With the center East roiling, the alarming news about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons buildup has gotten far too tiny attention. The Times just reported that American intelligence agency believe Pakistan has between 95 and more than 110 deploy nuclear weapons, up from the mid to tall 70s just two years ago. Pakistan can’t feed its people, teach its children, or defeat insurgent without billions of dollars in foreign aid. Yet, with China’s help, it is currently building a fourth nuclear reactor to manufacture more weapons fuel.
Even without that reactor, professional say, it has already manufactured enough fuel for 40 to 100 extra weapons. That means Pakistan which claims to want a minimal credible prevention could soon possess the world’s fifth-biggest arsenal, behind the United States, Russia, France and China but ahead of Britain and India. Washington and Moscow, with thousands of nuclear weapons each, still have the some weapons by far, but at least they are creation serious reductions. Washington could threaten to hang up billions of dollars of American aid if Islamabad does not contain its nuclear appetites. But that would hugely make difficult efforts in Afghanistan and could destabilize Pakistan.
The truth is there is no simple way to stop the buildup, or that of India and China. Slowing and reverse that arms race is necessary for regional and global security. Washington must look for points of influence and make this one of its strategic priorities. The ultimate nightmare, of course, is that the extremist will topple Pakistan’s government and obtain their hands on the nuclear weapons. We also do not rest easy contemplate the weakness of Pakistan’s civilian control, the power of its army and the bitterness of the country’s rivalry with nuclear armed India. The army claims to require more nuclear weapons to deter India’s superior conservative arsenal. It seems unable of understanding that the real threat come from the Taliban and other extremists.
Even without that reactor, professional say, it has already manufactured enough fuel for 40 to 100 extra weapons. That means Pakistan which claims to want a minimal credible prevention could soon possess the world’s fifth-biggest arsenal, behind the United States, Russia, France and China but ahead of Britain and India. Washington and Moscow, with thousands of nuclear weapons each, still have the some weapons by far, but at least they are creation serious reductions. Washington could threaten to hang up billions of dollars of American aid if Islamabad does not contain its nuclear appetites. But that would hugely make difficult efforts in Afghanistan and could destabilize Pakistan.
The truth is there is no simple way to stop the buildup, or that of India and China. Slowing and reverse that arms race is necessary for regional and global security. Washington must look for points of influence and make this one of its strategic priorities. The ultimate nightmare, of course, is that the extremist will topple Pakistan’s government and obtain their hands on the nuclear weapons. We also do not rest easy contemplate the weakness of Pakistan’s civilian control, the power of its army and the bitterness of the country’s rivalry with nuclear armed India. The army claims to require more nuclear weapons to deter India’s superior conservative arsenal. It seems unable of understanding that the real threat come from the Taliban and other extremists.
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