FMCT) negotiations, widely seen as the next step in multilateral arms control, according to senior envoys in Geneva.

Instead, support seems to be growing to find another way to tackle the fissile material question, possibly in small-group talks in parallel to the CD sessions.

A precedent was set when Canada and Norway moved talks on a landmine ban out of the forum due to an impasse, eventually clinching the landmark 1997 Ottawa treaty.

“I don’t expect there to be a magic bullet that will produce immediate results,” one envoy said, adding, “There is no plan to walk away from the CD, but one could consider discussions in tandem.”

Washington has previously shown little enthusiasm for ad hoc negotiations on disarmament.

“But after well over a decade of inaction in Geneva, new approaches may be called for,” Kennedy said, adding, “Patience is running out for many states, including the United States.”

Unfair: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Zamir Akram said his country would continue to hold the line, arguing that India now has an unfair advantage with bigger fissile material stockpiles and “discriminatory” nuclear cooperation deals with the United States.

“Pakistan’s security concerns can be addressed only once we have developed sufficient capacity to ensure our deterrent is credible in the face of growing asymmetry,” he told Reuters. “My instructions are: ‘we continue to maintain our position’,” he added. reuters

 

[hecj]

same pakistan was going for deal with u.s according to indian deal with u.s.
and btw now where are the ppl who used to say,pakistan has bigger stockpile of fissile material.

 

[somebozo]

Pakistan actually needs much larger stock pile than India to maintain creditable detterence.

 

[hecj]

Pakistan actually needs much larger stock pile than India to maintain creditable detterence.

yes you should have 5000 nukes coz now u.s is looking at your stockpile.so u will have to counter with u.s with india.

 

[sergente rehan]

yes you should have 5000 nukes coz now u.s is looking at your stockpile.so u will have to counter with u.s with india.

Could you please stop posting your crap comments?

Anyway all Nuclear armed nations may have will to reduce their respective nuclear arsenal but everybody wants that somebody other take the first step, then they will start reducing their own armament and this will lead to the end of the world with all these nations still debating on reducing nuclear arsenal!

I think if U.S and Russia are really sincere in all this then they must take the first step to reduce their nuclear arsenal by 50% in upcoming year to send a strong message to the whole world. But this will never happen bcz neither U.S. nor russia will ever renounce to their stockpiles.

In Pakistan case the nuclear detterence is our main stay for our self defence agaisnt any hostality from india or any other enemy. Beside we are modernizing our Armed forces but this process will take a mid-long term duration and we can't match our arch rival india in numbers so we have to detter atleast a significant number of nuclear arsenal. It's our right to safeguard our national interest.

All those who always point fingers towards Pakistan must look at israel first who detter illegally nuclear arsenal.

 

[Avatar]

Pakistan actually needs much larger stock pile than India to maintain creditable detterence.

I dont understand Pakistans nuclear fetish lol. India has enough raw material to produce worlds third largest nuclear arsenal, but what's the point ?

What will you do after you nuke every inch of India (Including 300 million Muslims) to smithereens ? Have you thought about that ?

 

[Malik Usman]

yes you should have 5000 nukes coz now u.s is looking at your stockpile.so u will have to counter with u.s with india.

Why must we need to counter with US....its ur propoganda or what......as far ur Nukes are concerned they have yeild power of 5 to 9 Ton maximum as accepted by your scientists and even they there is no confirmation as your one atomic scientist already said on your media that it was bludder to make nation happy about the yeild power of Nukes explosions India did, they were not as much power as were described......

And as for Pakistnai nukes are concerned they have yeild power of 22 to 24 Ton described by Dr. Samar Mubarak Mand.