Pakistan Expanding Nuclear Program (maybe 40 to 50 plutonium bombs a year)

The Washington Post ^ | July 24, 2006 | Joby Warrick

[neverdem]

Plant Underway Could Generate Plutonium for 40 to 50 Bombs a Year, Analysts Say

Pakistan has begun building what independent analysts say is a powerful new reactor for producing plutonium, a move that, if verified, would signal a major expansion of the country's nuclear weapons capabilities and a potential new escalation in the region's arms race.

Satellite photos of Pakistan's Khushab nuclear site show what appears to be a partially completed heavy-water reactor capable of producing enough plutonium for 40 to 50 nuclear weapons a year, a 20-fold increase from Pakistan's current capabilities, according to a technical assessment by Washington-based nuclear experts.

The construction site is adjacent to Pakistan's only plutonium production reactor, a modest, 50-megawatt unit that began operating in 1998. By contrast, the dimensions of the new reactor suggest a capacity of 1,000 megawatts or more, according to the analysis by the Institute for Science and International Security. Pakistan is believed to have 30 to 50 uranium warheads, which tend to be heavier and more difficult than plutonium warheads to mount on missiles.

"South Asia may be heading for a nuclear arms race that could lead to arsenals growing into the hundreds of nuclear weapons, or at minimum, vastly expanded stockpiles of military fissile material," the institute's David Albright and Paul Brannan concluded in the technical assessment, a copy of which was provided to The Washington Post.

The assessment's key judgments were endorsed by two other independent nuclear experts who reviewed the commercially available satellite images, provided by Digital Globe, and supporting data. In Pakistan, officials would not confirm or deny the report, but a senior Pakistani official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that a nuclear expansion was underway.

"Pakistan's nuclear program has matured. We're now consolidating the program with further expansions," the official said. The expanded...

[Gengis Khan]

Pakis have no use for hard goods or national development. They are Muslims for God sake. They only want Kashmir and then the rest of India, minus the Hindus.

The trick is we can take out Pakistan without firing a bullet let alone a nuke.

"That's why we are busy at work on all sorts of "exotic weapons" these days ~ so we can use them on Canadians "

Lucky for you. We don't really deserve to have Pakistan as our neighbour. Nobody does. But then you cant choose your neighbours or your enemies. So we just make a lot more nukes then them so that we can wipe them out completely before then can do much damage, if it has to come to pushing the button. Anyways our economy can afford a nuclear arms race, their's cant.

[muawiyah]

You people are nuts ~ all of you!! The Subcontinent is simply too small for a nuclear war.

[Gengis Khan]

Yeah and all you people are so intelligent and so superior! So tell us do we have a choice?

[muawiyah]

Sure there's a choice. Surrender.

[Gengis Khan]

Ok. You first.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Velveeta]

Thanks for the ping.