The Pakistan Nuclear Nightmare

Kshatriya87

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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/08/opinion/sunday/the-pakistan-nuclear-nightmare.html?_r=0

With as many as 120 warheads, Pakistan could in a decade become the world’s third-ranked nuclear power, behind the United States and Russia, but ahead of China, France and Britain. Its arsenal is growing faster than any other country’s, and it has become even more lethal in recent years with the addition of small tactical nuclear weapons that can hit India and longer-range nuclear missiles that can reach farther.

These are unsettling truths. The fact that Pakistan is also home to a slew of extremist groups, some of which are backed by a paranoid security establishment obsessed with India, only adds to the dangers it presents for South Asia and, indeed, the entire world.

Persuading Pakistan to rein in its nuclear weapons program should be an international priority. The major world powers spent two years negotiating an agreement to restrain the nuclear ambitions of Iran, which doesn’t have a single nuclear weapon. Yet there has been no comparable investment of effort in Pakistan, which, along with India, has so far refused to consider any limits at all.

The Obama administration has begun to address this complicated issue with greater urgency and imagination, even though the odds of success seem small. The recent meeting at the White House on Oct. 22 between President Obama and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan appears to have gone nowhere. Yet it would be wrong not to keep trying, especially at a time of heightened tensions between Pakistan and India over Kashmir and terrorism.

What’s new about the administration’s approach is that instead of treating the situation as essentially hopeless, it is now casting about for the elements of a possible deal in which each side would get something it wants. For the West, that means restraint by Pakistan and greater compliance with international rules for halting the spread of nuclear technology. For Pakistan, that means some acceptance in the family of nuclear powers and access to technology.

At the moment, Pakistan is a pariah in the nuclear sphere to all but China; it has been punished internationally ever since it followed India’s example and tested a weapon in 1998. Pakistan has done itself no favors by refusing to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and by giving nuclear know-how to bad actors like North Korea. Yet, it is seeking treatment equal to that given to India by the West.

For decades, India was also penalized for developing nuclear weapons. But attitudes shifted in 2008 when the United States, seeking better relations with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies as a counterweight to China, gave India a pass and signed a generous nuclear cooperation deal that allowed New Delhi to buy American nuclear energy technology.

American officials say they are not offering Pakistan an India-like deal, which would face stiff opposition in Congress, but are discussing what Pakistan needs to do to justify American support for its membership in the 48-nation Nuclear Supplier Group, which governs trade in nuclear fuel and technology.

Such moves would undoubtedly be in Pakistan’s long-term interest. It cannot provide adequate services for its citizens because it spends about 25 percent of its budget on defense. Pakistan’s army, whose chief of staff is due to visit Washington this month, says it needs still more nuclear weapons to counter India’s conventional arsenal.

The competition with India, which is adding to its own nuclear arsenal, is a losing game, and countries like China, a Pakistan ally, should be pushing Pakistan to accept that. Meanwhile, Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, has done nothing to engage Islamabad on security issues, and he also bears responsibility for current tensions. The nuclear arms race in South Asia, which is growing more intense, demands far greater international attention.
 

Kshatriya87

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I thought China had 300 - 400 nukes. How can pakis be ahead of china ?
 

Neo

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Another alarmist report by western anti Pakistan lobby. :bs:
The same people claimed Iraq to have WMD. We all know the truth better.
 

Kshatriya87

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So you don't accept that Pakistan has 120 nukes?

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Neo

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So you don't accept that Pakistan has 120 nukes?

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Nobody knows and probably we'll never know how many we both have. For over a decade we've been hearing that Pakistan has 90-110 and India 70-90 nukes. Now all of sudden Pakistan has the fastest growing arsenal in the world with only three small plutonium reactors in Khushab?

None of these reports ever publish data or the calculation how they came to their calculations. :bs:
 

Kshatriya87

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Nobody knows and probably we'll never know how many we both have. For over a decade we've been hearing that Pakistan has 90-110 and India 70-90 nukes. Now all of sudden Pakistan has the fastest growing arsenal in the world with only three small plutonium reactors in Khushab?

None of these reports ever publish data or the calculation how they came to their calculations. :bs:
This I agree with. No one knows for sure how many nukes a country has. Probably not even the PM of a country.

