Pakistani-Indian War May Threaten Security of Nukes

LAHORE: Pakistan's weak political leadership, its unwillingness to root out terrorists from border lands, its intelligence service's and army's alleged links to terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, the recent increase of Taliban attacks on a crucial NATO transportation route from Pakistan to Afghanistan, and the selling of nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea in the past, all raise new concerns among world leaders about the possible theft of Pakistan's nuclear assets by religious extremists which might result in a real threat to the United States and the West.

Barely a month before the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks two Pakistani nuclear scientists, said to be close to another Pakistani scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, met up with al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and offered to supply him with atomic weapons, according to a newly-released book authored by two investigative journalists - Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins.

Chaudri Abdul Majeed and Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, who held a series of senior posts in Pakistan's nuke program, went to the Taliban's headquarters in Kandahar in mid-August 2001 and spent three days with bin Laden who was keen on acquiring weapons of mass destruction, the book says.

However, the so-called deal did not materialize as the meeting between the Pakistani nuclear scientists and bin Laden ended inconclusively when the al-Qaida leader, along with some of his senior associates, abruptly left for the mountains of northwest Afghanistan.

And according to the book, "The Man from Pakistan - The True Story of AQ Khan", before leaving, bin Laden told his followers that "something great was going to happen, and Muslims around the world were going to join them in the holy war."

A couple of weeks later, the Twin Towers in New York were brought down.

However, Pakistani officials have assured time and again of the safety of its nuclear weapons.

Retired Indian air chief Marshal Shashindra Pal Tyagi also voiced strong confidence about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear assets and said Pakistan's armed forces are very, very professional and they have put a lot of safety measures in place.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. as a panelist for Global Zero, an organization advocating an end to nuclear weapons in the world, he said: "Pakistan's armed forces are very, very professional - we know, we fought them - and from all accounts, they have put a lot of safety measures in place."

On the other hand, leaders of the various political and religious parties said that the recent terror attacks in Mumbai were part of an international conspiracy against the atomic assets of Pakistan and urged the government not to appease Indian aggression.

Attending the All Parties Conference (APC), they vowed that they would be ready to sacrifice everything for the sovereignty, stability and independence of the country. The APC was held under the aegis of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi at JI's Karachi office, under the title, "Mumbai Incident - Threats and Steps of Pakistan."

Nuclear weapons can fall into extremists' hands in any country in the world, because they are everywhere in every society. The U.S. nuclear bombs also lack security requirements in European bases.

According to a report obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, European air force bases that store U.S. nuclear weapons are failing to meet basic security requirements for their safeguard.

Pakistan will be the greatest single challenge for the incoming U.S. administration of Barack Obama. Asking the president-elect to adopt a "regional framework" to address the problem of violent extremism in South Asia, noted experts have called for bolstering the security of Pakistan and Afghanistan through multilateral long-term assistance.

The new U.S. government cannot afford any damage to its interests in the region. The United States would have to work closely with Pakistan's civilian government as stability in Pakistan is vital for the security of its nuclear weapons. War between India and Pakistan could provide extremists a free hand to take control of nuclear weapons.

Rahil Yasin is a freelance columnist based in Lahore. He can be reached at rahil.yasin@gmail.com