Okay, one of my friends suggested that I should read this to his astonishment, we found a lots of errors and misreporting. I am going to highlight the conradicting and inaccurate remarks. Its long, if you want to read it just click the link below. Here goes nothing!
The issue is very sensitive. Pakistan, or at least some elements of the Pakistani government, has been very helpful in the war on terror, but other elements of the Pakistani government have participated in single most dangerous proliferation of nuclear weapons in the atomic age.
No, not some elements in pak government... just 11 individuals according to reports from around the world and Pakistani officials.
Not only was Khalid Sheik Mohammed grabbed in Rawalpindi, but Ramzi bin al-Shibh, the on-ground organizer of the Hamburg cell was grabbed in Karachi, Abu Zubaydah, the al-Qaida “dean of students†was grabbed in Faisalabad, and Khallad, the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing was grabbed in a Karachi suburb. And of course, the United States believes strongly that Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri are holed up in a remote area of south Waziristan, in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier. Pakistani troops are searching for the two of them, although there are disputes as to how hard they are looking.
Doesn't that tell us something? That pakistan is very well aware of the problem posed by terrorism and is doing everything to get these idiots? Then, why would it give nukes to the people its trying to kill and capture!?
The nuclear force
At the center of the fears is the Pakistani nuclear force. Conventional wisdom has always held that India, with its advanced industrial base and wealth of scientific knowledge and experience, has significantly more nuclear weapons than Pakistan. The reverse is true.
New U.S. intelligence analyses of nuclear weapons in South Asia indicates that Pakistan now has greater nuclear capability — both in terms of numbers of weapons and quality of delivery systems — than India. Moreover, its weapons are more secure, say people with knowledge of the two programs. [keep this point in your head, will raise it again.]
The numbers, if known with specificity, are classified, but a senior U.S. intelligence official said the Pakistanis have an “almost 2-1 margin†in nuclear weapons. The best guess is that Pakistan has about 40+ weapons with India having somewhere in the high 20’s.
When asked about frequent reports that India has between 25 and 100 nuclear weapons one U.S. intelligence official said that the Pakistanis “are more likely to have those numbers than the Indians.†The most frequently cited number for Pakistan had been around 15 nuclear weapons. Moreover, the official said that the number of nukes ready for use may be greater in Pakistan than in India. “I don’t think their [the Indians’] program is as advanced as the Paks’.â€
Pakistan also has greater air and missile capability and both are “fully capable of a nuclear exchange if something happens.†the official added. Other officials noted that Pakistan’s air force, with its U.S. F-16’s and its French Mirage fighter bombers has some of the best penetrating fighter-bombers in the world.
Okay, now MSNBC decides that pakistani weapons are much better (sorry gf) than Indian and that its weapons are more secure. If I was the "world" i would be worrying about Indian weapons. (no offense intended for indian friends/visitors, please read on the rest)
it has around 30 missiles: the Chinese M-11 short range missile and its Pakistani variant, the Tarmuk, as well as the North Korean Nodong intermediate-range missile known locally as the Ghauri. India on the other hand has no nuclear-capable missiles and fewer and less capable MiG fighter bombers, although it has twice tested the Agni missile, an intermediate range missile that could provide the basis of an ICBM force. Current U.S. analysis is that the Agni will not be fielded with nuclear warheads for another 10 years. The Pentagon document states that Indian “research into missile warhead design probably is underway†but is not complete. Also underway but not complete is research into the miniaturization of nuclear weapons, critical for both warhead and other weapons design.
What the hell is Tarmuk? And its variant of M-11 missile? Pakistan does have m-11 as far as I know, but no such thing as Tarmuk. Very bad reporting!
’The Islamic Bomb’: But in whose service is the bomb?
Pakistan is aiming for a “nuclear armed Islamic bloc around the world†says a U.S. intelligence analyst who has followed the country’s program for more than a decade. A senior U.S. intelligence official agreed, saying it is “Islamic nationalism†more than any other factor that has guided Pakistani dispersal of nuclear technology around the world.
If that was the case, Pakistan would have already provided Al-Qaeda with nukes that it requires along with Iran, Iraq, saudia and Egypt. And I don't think it would be humiliating its top scientists for proliferation!
“Their aim is to thwart what they see as the U.S nuclear hegemony. They want an Islamic bomb as a deterrent for the Islamic world to counter what they see as the Christian bomb, the Jewish bomb, the Hindu bomb,†the analyst added.
If everyone has it no one will bomb anyone.
This is where it gets funny and interesting:
Nuclear security
Leaving aside physical security, there is no nuclear arsenal as insecure as Pakistan’s is today. The litany of evidence is remarkable.
If you remember the quote above saying how secure Pakistani nukes were than India and now this. My question: Does that mean india's weapons are less secure even less than pakistani less secure weapons? Pakistan recently created NCA - National Command Authority which is a much better way to control nuclear material but this article does not make any mention of that. Its mind boggling how much bad and wrong info is put into this long and boring article. If terrorists wanted to get their hands on Pakistani nukes, they would have done it by now but in last 20 years that hasn't happened and I don't see any reason why it would happen in the next 20 years.
Al-Qaida attempt to get to the nukes
The easiest way for al-Qaida to gain control of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons would be for them or their allies, Jaish E Mohammed, to kill Musharraf and take over the country in a civil war or, more likely, have radical Islamic elements of the Pakistani army mount a coup. But there is ample evidence that al-Qaida has long been interested in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons technology.
Support for Musharraf in Pakistan is above 80% and support for these radical terrorist groups is around 1-2% and even most religious people don't support them because their way is the wrong way.
Mehmood ran Khusab, the nuclear reactor where Pakistan produces its plutonium,
I believe Khusab is where Pakistan produces Uranium. Right? Please correct me if i'm wrong.