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bose

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Nobody knows and probably we'll never know how many we both have. For over a decade we've been hearing that Pakistan has 90-110 and India 70-90 nukes. Now all of sudden Pakistan has the fastest growing arsenal in the world with only three small plutonium reactors in Khushab?

None of these reports ever publish data or the calculation how they came to their calculations. :bs:

It is stupidity to have so many [ > 100] as maintaining those will incur huge costs... better to stockpile and if need be then go for quick conversion to weapons...
 

roma

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It is stupidity to have so many [ > 100] as maintaining those will incur huge costs... better to stockpile and if need be then go for quick conversion to weapons...
HEY !! shhhhhhhhhhhh
let them build
the international community is not unaware of this matter and after iran , pack is next on the list

actually i feel it is in india's interest to negotiate to sign the NPT and CTBT

and i did say negotiate

that is to say we can put special conditions like we will sign if no one else tests, if there is INSPECTION of packland numbers and reduction in their arsenal

india has never proliferated, and has no need to do so
so why not sign ?

it puts pressure on pack and prc who is their supplier
if we dont get good enough conditions then i say we do a thermonuke test - that tells the world our capability and puts further pressure on pack in a nice and friendly way to "manage" the arms race...that tells the world we were willing to sign but you didnt want it so we protect ourselves with thermo

so tell the world - do something about pack otherwise we do it ourselves ....

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blueblood

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Nobody knows and probably we'll never know how many we both have. For over a decade we've been hearing that Pakistan has 90-110 and India 70-90 nukes. Now all of sudden Pakistan has the fastest growing arsenal in the world with only three small plutonium reactors in Khushab?

None of these reports ever publish data or the calculation how they came to their calculations. :bs:
How much power are you generating from those three reactors?

http://tribune.com.pk/story/945689/...nal-could-become-worlds-third-biggest-report/

http://www.dawn.com/news/1203181

Same report is being published by your own media and not being disputed. Before you get exited and prematurely give yourself a handy about the rebutttal from foreign office, don't do it.

Your FO giving rebuttal about your nuclear program is about as credible as Indian Agriculture minister saying that cold start is not an active doctrine. You and I both know the truth.

Now go through this and lets talk facts not hot air.

Pakistan is now competing successfully with and in some respects is outcompeting India. Pakistan operates four plutonium production reactors; India operates one. Pakistan has the capability to produce perhaps 20 nuclear warheads annually; India appears to be producing about five warheads annually. But given its larger economy and sizable nuclear infrastructure, India is able to outcompete Pakistan in fissile material and warhead production if it chooses to do so. Pakistan has prepared for this eventuality by investing in a large nuclear weapons production complex. Whether New Delhi chooses to compete more intensely or not, it is a losing proposition for Pakistan to sustain, let alone expand, its current infrastructure to produce greater numbers of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery. Just as the Soviet Union’s large nuclear arsenal was of no help whatsoever for its manifold economic and societal weaknesses, Pakistan’s nuclear weapons do not address its internal challenges.
 
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Aravind Sanjeev

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Read the below text and answer the following questions. Each question carries 2 marks.

Nuclear Arsenal is Pakistan's credible claim to glory. Every conspiracy theory is justified which states entire world is wary of them.

The nuclear power is helping Pakistan protect against a possible Indian "invasion" and a possible American occupation.

More importantly it will help Pakistan against a possibly revamped British Empire or the Ottoman or Mongols or maybe Romans.

The importance of nuclear protection to Pakistan is so high that Pakistan is protecting back these nuclear arsenals.

They are protecting something which is suppose to protect them.

Question:
1. Why did Pakistan develop nuclear weapons?
2. Is it evident Pakistan is trying to protect its crown from evils of the country?
3. Find the Irony?
 

Yusuf

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Garbage piece by NYT trying to set up a nuke deal for Pak.


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Compersion

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Libya was offered a good deal and what happened later. Pakistan will ask where is the assurance they are not libyaed .

It does not matter at all what happened to Libya is and was majorly because of its contribution from and of Pakistan nuclear proliferation and paki policy to support its Islamic brother. Pakistan has stated that it is supreme protector of mecca and Sunnis.

What happened to libya was message to pakistan and against pakistan. They tried to brought nukes within short range of israel and downtown Europe. And still pakistan not learn ... Baluchistan and Saudi policy and military expansion to west and long range equipments not uses for terrorists.
 

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