US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pak!!!

[Iamanidiot]

Who is going to give these guys a deal they are literally begging for funds.Methinks its a ploy to get some perks from Kiyani and company

 

[anoop_mig25]

India will get the Russians to kill it at the NSG, provided this proposal ever reaches that far. AFAIK, a consensus is required for deals of this sort to obtain NSG clearance.

@ritwik i hardly think it. Russia might not supply arms to Pakistan but in case nuclear deal they might support it at nsg as lot of money can be gained although this possibility is less but pakistan would can take lead in it so as normalize relationship with russia,plus reduce americas leverage on it

Yusuf if you look at the chronology of the voting at NSG for india,USA did a lot of backstage dealing and arm twisting with countries like Newzealand and Austria.At NSG voting USA had put all its weight in favour of india.So,if USA is sure want to get pakistan NSG clearance then UsA can get that clearance for pakistan, if it can get one for india.

@ajtr i totally agree with u on this america can sell this nuclear deal at home as well as to the world as pakistan most nuclear stations coming under international supervision

Its not easy for US to do the same weight lifting for Pakistan that it did for India. Moreover, India is an economic giant and so others had to fall in line so as not to be in bad books of India lest they lose business. Pakistan doesn't offer any such advantage like India. There will be more countries opposing a nuclear deal to Pakistan than India due to Pakistan's nuclear proliferation record and given current situation of US, its unlikely that it will be able to get everyone onboard. Also one has to remember that Obama's administration is filled with non-proliferation ayatollahs and they will do their job of not giving a nuclear deal to Pakistan unless it signs NPT, which most likely is not possible.

@daredevil
us pressure + chinse pressure can force above country to change their stand

I don't understand why Indian media house like TOI, writing such articles? It'll only create insecurity among Indians & others about pakistan... No place for "responsible journalism" in today's world...

yeh this paper's are only increasing insecurity but as eyerbody knows there is no smoke without fire


but i pity 4 only other non-nuclear powered ntp states what wrong they had done nothing gust gave up their right to develop nuclear weapons and now look india getting through ntp,pakistan would get through ntp(if and when this deal materializes), nortkorea already out,iran on way.and in future Israel will demanding same wavier and thus one-one after another country would be demanding same deal thus instead of nuclear free world we would have nuclearize world.clapclapclapclapclap

now look what happens when one follows rule while pakistan begin rewarded by weapons and this deal in future(if and when this deal materializes)

we should revise our policy with regardinh us + limlts its militray harware ,its component in in indian nuclear reactors

 

[LETHALFORCE]

let Pakistan get the civilian nuclear energy bill most nuclear reactors cost 10 billion to build and fuel and maintenance are costly, I can tell you from all the news lately Superhornet and F-16 will not be winning in the MRCA.

 

[Singh]

There is a huge anti-American wave in Pakistan and Anne Patterson knows that. She was trying to mollify Pakistan, that's it. They will patiently hear out Pakistan, whilst goading Pakistan to do more on WoT.

Hearing Zaid Hamid's Radio Pakistan from Delhi is more plausible than Pakistan getting a nuclear deal from US,.. at this stage.

 

[DaRk WaVe]

Pakistan lobbying hard for n-deal akin to India-US pact ​

From R. Vasudevan—Reporting from New Delhi
New Delhi, 22 March (Asiantribune.com):

In a development of serious concern to India, Pakistan seems to have lobbied successfully for a civilian nuclear deal with the US, akin to the one that Washington has with New Delhi.

The Barack Obama administration has indicated it is open to Islamabad's plea for a civilian nuclear deal, notwithstanding continued disquiet about Pakistan's bonafides on the nuclear front.

The first indication of a possible policy shift by US, which had till now rejected Pakistan's entreaties for a nuclear deal, came in an interview the US ambassador to Islamabad, Anne Patterson, gave to a Pakistani-American journal in which she said the two sides were going to have "working level talks" on the subject during a strategic dialogue on March 24.

Patterson confirmed the claim of her Pakistani counterpart in Washington Hussain Haqqani, which were initially denied, that the two sides had had some initial discussions on the subject.

Acknowledging that earlier US "non-proliferation concerns were quite severe", she said attitudes in Washington were changing. "I think we are beginning to pass those and this is a scenario that we are going to explore," she told a LA-based Pakistani journal.

