Interesting to see Pakistan 'expanding' their nuke weapons program

[bigtree]

. . . at the same time the administration is pushing to triple the money we provide to keep them safe (along with a host of other ambitions goals we've outlined for their military and government). I wonder where they're getting the money to fund their new, smaller, lighter warheads they've planned to produce? Funny how republicans and others have been trying to get the same warhead 'refurbishing' program started here in the U.S., but have been (thankfully) rejected repeatedly. Now here's the U.S., posturing to broker some sort of nuclear non-proliferation treaty in the future, whistling past Pakistan's plans to produce smaller (presumably), more usable nukes - just like in the neocon's PNAC wet dreams. Interesting.


Despite Taliban turmoil, Pakistan expands nuke plants

Jonathan S. Landay | McClatchy Newspapers
May 01, 2009 09:23:40 PM

WASHINGTON — Pakistan is expanding its nuclear weapons program even as Islamic extremists in northwest Pakistan advance in the direction of several highly sensitive nuclear-related sites, U.S. officials and other experts said this week.

Pakistan's government is completing two new nuclear reactors to produce plutonium for weapons that would be smaller, lighter and more efficient than the 60-odd highly enriched uranium-fueled warheads that Pakistan is now thought to possess, the officials and experts said.

David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security, a former U.N. weapons inspector, said the United States "hasn't engaged Pakistan . . . in years" in discussions on the expansion of its nuclear weapons program. He said the Obama administration should make it a priority to convince Pakistan to join international negotiations on a global agreement to end the production of nuclear weapons fuel.

"There are (U.S. officials) who are convinced that things aren't so good. There has just been a happy face put on it," he said.


read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/national-security/v-print/story/67379.html

[H2O Man]

1. Very reassuring,

and likely to add to the long-term stability of the nation and region.

Yikes!

[leveymg]

2. Just making them more competitive in the international marketplace for discount WMD

Now, they can compete for the international trade with Azerbijan, Turkmenistan and Indonesia on a level footing.

Be prepared to haggle.

[leftstreet]

3. "smaller, lighter, more efficient" - it's like they're Going Green!

:P

We all must do our (weapons) parts.

K&R

[bigtree]

4. development of new weapons will increase pressure for nuclear testing

. . . pretty slick to allow Pakistan to move forward and, likely, later argue that the U.S. is lagging behind.

[bigtree]

5. U.S. just a concerned bystander as Pakistan expands its nuclear weapons program

"Current US policy, focused primarily on shoring up Pakistan's resources for fighting the Taliban and al-Qaida, has had the unfortunate effect of turning the US into more of a concerned bystander of Pakistan's expansion of its ability to produce nuclear weapons," Albright said in the report, co-authored with Paul Brannan.

Guardian article:

"In the current climate, with Pakistan's leadership under duress from daily acts of violence by insurgent Taliban forces and organised political opposition, the security of any nuclear material produced in these reactors is in question," Albright said in a report (pdf) issued by the independent Institute for Science and International Security in Washington.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/03/pakistan-nuclear-security