http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/20 07/November/subcontinent_November497.xml <http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2 007/November/subcontinent_November497.xml§ion=subcontinent&col> §ion=subcontinent&col= Pakistan warns against nuclear weapons grab (AFP)
12 November 2007 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan warned Monday it had sufficient 'retaliatory capacity' to defend its nuclear weapons, after a report the United States had made contingency plans to stop them falling into the wrong hands. Denouncing 'irresponsible conjecture,' the foreign ministry said Pakistan was ready and able to defend its nuclear arsenal and there was no risk of the arms being taken. Its reaction followed a Washington Post report that with Pakistan in the throes of a political crisis, the United States had drawn up contingency plans in case the Pakistani military risked losing control of the weapons. 'If there is any threat to our nuclear assets and sovereignty, we have the capacity to defend ourselves,' foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq told AFP. A ministry statement went further, saying in response to the daily's report that 'suffice it to say that Pakistan possesses adequate retaliatory capacity to defend its strategic assets and sovereignty.' The ministry strongly denied its weapons were at any risk. 'Our strategic assets are as safe as that of any other nuclear weapons state,' it said. A number of US officials and lawmakers have voiced concern that President Pervez Musharraf's government could lose control over its nuclear arsenal amid the crisis triggered by his imposition of a state of emergency. The Post cited several former US officials saying that the plans envision efforts to remove a nuclear weapon at imminent risk of falling into the hands of terrorists. However it reported that US officials were worried their limited knowledge about the location of the arsenal could pose a problem. That was laughed off by the Pakistani foreign ministry. 'If they cannot locate Pakistan's nuclear weapons despite their satellites, how can people sitting on a mountain know where they are,' it said. Pakistan, a crucial Washington ally in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taleban, has amassed some 50 nuclear weapons since detonating its first atomic devices in May 1998. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