This development comes even as two eminent American atomic experts have claimed that Pakistan is estimated to have more nuclear warheads than India. The two Asian neighbors along with China are increasing their arsenals and deploying weapons at more sites. While Pakistan is estimated to possess 70-90 nuclear weapons, India is believed to have 60-80, claims Robert S Norris and Hans M Kristensen in their latest article ,'Nuclear Notebook: Worldwide deployments of nuclear weapons, 2009'.

The article published in the latest issue of 'Bulletin of the Atomic Science' claimed that Beijing, Islamabad and New Delhi are quantitatively and qualitatively increasing their arsenals and deploying weapons at more sites, yet the locations are difficult to pinpoint.

For example, no reliable public information exists on where Pakistan or India produces its nuclear weapons, it said. "Whereas many of the Chinese bases are known, this is not the case in Pakistan and India, where we have found no credible information that identifies permanent nuclear weapons storage locations," they said.

"Pakistan's nuclear weapons are not believed to be fully operational under normal circumstances; India is thought to store its nuclear warheads and bombs in central storage locations rather than on bases with operational forces. But, since all three countries are expanding their arsenals, new bases and storage sites probably are under construction," the two nuclear experts said.

On the nuclear deal, another top US official, Af-Pak envoy Richard Holbrooke, was a little cautious. "We're going to listen carefully to whatever the Pakistanis say," he replied. The Pakistani establishment, ahead of a wide-ranging strategic dialogue with US on March 24, has made parity with India, including a civilian nuclear deal, the centerpiece of its ramped-up engagement.

However, there is also the issue of getting such a nuclear deal past the 44-member Nuclear Suppliers Group, which made an exception for India but might find Pakistan demand a bit complicated for quick clearance.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is coming up with a bill of $ 35 billion to Washington for its efforts in the war on terror in what officials from both sides say is the most comprehensive dialogue in their bilateral history.

Holbrooke has endorsed a central role for the Pakistani military at the talks, asking "how can you have a strategic dialogue without including the military?" In a move that has caused some disquiet in Pakistan itself, the country's army chief Pervez Ashfaq Kiyani and spy chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha are members of the delegation, ostensibly led by Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Kiyani is said to have set the agenda for the talks in preparatory meetings in Pakistan.

Pakistan wants enhanced support for its economy, particularly in the energy sector. Vast swathes of the country are now under 8 to 12 hour power cuts and Islamabad is presenting this as one reason why Washington should offer a civilian nuclear deal to Pakistan similar to the US-India deal.

The US delegation, led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton includes Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin, National Security Council Senior Director David Lipton, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Marantis, the Administrator of USAID Raj Shah, Ambassador Anne Patterson and Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Judith McHale, Under Secretary of Defense Michele Flournoy and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense David Sydney, among others.

- Asian Tribune -

http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2010/03/22/pakistan-lobbying-hard-n-deal-akin-india-us-pact

 

[bhogta]

Why obama wont be elected next??He is pulling out of iraq after 11 months from afghanistan.and todat senate passed health care bill.so he has accomplished most of what he had promised before hie election.now only thing remain is to take care of usa economic decline and job to the people,which he will do by being protectionist in economy and trade.

You seriously thinking they can pull out. No way , i doubt may be they will start on Iran too.

 

[Daredevil]

Pakistan is fighting for the world and spilling its blood for the world on WOT.isn't it?so they do deserve nuke deal.they have advantage on holding the world to ransom by unleashing the same jehadis on to the world.Let another bali,london,madrid,9/11 type attack happen on the west and then see how the same west comes crawling to pakistan.As for proliferation ayatollahs there job is only of sermonizing.they can't do anything beyond that.And wrt to pakistan being biggest proliferator of nukes, i don't agree with it.if you take into account USA and china's roles then they are the biggest nuke proliferators.

Doesn't matter. Everybody knows what kind of double games PA is playing in Afghanistan. Whatever is being done for Pakistan is only to get a safe exit from Afghanistan. Pakistan is among many contemporary nuclear proliferators against which there is strong evidence and that is why it is much easier to kick Pakistan on the nuclear issue by other countries. With what face US will go in front of NSG to get a waiver in the background of such overwhelming evidence against Pakistan in nuclear proliferation. Highly unlikely.

