WASHINGTON: The United States has urged both India and Pakistan to limit the number of their nuclear weapons and secure their stockpiles, while emphasising that Pakistan needs to be invested in the non-proliferation regime rather than being singled out as a violator.
In a speech at the University of Louisville in Kentucky on Friday evening, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broached this issue rather carefully, noting that the United States and Russia had so many more weapons than any of the other countries by a very, very big margin.
And before mentioning the two South Asian nuclear states, she noted that there were other countries that pursued nuclear weapons too.
India and Pakistan, for example, have done so in a way that has upset the balance of nuclear deterrent, she said.
And thats why were working with both countries very hard to try to make sure that their nuclear stockpiles are well tended to and that they participate with us in trying to limit the number of nuclear weapons.
At a separate briefing, Assistant Secretary of State P. J. Crowley approached the issue of Pakistans refusal to endorse the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in a different way, indicating the possibility that the United States would like to see Pakistan included in a new arrangement rather than singling it out as a pariah state.
Mr Crowley, when asked to explain the reasons for inviting Pakistan to the nuclear summit and for Washingtons confidence in Islamabads commitment to non-proliferation, argued that the US
wants to see Pakistan be part of the solution in the future.
Weve had significant discussions with Pakistan on these issues. But if were going to strengthen the non-proliferation regime going forward, we want to see Pakistan invested in this process, he stressed.
And to the extent that other countries demonstrate through their cooperation with the international community that they are willing to assume that same responsibility, then the door would be open for further cooperation, the spokesman added.Both statements important on their own assume a greater significance because of a two-day nuclear summit US President Barack Obama inaugurates in Washington on Monday.
A total of 47 countries, including India and Pakistan, are attending the conference, which focuses on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and on preventing terrorists from acquiring nuclear materials.
In her speech, Secretary Clinton indicated that the participation of India and Pakistan in the nuclear summit provides the United States with an opportunity to discuss both the issues proliferation and nuclear terrorism with them.
Her decision to talk about both India and Pakistan despite a US nuclear deal with New Delhi indicates a realisation in Washington that singling out Islamabad on an issue of such a strategic importance to both will send negative signals and harm US interests in the region.
Also while talking about nuclear terrorism, she avoided naming any country. Instead, she described nuclear terrorism and proliferation as a challenge confronting the entire international community. A challenge that is bigger than any one administration or any political party. It is protecting our families, our neighbours, our nation and our allies, she observed.
Mr Crowley went a step ahead, expressing confidence in Pakistans ability to protect its atomic programme. While doing so,
he also highlighted Islamabads cooperation in shutting down the A. Q. Khan network, coupled with the safeguards put in place for its strategic assets.
Pakistan recently has demonstrated a willingness to help the international community shut down the A. Q. Khan network. We still have questions about that and we still pursue those with Pakistan, he said.
The US official said that Dr Khans activities had made Pakistan a source of concern in the past, but since then Islamabad had
demonstrated that it can secure its own nuclear weapons programme, and we have confidence in the steps that Pakistan has taken.
Mr Crowley said the three countries - Iran, North Korea, Syria that were not invited to the nuclear security summit were currently not cooperating with the international community on the security question, while Pakistan was.
Secretary Clinton also stressed this point, pointing out that nuclear proliferation, including the programmes pursued by North Korea and Iran, also endangered US troops and its allies.
Proliferation endangers our forces, our allies and our broader global interests. And to the extent it pushes other countries to develop nuclear weapons in response, it can threaten the entire international order, she added.
Hillary Clinton also spelled out the Obama administrations new nuclear policy released this week, noting that the main elements of the US strategy were to safeguard our country and allies against nuclear attack by supporting the basic framework of the NPT.