US ‘confident’ Pakistan’s nuclear assets are secure

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

US ‘confident’ Pakistan’s nuclear assets are secure​

Anwar Iqbal Published October 18, 2022 Updated October 18, 2022 10:46am

Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State Vedant Patel. — Photo via Twitter
LISTEN TO ARTICLE1x1.2x1.5x
The United States has said that it is confident of Pakistan’s ability to keep its nuclear assets safe and secure, dismissing speculations stirred by President Joe Biden’s off-the-cuff remarks about the country’s nuclear programme.
“The United States is confident of Pakistan’s commitment and its ability to secure nuclear assets,” US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told journalists in Washington shortly after a meeting between Ambassador Masood Khan and Counselor Derek Chollet.
Chollet, a senior advisor to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, was the first to break the news of the meeting, which came days after the Pakistan Foreign Office summoned the US ambassador in Islamabad to protest over President Biden’s remarks.
Chollet said in a tweet that he met Ambassador Khan “to discuss US-Pakistan long-standing partnership and (to) further grow our ties in so many areas including health, agriculture, education, entrepreneurship, energy and more for the benefit of our peoples and the region”.


The counselor’s tweet forced the Pakistan embassy to acknowledge the meeting in a press release that not only borrowed Chollet’s statement, but also included contents from the daily news briefing.
Ambassador Khan posted a tweet as well, thanking Counselor Chollet for his constructive role, and stated that he had discussed with him “ways to build further resilience in Pakistan-US relations and boost strategic trust between the two countries”.


Khan expressed confidence that through high-level visits, people-to-people exchanges and effective communication, “bilateral relations would continue to be fortified.”
The issue resurfaced at the State Department’s daily news briefing on Monday afternoon when a journalist asked Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel to clarify the doubts created by President Biden’s remarks.
Situationer: Why is US airing nuclear concerns now?
While addressing a Democratic fundraiser in California on Thursday, President Biden surprised everyone with his off-the-cuff remarks about Pakistan. “What I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan,” he said. And then he explained why he thought Pakistan was dangerous: “Nuclear weapons without any cohesion.”
His remarks stirred a storm in Pakistan where both opposition and government leaders condemned his comments and reiterated Islamabad’s position that Pakistan has a robust command and control system and its nuclear assets were completely safe.
The White House responded promptly, assuring Islamabad that “the president views a secure and prosperous Pakistan as critical to US interests.”
Spokesperson Vedant Patel, however, gave a more detailed explanation on Monday afternoon, saying: “the US has always viewed a secure and prosperous Pakistan as critical to US interests. And more broadly, the US values our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan.”
The two countries “enjoy a strong partnership”, said the State Department official, adding that Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari visited Washington recently where he met Secretary Blinken as well.
He recalled that Counselor Chollet also visited Karachi and Islamabad during the floods, as did USAID Administrator Sam Power.
“So, this is a relationship we view as important, and it’s something that we’re going to continue to remain deeply engaged in,” said Patel, pointing out that US and Pakistani officials meet regularly.
But when the journalist insisted on a response to his question about President Biden’s remarks, the US official said: “I don’t have any specific conversation to read out, but the United States is confident of Pakistan’s commitment and its ability to secure its nuclear assets.”

US ‘confident’ Pakistan’s nuclear assets are secure

State Department spokesperson says the US "values our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan".

www.dawn.com

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

Pakistan Army expresses full confidence in nuclear command and control system​

Web Desk
OCTOBER 18, 2022

Commanders of the Pakistan Army expressed complete trust in the country’s strong nuclear command and control system and security measures pertaining to strategic assets, the military’s media wing said in a statement after the 252nd Corps Commanders’ Conference held at GHQ on Tuesday.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa attended the conference.

The military top brass met today and took a “comprehensive review of the prevailing internal and external security situation and operational preparedness” of the army.
US President Joe Biden’s statement about Pakistan’s nuclear programme also came under discussion during the conference.
“As a responsible nuclear weapon state, Pakistan has taken all measures necessary to strengthen its nuclear security regime, at par with international best practices,” the forum was informed.

The meeting was also apprised of the army’s assistance to civil administration for relief and rehabilitation efforts in the flood-affected areas and post-flood situation, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan.
While expressing satisfaction over the operational preparedness of the formations, the COAS reiterated Pakistan Army’s resolve to defend the motherland against all threats.
He lauded formations’ operational readiness and sustained efforts during flood relief duties.
The United States (US) on Monday said that it is confident that Pakistan is able to control its nuclear arsenal after President Joe Biden expressed alarm, leading Islamabad to summon the US ambassador.
“The United States is confident of Pakistan’s commitment and its ability to secure its nuclear assets,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
The spokesman further said: “The US has always viewed a secure and prosperous Pakistan as critical to US interests and, more broadly, the US values our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan.”