@daredevil
us pressure + chinse pressure can force above country to change their stand

It was very difficult even for an economic giant as India to convince all the NSG countries for a waiver despite its impeccable non-proliferation record. One can fathom the chances of Pakistan, an official sponsor of terrorism and blatant nuclear proliferator, getting a NSG waiver. Highly unlikely. Forget about NSG, it is even difficult to pass such a bill within US congress. I think people should start thinking more pragmatically given the current and past circumstances.

 

[Yusuf]

The aim of india was to broker a deal and get access to nuke tech from other countries along with fuel. That has been achieved. The US is not getting going at its own loss. India has nothing to lose. Right now its more of a case of US asking india to remember the favor it did to india so keep some contracts for it.

India too can get to blackmailing the US if that's the only language that it understand. Dangle the either you earn profit by making reactors here or give charity next door and lose money and then lose sleep over it for the next zillion years over what pakistan does next with the nuke tech

 

[LETHALFORCE]

The nuclear reactors USA has are probably the lowest tech, the ones GE is offering for sale are 30 years old ;the ones India are getting from GE are Hitachi GE collaboration because GE really dosen't have anything high tech in the reactor sector, USA has not started a new reactor itself in almost 30 years, of all the industrialized countries offering nuclear reactors US is probably last as far technology goes in building and high technology/features.

 

[Agantrope]

The nuclear reactors USA has are probably the lowest tech, the ones GE is offering for sale are 30 years old ;the ones India are getting from GE are Hitachi GE collaboration because GE really dosen't have anything high tech in the reactor sector, USA has not started a new reactor itself in almost 30 years, of all the industrialized countries offering nuclear reactors US is probably last as far technology goes in building and high technology/features.

If US cant understand our concern then we can talk in their language 'balck mail'. In this time of recession if nuke deal(from indian deal) is passed it will create a lot of jobs in US. If unkils are doing something smart means they are pissing in their face.

 

[tarunraju]

'US not discussing civil nuclear pact with Pak'

Islamabad, Mar 22 (PTI)The United States on Monday dismissed reports that it was mulling negotiations on a civil nuclear agreement with Pakistan.

“The U.S. has not entered (into) negotiations on a civil nuclear agreement with Pakistan,” a spokesperson of the U.S. embassy in the capital told PTI, a day after media reports said Washington may discuss Islamabad’s request for cooperation in setting up nuclear power plants in the country.

“The United States is committed to helping Pakistan address its real and growing energy needs, and we look forward to cooperating with Pakistan in ways that are compatible with Pakistan’s economic, environmental and security needs and with US international commitments and policies,” it said.

A U.S.-based Pakistani newspaper had recently quoted U.S. Ambassador Anne W. Patterson as saying that Washington is “beginning to have a discussion with the Pakistan government” on its desire to tap nuclear energy.

Ms. Patterson was also quoted as saying that there would be “working level talks” on the issue in Washington this month.

“Earlier on, non-proliferation concerns were quite severe. I think we are beginning to pass those and this is a scenario that we are going to explore...,” Ms. Patterson was quoted as saying in the report.

The embassy’s clarification came ahead of a key bilateral strategic talks in Washington on Wednesday for which a high-level Pakistan delegation has reached the American capital.

Pakistan has been seeking a civil nuclear pact similar to that between India and the US, arguing that Washington must not discriminate against it.

http://www.ptinews.com/news/577120_-US-not-discussing-civil-nuclear-pact-with-Pak-

 

[san]

Certain section of US law makers, mostly democrats are so praised to pakistan due to defeat of Soviet Union in Afganistan & always tries their best to keep pakistan econmically & militarily match with India. These section believes that India was/is buddy of USSR/Russia & Pakistan is still the real strategic partner of USA. They are still to come out from their cold war time mentality towards India.

 

[proud_hindustani]

I have a feeling that It's unlikely to happen....

IF...USA agrees for Nuclear Deal with Pakistan, India should do :-

1) Cut ties with USA

2) Cancel Nuclear Deal with USA, We have Russia and France already.

3) Eliminate F-16 and F-18 out of MMRCA Deal.

4) Call back Indian soldiers from Afganistan.

5) Support Iran, launch their satellite. It'd surely impact Israel but it'd won't break the ties. Both countries have multi billion dollars defense cooperation.

6) make commitment to not purchase any US military hardware.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

This cold war mentality is used conveniently when India is needed to counter China,or some big ticket item needs to be sold to India,no cold war mentality, when Pakistan needs something cold war is back.

