Pakistan, Russia ‘vulnerable to N-theft’

[solid snake]

Pakistan, Russia ‘vulnerable to N-theft’​

By Anwar Iqbal

WASHINGTON, Sept 27: A new report by a prestigious Washington think-tank claims that Pakistan and Russia are the most vulnerable to nuclear theft, increasing the possibility of additional pressure on Islamabad to open its facilities for international inspection.

Pakistan’s nuclear stockpiles face huge threats from armed jihadi groups and nuclear insiders with a demonstrated willingness to sell sensitive nuclear technology, warns the group called Nuclear Threat Initiative.

Established by CNN founder Ted Turner, NTI includes several US senators and international figures such as Nafisa Sadik of Pakistan, Indian Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan.

The report claims that the so-called nuclear insiders have in the past demonstrated sympathy for extreme jihadi causes.

If Al Qaeda terrorists can twice come close to assassinating President Musharraf with help from Pakistani military officers, who can rule out the possibility that other military officers guarding nuclear weapons might be convinced to help Al Qaeda? NTI asks.

Author Mathew Bunn complains that although the United States and Pakistan have nuclear security cooperation, Pakistan does not allow actual US visits to its sensitive nuclear sites, and what precisely has been accomplished in this cooperation remains a secret.

According to the report, in November 2001, President George W. Bush asked former CIA director George Tenet to fly to Pakistan the next day to convince President Pervez Musharraf to take action against the scientists trying to help Al Qaeda develop a nuclear weapon.

President Musharraf, however, assured Mr Tenet that Pakistani nuclear experts had dismissed the possibility that men hiding in caves could build a nuclear bomb.

Mr President, your experts are wrong, Mr Tenet replied, recounting the relative ease of making a crude gun-type nuclear bomb, and Al Qaeda’s efforts to get help from Pakistani nuclear scientists.

Of the states that have either nuclear weapons or significant amounts of high-quality weapons-usable materials, only Pakistan fares as poorly as Russia in Transparency International’s ratings of corruption levels, the report adds.

It warns against the possibility of guards at Pakistani nuclear installations taking bribes to open gates, managers taking bribes to hire new staff without checking their backgrounds, opening gaping holes in the country’s nuclear security systems.

The report says that if the Pakistani government’s claim that A.Q. Khan’s exports of sensitive nuclear technology were completely unauthorized is true, then his activities over a 20-year period represent an immense security failure.

In particular, entire centrifuges were removed from the Khan Research Laboratories the centrepiece of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons complex and shipped off to foreign countries, in some cases in Pakistani military aircraft, the report notes.

The report also warns that either state collapse or the rise of an extremist Islamic government in Pakistan neither of which can by any means be ruled out could pose severe dangers of nuclear assets becoming available to terrorists or hostile states.

If 41 heavily armed terrorists can strike without warning in the middle of Moscow, how many might appear at a Pakistani nuclear weapon storage site? Would the guards at the site be sufficient to hold them off and would the guards choose to fight or to cooperate?

Pakistan, Russia ‘vulnerable to N-theft’ -DAWN - Top Stories; September 28, 2007

 

[mustang]

Pure old bu** Sh** propaganda by CIA

 

[slimoe]

the ssg guards pakistans all strategic sights... so i dont think theres a chance terrorists can just walk in.

 

[EagleEyes]

Pakistan is only in such category due to proliferation done by Khan. Not that i disagree with it, but it is the defination that makes it up there.

Otherwise, USA can include itself there proudly if one research the dues by themselves.

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

Thanks to our Benazir for bringing this issue back to limelightand the same old thing by the think tanks. There is as much chance of a lost shipment anywhere in the world---it will be far less in pakistan than it is in the U S because of the private security comapnies involved in the U S. Pakistan has top notch security in place for its nuclear installations. All these statements that you see from all these analysts are to please their new masters---the indians. Nothing more---nothing less.

 

[EagleEyes]

I agree mate. I wonder if we can start such a few thing? There is already one exists. Kashmiri freedom fighters trying to steal nuclear technology from Indian government for destruction.

But thats just purely silly - nonfactual.

 

[F.O.X]

Pakistan as Atomic power is not Getting down from the throats of the West.


Regards
Wilco

 

[kidwaibhai]

i think this is another tactic to make pakistan surrender its nuclear arsenal. This is so strange that this report is coming at such a difficult time for pakistan. they are probably trying to use the political termoil in pakistan as an excuse that we are not stable enough to have nuclear weaponry. also the americans are to talk look at what happened with US bomber that was carrying live nuclear bombs across the country.

 

[IceCold]

No matter what we do, the amercians their think tanks, CIA will come up with these baseless accusitions against pakistan, the fact wilco mentioned earlier that pakistan's nuclear programe is not getting down the throats of the west. What you called sona per suhaga is what B**** with captial B is doing right now.
What we need to do now under any circumstances is to get out of the US influence and start building new strategic partnerships with Russia, we already have it with china. Next phase we should cut the logistic support to the US provided from within our country by removing them from the bases given. Limit our military purchases from the US to minimum to a completely stop. The less we remain dependent on US the better it would be for us, because sooner or later we can expect any misadventure from the US under frustration maybe in the name of attacking terrorist cells or perhaps bombing pakistan nuclear sites. This is the moment we should prepare ourselves for the worst. Pakistan isnt the only country involved in nuclear poliferation, in the past west have also done so, giving nuclear to a state like israel, that doesnt seem to bother them specially when all of her neighbours are not nuclear and there wasnt any nuclear threat at all and when it comes to Iran whos building it for peaceful energy purpose, signed the protocals for inspections, still it is impossible for the west to let it happen, how can we be any different, the fact of the matter that we are a nuclear state a muslim country and by the eye of the west we will always be prone to nuclear theft.

