Leaks expose US and UK fears over Pakistan nuclear arms

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

US and UK diplomats feared Pakistan's nuclear material could fall into the hands of terrorists, the latest leaked classified US diplomatic cables reveal.

The documents, released by Wikileaks, warn that Pakistan is rapidly building its nuclear stockpile despite the country's growing instability.

Meanwhile, the US State Department says it has "temporarily severed" a database of cables from military computers.

The move is part of efforts to stop further leaks of confidential material.

In one of the latest cables to be released by Wikileaks, senior UK Foreign Office official Mariot Leslie told US diplomats in September 2009 that Britain had "deep concerns about the safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons".

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11882019

---

WikiLeaks cables expose Pakistan nuclear fears
US and UK diplomats warn of terrorists getting hold of fissile material and of Pakistan-India nuclear exchange

David Leigh
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday November 30 2010 20.18 GMT

American and British diplomats fear Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme could lead to fissile material falling into the hands of terrorists or a devastating nuclear exchange with India.

The latest cache of US embassy cables released by WikiLeaks contains warnings that Pakistan is rapidly building its nuclear stockpile despite the country's growing instability and "pending economic catastrophe".

Mariot Leslie, a senior British Foreign Office official, told US diplomats in September 2009: "http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/226331">The UK has deep concerns about the safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons," according to one cable classified "secret/noforn (no foreign nationals)".

Seven months earlier the US ambassador to Islamabad, Anne Patterson, cabled to Washington: "Our major concern is not having an Islamic militant steal an entire weapon but rather the chance http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/190330">someone working in government of Pakistan facilities could gradually smuggle enough material out to eventually make a weapon."

Read More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/30/wikileaks-cables-pakistan-nuclear-fears

[Turborama]

1. Wikileaks: Pakistan rejects US fears on nuclear arms (Really Good Report & Analysis From The BBC)

Here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11885588