 

[Agantrope]

Certain section of US law makers, mostly democrats are so praised to pakistan due to defeat of Soviet Union in Afganistan & always tries their best to keep pakistan econmically & militarily match with India. These section believes that India was/is buddy of USSR/Russia & Pakistan is still the real strategic partner of USA. They are still to come out from their cold war time mentality towards India.

Neither russia doesnt forget the A'stan in 1989 nor india for USS enterprise entering near the indian seas. Their doubt is obvious as Russia holds the second largest reserves of oil and largest reserves of world fresh water. They have their potential to compete if they come out of this economic bad times. But again favouring pak will make US lose a money making partner called as 'India' as well as strategic. Let them chose whether to get some money or to shed as usual as they are doing it now for more than 2 decade.

 

[DaRk WaVe]

Seeking nuclear parity with India, Pak re-opens Khan of worms​

WASHINGTON: Straining to achieve a semblance of parity with India centered on a civilian nuclear deal similar to the one New Delhi signed with the United States, Pakistan has declared its intention to re-open investigations into the proliferation activities of its nuclear mastermind A.Q.Khan.

Just 48 hours before a US-Pakistan strategic dialogue is set to begin in Washington DC, the Pakistani government filed a petition in the nation's High Court seeking to investigate Khan over recent reports about his ties to Iran's nuclear program.

The move is seen widely as a ploy to appease Washington, where there is a strong anti-Iran sentiment and continued doubts about Pakistan's bonafides as a responsible nuclear power. Pakistani officials made no secret of the motive behind the legal manoevre, saying it was meant to demonstrate to the US and other foreign countries that Pakistan had taken every possible step to block the future possibility of nuclear proliferation.

"What happened under A.Q Khan was a mistake. We are very keen to seek civil nuclear reactors from the US and we want to demonstrate to them that proliferation will neither ever be allowed or tolerated again in Pakistan," an unnamed Pakistani foreign ministry official was quoted as telling US network television.

The move follows indications from Washington that it is open to discussions with Pakistan on the nuclear energy front at the upcoming ministerial-level talks on Wednesday, although getting a civilian nuclear deal for the country with a nightmarish record of proliferation and use of terrorism as state policy will require a lot more than just bilateral goodwill.

In a statement seen in some quarters as being placatory towards Pakistan than expressing any real intent, US envoy to Islamabad Anne Patterson in an interview last week that that Washington is ''beginning to have a discussion with the Pakistan Government'' on the country's desire to tap nuclear energy and ''working level talks'' are on the cards on March 24.

Pakistan has been eager to grab the opportunity, as much to showcase its idea of strategic parity with India than any real desire to address its energy problems, with doubts about its wherewithal to buy and absorb nuclear power reactors in the short term. The run-up to the March 24 talks has been full of horror stories about power outages across Pakistan.

The Pakistani government's petition before the court seeking to investigate Khan for proliferation also runs against its own oft-repeated claims that it has fully investigated the incidents and the ''matter is now closed.'' Apparently, it isn’t.

In its petition, the government has reportedly cited two articles published on March 10 and 14 by The Washington Post that it says ''have national security implications for Pakistan as they contain allegations related to nuclear program and nuclear cooperation. Further they have likelihood of adversely affecting friendly ties with the government of Iran and Iraq.''

The petition also requested the court to direct Khan to ''refrain from interacting with foreign media.'' The articles, based on a new book by non-proliferation activist David Albright, essentially say Khan offered nuclear weapons know-how to Iran and Iraq.

Through leaks, Khan has been insisting that this happened with the full knowledge and at the behest of the Pakistani military and governments of the day. Successive US administrations have glossed over these disclosures, questioning Khan’s credibility and giving the benefit of doubt to Islamabad and Rawalpindi in an effort to salvage US-Pakistan ties. This is because of Pakistan's importance in the war in Afghanistan which cannot be conducted without physical ccess through Pakistan.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton set the stage for the bilateral talks by declaring ''Pakistan is close to my heart'' in a video message she sent out on the occasion of Pakistan’s National Day, which falls on March 23.

Wearing Pakistan’s green colors, Clinton said the United States is ''supporting Pakistan's efforts to...defeat the extremist groups who threaten Pakistan, the region, and even our own country.. this (first ministerial-level strategic) dialogue will be an opportunity to forge even closer ties between our nations.''