I don't know how this article was written but it has some errors and that is not good.
You can read the full article here
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4216102/
The issue is very sensitive. Pakistan, or at least some elements of the Pakistani government, has been very helpful in the war on terror, but other elements of the Pakistani government have participated in single most dangerous proliferation of nuclear weapons in the atomic age.
No, not some elements in pak government... just 11 individuals according to reports from around the world and Pakistani officials.
Not only was Khalid Sheik Mohammed grabbed in Rawalpindi, but Ramzi bin al-Shibh, the on-ground organizer of the Hamburg cell was grabbed in Karachi, Abu Zubaydah, the al-Qaida “dean of students†was grabbed in Faisalabad, and Khallad, the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing was grabbed in a Karachi suburb. And of course, the United States believes strongly that Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri are holed up in a remote area of south Waziristan, in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier. Pakistani troops are searching for the two of them, although there are disputes as to how hard they are looking.
Doesn't that tell us something? That pakistan is very well aware of the problem posed by terrorism and is doing everything to get these idiots? Then, why would it give nukes to the people its trying to kill and capture!?
The nuclear force
At the center of the fears is the Pakistani nuclear force. Conventional wisdom has always held that India, with its advanced industrial base and wealth of scientific knowledge and experience, has significantly more nuclear weapons than Pakistan. The reverse is true.
New U.S. intelligence analyses of nuclear weapons in South Asia indicates that Pakistan now has greater nuclear capability — both in terms of numbers of weapons and quality of delivery systems — than India. Moreover, its weapons are more secure, say people with knowledge of the two programs. [keep this point in your head, will raise it again.]
The numbers, if known with specificity, are classified, but a senior U.S. intelligence official said the Pakistanis have an “almost 2-1 margin†in nuclear weapons. The best guess is that Pakistan has about 40+ weapons with India having somewhere in the high 20’s.
When asked about frequent reports that India has between 25 and 100 nuclear weapons one U.S. intelligence official said that the Pakistanis “are more likely to have those numbers than the Indians.†The most frequently cited number for Pakistan had been around 15 nuclear weapons. Moreover, the official said that the number of nukes ready for use may be greater in Pakistan than in India. “I don’t think their [the Indians’] program is as advanced as the Paks’.â€
Pakistan also has greater air and missile capability and both are “fully capable of a nuclear exchange if something happens.†the official added. Other officials noted that Pakistan’s air force, with its U.S. F-16’s and its French Mirage fighter bombers has some of the best penetrating fighter-bombers in the world.
Okay, now MSNBC decides that pakistani weapons are much better (sorry gf) than Indian and that its weapons are more secure. If I was the "world" i would be worrying about Indian weapons. (no offense intended for indian friends/visitors, please read on the rest)
it has around 30 missiles: the Chinese M-11 short range missile and its Pakistani variant, the Tarmuk, as well as the North Korean Nodong intermediate-range missile known locally as the Ghauri. India on the other hand has no nuclear-capable missiles and fewer and less capable MiG fighter bombers, although it has twice tested the Agni missile, an intermediate range missile that could provide the basis of an ICBM force. Current U.S. analysis is that the Agni will not be fielded with nuclear warheads for another 10 years. The Pentagon document states that Indian “research into missile warhead design probably is underway†but is not complete. Also underway but not complete is research into the miniaturization of nuclear weapons, critical for both warhead and other weapons design.
What the hell is Tarmuk? And its variant of M-11 missile? Pakistan does have m-11 as far as I know, but no such thing as Tarmuk. Very bad reporting!
’The Islamic Bomb’: But in whose service is the bomb?
Pakistan is aiming for a “nuclear armed Islamic bloc around the world†says a U.S. intelligence analyst who has followed the country’s program for more than a decade. A senior U.S. intelligence official agreed, saying it is “Islamic nationalism†more than any other factor that has guided Pakistani dispersal of nuclear technology around the world.
If that was the case, Pakistan would have already provided Al-Qaeda with nukes that it requires along with Iran, Iraq, saudia and Egypt. And I don't think it would be humiliating its top scientists for proliferation!
“Their aim is to thwart what they see as the U.S nuclear hegemony. They want an Islamic bomb as a deterrent for the Islamic world to counter what they see as the Christian bomb, the Jewish bomb, the Hindu bomb,†the analyst added.
If everyone has it no one will bomb anyone.
This is where it gets funny and interesting:
Nuclear security
Leaving aside physical security, there is no nuclear arsenal as insecure as Pakistan’s is today. The litany of evidence is remarkable.
If you remember the quote above saying how secure Pakistani nukes were than India and now this. My question: Does that mean india's weapons are less secure even less than pakistani less secure weapons? Pakistan recently created NCA - National Command Authority which is a much better way to control nuclear material but this article does not make any mention of that. Its mind boggling how much bad and wrong info is put into this long and boring article. If terrorists wanted to get their hands on Pakistani nukes, they would have done it by now but in last 20 years that hasn't happened and I don't see any reason why it would happen in the next 20 years.
Al-Qaida attempt to get to the nukes
The easiest way for al-Qaida to gain control of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons would be for them or their allies, Jaish E Mohammed, to kill Musharraf and take over the country in a civil war or, more likely, have radical Islamic elements of the Pakistani army mount a coup. But there is ample evidence that al-Qaida has long been interested in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons technology.
Support for Musharraf in Pakistan is above 80% and support for these radical terrorist groups is around 1-2% and even most religious people don't support them because their way is the wrong way.
Mehmood ran Khusab, the nuclear reactor where Pakistan produces its plutonium,
I believe Khusab is where Pakistan produces Uranium. Right? Please correct me if i'm wrong.
I don't know how this article was written but it has some errors and that is not good.
You can read the full article here
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4216102/