Pakistan Army expresses full confidence in nuclear command - Daily Times

The military top brass met today and took a “comprehensive review of the prevailing internal and external security situation and operational preparedness” of the army. Nuclear command

dailytimes.com.pk

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

US takes U-Turn like IK.​

​

US takes u-turn, says Pakistan can secure its nuclear arsenal​

Statement comes after US envoy was summoned over President Biden's remarks
WEB DESKOct 18, 2022

The United States said Monday that it had confidence in Pakistan’s ability to control its nuclear arsenal after President Joe Biden expressed alarm, leading Islamabad to summon the US ambassador.
“The United States is confident of Pakistan’s commitment and its ability to secure its nuclear assets,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel explained during a press briefing in Washington.
Read: Joe Biden calls Pakistan ‘nuclear weapons without any cohesion’
“The US has always viewed a secure and prosperous Pakistan as critical to US interests and, more broadly, the US values our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan,” he said.
Biden made the off-the-cuff remarks on Pakistan’s nuclear program Thursday while at a private Democratic Party fundraiser in California where he began to discuss challenges facing President Xi Jinping of China, a close ally of Pakistan.
“And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” Biden said, according to a White House transcript.
Pakistan – proud to be the only declared nuclear power in the Islamic world – summoned US Ambassador Donald Blome to protest.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted that Pakistan was a “responsible nuclear state” and that it takes safety measures “with the utmost seriousness.”
US officials have long privately voiced alarm about nuclear safety if the political situation changes in Pakistan, whose military and intelligence apparatus has assisted Afghanistan’s Taliban.
Read: US envoy summoned over Joe Biden’s statement on Pakistan’s nuclear program
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Biden’s remarks should not hurt relations, noting that the president was not speaking at an official function.
But Bhutto Zardari, who recently visited Washington, called for more interaction, with Biden showing little interest in personally engaging his Pakistani counterparts.
Patel noted, however, that USAID chief Samantha Power and State Department Counselor Derek Chollet have both visited since devastating floods hit Pakistan.
“This is a relationship we view as important and it’s something that we’re going to continue to remain deeply engaged in,” he said.

SAMAA TV - Latest Breaking News, Pakistan, World, Video news Home - SAMAA

Find latest breaking, trending, viral news from Pakistan and information on top stories, weather, business, entertainment, politics, sports and more. For in-depth coverage, Samaa English provides special reports, video, audio, photo galleries, and interactive guides.

www.samaaenglish.tv

 

[HAIDER]

US takes U-Turn like IK.​

​

US takes u-turn, says Pakistan can secure its nuclear arsenal​

Statement comes after US envoy was summoned over President Biden's remarks
WEB DESKOct 18, 2022

The United States said Monday that it had confidence in Pakistan’s ability to control its nuclear arsenal after President Joe Biden expressed alarm, leading Islamabad to summon the US ambassador.
“The United States is confident of Pakistan’s commitment and its ability to secure its nuclear assets,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel explained during a press briefing in Washington.
Read: Joe Biden calls Pakistan ‘nuclear weapons without any cohesion’
“The US has always viewed a secure and prosperous Pakistan as critical to US interests and, more broadly, the US values our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan,” he said.
Biden made the off-the-cuff remarks on Pakistan’s nuclear program Thursday while at a private Democratic Party fundraiser in California where he began to discuss challenges facing President Xi Jinping of China, a close ally of Pakistan.
“And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” Biden said, according to a White House transcript.
Pakistan – proud to be the only declared nuclear power in the Islamic world – summoned US Ambassador Donald Blome to protest.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted that Pakistan was a “responsible nuclear state” and that it takes safety measures “with the utmost seriousness.”
US officials have long privately voiced alarm about nuclear safety if the political situation changes in Pakistan, whose military and intelligence apparatus has assisted Afghanistan’s Taliban.
Read: US envoy summoned over Joe Biden’s statement on Pakistan’s nuclear program
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Biden’s remarks should not hurt relations, noting that the president was not speaking at an official function.
But Bhutto Zardari, who recently visited Washington, called for more interaction, with Biden showing little interest in personally engaging his Pakistani counterparts.
Patel noted, however, that USAID chief Samantha Power and State Department Counselor Derek Chollet have both visited since devastating floods hit Pakistan.
“This is a relationship we view as important and it’s something that we’re going to continue to remain deeply engaged in,” he said.

SAMAA TV - Latest Breaking News, Pakistan, World, Video news Home - SAMAA

Find latest breaking, trending, viral news from Pakistan and information on top stories, weather, business, entertainment, politics, sports and more. For in-depth coverage, Samaa English provides special reports, video, audio, photo galleries, and interactive guides.

www.samaaenglish.tv

can secure ...means they still think it's not secure ..

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

can secure ...means they still think it's not secure ..

No. It means we can secure our nukes on our own and we do not need any external help.