 

[Officer of Engineers]

Here's a question for you all. When was the last time any of the nuclear facilities had a drill?

 

[Awesome]

I don't know OoE, but considering Pak military's stake in them, drills and training should be a routine feature. Missile launchers (carrying Ghauri's and Shaheens) frequently feature in military exercises. I probably think they are practicing when to shoot and when not to shoot.

But the matter discussed here is different. The author of this article leaves no chance for Pakistan to come out clean. For example the article assumes the guards which are hired to secure the bombs would let them walk away. Security would open doors for Al Qaeda. Managers would hire Al Qaeda's scientists. Hundreds of militants would appear out of nowhere and take the bombs.

Yes when all that happens, it is possible that Pakistan's nukes might no longer be secure. But who doesn't have a worst-case scenario?

 

[Officer of Engineers]

I don't know OoE, but considering Pak military's stake in them, drills and training should be a routine feature. Missile launchers (carrying Ghauri's and Shaheens) frequently feature in military exercises. I probably think they are practicing when to shoot and when not to shoot.

We knew when the Soviets were carrying out drills and they us. In fact, we've lost people in these drills and so have they.

But the matter discussed here is different. The author of this article leaves no chance for Pakistan to come out clean. For example the article assumes the guards which are hired to secure the bombs would let them walk away. Security would open doors for Al Qaeda. Managers would hire Al Qaeda's scientists. Hundreds of militants would appear out of nowhere and take the bombs.

That is not the point. The point is the article has identified weaknesses. None of you questioned the validity. Can any of you point to exercises where such was challenged? We can to ours. In fact, I was part of a such an exercise in 87 and the Soviets know it, meaning that they know they cannot buy my people. Can you point to any such event with the Pak forces. I know I can with the N5 but not with the Israelis, the Paks, nor the Indians.

Yes when all that happens, it is possible that Pakistan's nukes might no longer be secure. But who doesn't have a worst-case scenario?

ALL our plans are WORST CASE SCENARIOS!. Your only saving grace at this point is that Pak nukes are kept in component form, meaning there are at least 3 to 5 sets you've got to get together before you got a nuke, meaning you've got to bribe 3 to 5 sets of guards. That is extremely hard to do but it does not mean that not one out of the three to five sets of guards are not bribable ... and you don't know, you don't have an ex to point to to state such a fact.

 

[Awesome]

We knew when the Soviets were carrying out drills and they us. In fact, we've lost people in these drills and so have they.

You attacked your own facilities and killed guards protecting them for a hypothetical scenario?

That is not the point. The point is the article has identified weaknesses. None of you questioned the validity. Can any of you point to exercises where such was challenged?

I really hope the attacking your own facility with actual bullets and bombs doesn't happen, but about taking/giving bribes... Isn't it the job of the bigger ISI counter-intelligence wing to keep a check on its own people? Trust me in Pakistan this sort of stuff is not coming out in the press ever! I mean how would it sound even if a weakness was found? "Guard accepts bribe in nuclear drill".

We can to ours. In fact, I was part of a such an exercise in 87 and the Soviets know it, meaning that they know they cannot buy my people. Can you point to any such event with the Pak forces. I know I can with the N5 but not with the Israelis, the Paks, nor the Indians.

I'm really interested to know what exactly do you mean by "exercise".

ALL our plans are WORST CASE SCENARIOS!. Your only saving grace at this point is that Pak nukes are kept in component form, meaning there are at least 3 to 5 sets you've got to get together before you got a nuke, meaning you've got to bribe 3 to 5 sets of guards. That is extremely hard to do but it does not mean that not one out of the three to five sets of guards are not bribable ... and you don't know, you don't have an ex to point to to state such a fact.

Nobody's guards are 100% unbribable. Isn't it often mocked how million dollar nuclear facilities (at least non military) are being manned by $8/hr security guards?

 

[Officer of Engineers]

You attacked your own facilities and killed guards protecting them for a hypothetical scenario?

Fatalities have occurred during live fire exercises. People being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I really hope the attacking your own facility with actual bullets and bombs doesn't happen, but about taking/giving bribes... Isn't it the job of the bigger ISI counter-intelligence wing to keep a check on its own people? Trust me in Pakistan this sort of stuff is not coming out in the press ever! I mean how would it sound even if a weakness was found? "Guard accepts bribe in nuclear drill".

I'm really interested to know what exactly do you mean by "exercise".

In my case and not necessarily to do with nukes but CFB Lhars is the home of Canadian CF-104s. I'll let you do the research of just what armaments they have. HINT: They carry no guns nor any HE.

But the premis is if your defence line is neutralized, you better be all dead. Because the next line will stop the attack and if I find out that you were asleep at your post, guess who's doing the weekend sentry duty in -30C weather in Baffins. The point here is that the other lines will succeed where you failed and your failure better be explained by death, not by laziness, and Angels help you if it is by treachery.

Nobody's guards are 100% unbribable. Isn't it often mocked how million dollar nuclear facilities (at least non military) are being manned by $8/hr security guards?

And it is the responsibility of the commanders to make sure these guards lack the confidence that they can get away with treachery.

 

[Bull]

I think India and Pakistan have defence set ups to counter an attack from hostile nations like an air attack. Neither seems to be prepared for an all out ambush at the nuke instalations unles they have done their homework away from the media's eyes.