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...e-opens-Khan-of-worms/articleshow/5712945.cms

 

[DaRk WaVe]

Pakistan to Look at Scientist’s Iran Ties​

By SALMAN MASOOD
Published: March 22, 2010

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Pakistani government has filed a petition in the nation’s High Court seeking to investigate Abdul Qadeer Khan, the Pakistani scientist who has confessed to running the world’s largest nuclear proliferation network, over recent reports about his ties to Iran’s nuclear program, a government lawyer said Monday. The petition was filed on Monday hours before a court in Lahore was to announce a verdict on Mr. Khan’s petition to have his travel restrictions relaxed.

The court is expected to issue its ruling Wednesday on both, according to lawyers for the government and Mr. Khan.

The government filed its request in an effort to investigate Mr. Khan regarding recent news reports in which he was said to have confessed to supplying Iran with sensitive information related to the nuclear program.

A copy of the government petition obtained by The New York Times cited two articles published on March 10 and 14 by The Washington Post that “have national security implications for Pakistan as they contain allegations related to nuclear program and nuclear cooperation. Further they have likelihood of adversely affecting friendly ties with the government of Iran and Iraq.” The petition requested the court to direct Mr. Khan to “refrain from interacting with foreign media.”

The article published on March 14 reported that Mr. Khan had disclosed in a written document that Pakistan gave Iran drawings related to a nuclear bomb, parts of centrifuges to purify uranium and a secret worldwide list of suppliers. The article published on March 10 cited a nuclear weapons expert who said members of Mr. Khan’s network had reached out to Saddam Hussein’s government in 1990.

Both Mr. Khan and the Pakistani government have denied these claims.

The government appeared to have filed its request partly to stall the court ruling on Mr. Khan’s petition, and it came as Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, was in the United States for high-level security talks.

Syed Ali Zafar, the lawyer for Mr. Khan, called the government’s petition “irrelevant.”

“Today’s government application is mischief by the government, as it wants to defer the case,” Mr. Zafar said. He added that Mr. Khan had been given a public affidavit saying that his hands are clean.

The government lawyer, Naveed Inayat Malik, declined in a telephone interview to offer further information on how the court handled the government’s request.

“The court proceedings were held in-camera,” he said referring to a term used here to describe classified proceedings. “It is, therefore, not possible for me to talk about the proceedings.”

A government spokesman told local news outlets last week that the Khan network was a “closed chapter.”

Pakistani authorities have continuously rebuffed international nuclear investigators who want to interview Mr. Khan for his proliferation activities.

Mr. Khan was placed under house arrest in 2004 by Pervez Musharraf, the president at the time, after confessing to selling nuclear technology to various countries. American officials say they believe that among them were Iran, Libya and North Korea.

But Mr. Khan’s role in developing Pakistan’s nuclear program also gave him the status of a national hero within the country. Right-wing and Islamist political parties continue to praise him as the “father of the bomb.”

In February, a court in the capital, Islamabad, declared Mr. Khan a free man, but the government assured the United States that it would continue to monitor him, and he was allowed to meet with friends and family only after getting approval from the security agencies.

Waqar Gillani contributed reporting from Lahore, Pakistan.

Pakistan to Investigate Khan?s Ties to Iran?s Nuclear Program - NYTimes.com

 

[LETHALFORCE]

The answer to this should hopefully be known soon or else it will be another arm twisting point for USA against India. Give the deal to Pakistan and get it over with these maybe or maybe nots are idiotic Obama games.

 

[Agantrope]

I have a feeling that It's unlikely to happen....

IF...USA agrees for Nuclear Deal with Pakistan, India should do :-

1) Cut ties with USA

2) Cancel Nuclear Deal with USA, We have Russia and France already.

3) Eliminate F-16 and F-18 out of MMRCA Deal.

4) Call back Indian soldiers from Afganistan.

5) Support Iran, launch their satellite. It'd surely impact Israel but it'd won't break the ties. Both countries have multi billion dollars defense cooperation.

6) make commitment to not purchase any US military hardware.

1,6 really looks absurd.

But for sure, LH and Boeing is going to get their a&se and nose burn in this MMRCA competition

 

[proud_hindustani]

Obama has done nothing special so far. Take my word, he won't win the next election.