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

US expresses ‘confidence’ in Pakistan to keep nuclear arms secure​

Remarks come after US President Biden called Pakistan ‘one of the most dangerous countries’ in the world.

US President Joe Biden recently called Pakistan one of the world's most dangerous nations [File: Brendan Smialowski /AFP]
By Abid Hussain
Published On 18 Oct 202218 Oct 2022
The United States has expressed its “confidence” in Pakistan’s ability to secure its nuclear arsenal, days after President Joe Biden called the country one of the most dangerous nations in the world and said it had “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”.
In a press briefing on Monday, state department spokesperson Vedant Patel said the US has always viewed a secure and prosperous Pakistan as critical to US interests and that it was confident of Pakistan’s commitment and its ability to secure its nuclear assets”.

KEEP READING​

list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3

Pakistan summons US envoy over Biden’s nuclear remarks​

list 2 of 3

Pakistan bus fire kills at least 18 flood survivors​

list 3 of 3

Pakistan opposition leader arrested for tweet on military chief​

end of list
The remarks came after a meeting between Derek Chollet, state department counsellor, and Pakistan envoy to the US, Masood Khan.
In a tweet after the meeting, Chollet wrote that he met the ambassador to discuss the “longstanding partnership” between the two countries and to further grow ties.


Khan responded the next day, writing that he and Chollet discussed “ways to build further resilience in #PAKUS ties and boost strategic trust.”
Neither Pakistan’s foreign ministry nor its information ministry responded to Al Jazeera’s inquiries regarding the US statement.

Pakistan had summoned the US ambassador following remarks by Biden during a speech at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on October 13.

Sign up for Al Jazeera's Newsletter​

Week in the Middle East​

Catch up on our coverage of the region, all in one place.
Sign up

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy
In the midst of discussing China’s President Xi Jinping and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Biden said: “And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion.”
Two days later, Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Pakistan had summoned the US ambassador to demand an explanation of Biden’s statement.
“We are fully capable of safeguarding our nuclear weapons, and they meet every international standard in accordance with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] as far as security and safety is concerned,” Bilawal told a press conference in the southern city of Karachi.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also rejected Biden’s assertions, calling them “factually incorrect and misleading”.

“Over the past decades, Pakistan has proven to be a most responsible nuclear state, wherein its nuclear programme is managed through a technically sound and foolproof command and control system,” Sharif said in a statement.

Bilateral ties​

In recent years, Pakistan has gradually established closer economic and defence ties with regional ally China, one of the US’s main geopolitical rivals.
However, the last few months have seen a gradual increase in interaction between senior officials of Pakistan and the US.
Both Sharif and Bhutto-Zardari travelled to the US in September, and Pakistan’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, visited Washington, DC, this month.
US officials, including Chollet, visited Pakistan in the aftermath of recent floods in early September.

The floods killed more than 1,700 people and affected some 33 million. The US has provided $66m in aid so far.
After not having an ambassador to Pakistan for four years, the US also appointed Donald Blome earlier this year, seen as many as a shift in attitude.

US expresses ‘confidence’ in Pakistan to keep nuclear arms secure

Remarks come after US President Joe Biden called Pakistan ‘one of the most dangerous countries’ in the world.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[PakFactor]

My teachers often said during an exam that the first choice is usually correct. I guess the US wants to extract something from Pakistan, hence the rush to take back its words to be used later.

 

[Dalit]

My teachers often said during an exam that the first choice is usually correct. I guess the US wants to extract something from Pakistan, hence the rush to take back its words to be used later.

This is very unlike the US. They have a golden opportunity to entrench themselves deeply into critical positions in Pakistan. Bajwa allows unchecked access. Hence the sweet words to repair the damage inflicted from Biden's embarrassing remarks.

 

[Wood]

US has been made to back pedal due to diplomatic pressure from Pakistani government

 

[Mrc]

This is very unlike the US. They have a golden opportunity to entrench themselves deeply into critical positions in Pakistan. Bajwa allows unchecked access. Hence the sweet words to repair the damage inflicted from Biden's embarrassing remarks.

Bajwa is history man... forget about him

 

[Dalit]

Bajwa is history man... forget about him

Don't be so quick. He might earn an extension.

US has been made to back pedal due to diplomatic pressure from Pakistani government

Jaishankar is still angry with the USA.

 

[PakFactor]

US has been made to back pedal due to diplomatic pressure from Pakistani government

Bara mesna ha tu, Lol.

 

[VCheng]

My teachers often said during an exam that the first choice is usually correct. I guess the US wants to extract something from Pakistan, hence the rush to take back its words to be used later.

Biden's statement is only for helping to loosen the purse strings inside the beltway to help flow some funds to Pakistan, that is all, to "reduce the danger", after Gen Bajwa's recent visit. No big deal.

 

[Mrc]

Don't be so quick. He might earn an extension.



Jaishankar is still angry with the USA.

Next coas names have already been forwarded. 3 weeks and name will b announced