Saturday, January 20, 2007
‘Pakistan building new N-facilities’
:flag:
WASHINGTON: The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a Washington-based nuclear think tank, has obtained commercial satellite imagery of Pakistan’s Chashma nuclear industrial park and put it on its website, showing what appears to be the construction of a new reactor and its associated facilities.
ISIS says that although it is unclear whether the facility is operational, the nature and rate of the construction suggests that it “may soon start operations, if it has not done so already”.
ISIS believes that the imagery raises the question of whether Pakistan may intend to render operational a new reprocessing facility - capable of separating weapons-grade plutonium out of spent reactor fuel. Such a capability, combined with Pakistan’s ability to make large quantities of highly enriched uranium (HEU) for nuclear weapons, would aid Pakistan in developing thermonuclear weapons as well as increasing the size of its nuclear arsenal.
The think tank also notes that an operational reprocessing facility at Chashma would significantly increase Pakistan’s plutonium separation capability and account for what will soon be an expanded plutonium production capacity - as represented by the construction of a second heavy water reactor at Khushab.
It questions the impact of increased plutonium production and separation on India, given that New Delhi has recently intensified efforts to increase uranium enrichment capabilities at the Rare Materials Plant4.
The ISIS report concludes by warning that the two sides could be “engaged in an expanded arms race focused on expanding the size and quality of their nuclear arsenals, including building significant numbers of thermonuclear weapons”.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\20\story_20-1-2007_pg1_6
‘Pakistan building new N-facilities’
:flag:
WASHINGTON: The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a Washington-based nuclear think tank, has obtained commercial satellite imagery of Pakistan’s Chashma nuclear industrial park and put it on its website, showing what appears to be the construction of a new reactor and its associated facilities.
ISIS says that although it is unclear whether the facility is operational, the nature and rate of the construction suggests that it “may soon start operations, if it has not done so already”.
ISIS believes that the imagery raises the question of whether Pakistan may intend to render operational a new reprocessing facility - capable of separating weapons-grade plutonium out of spent reactor fuel. Such a capability, combined with Pakistan’s ability to make large quantities of highly enriched uranium (HEU) for nuclear weapons, would aid Pakistan in developing thermonuclear weapons as well as increasing the size of its nuclear arsenal.
The think tank also notes that an operational reprocessing facility at Chashma would significantly increase Pakistan’s plutonium separation capability and account for what will soon be an expanded plutonium production capacity - as represented by the construction of a second heavy water reactor at Khushab.
It questions the impact of increased plutonium production and separation on India, given that New Delhi has recently intensified efforts to increase uranium enrichment capabilities at the Rare Materials Plant4.
The ISIS report concludes by warning that the two sides could be “engaged in an expanded arms race focused on expanding the size and quality of their nuclear arsenals, including building significant numbers of thermonuclear weapons”.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\20\story_20-1-2007_pg1_6
