Posted on 02/17/2013 1:26:55 PM PST by Jyotishi
Washington - Even as Pakistan tested yet another nuclear-capable missile on Friday, a new report from the US Congressional Research Service has estimated that the Pakistani arsenal probably consists of about 90-110 nuclear warheads, noting “it could be larger”.
“Islamabad is producing fissile material, adding to related production facilities, and deploying additional delivery vehicles. These steps could enable Pakistan to undertake both quantitative and qualitative improvements to its nuclear arsenal,” says the report, authored by Paul K Kerr and Mary Beth Nikitin, specialists on nonproliferation issues.
The CRS, which produces periodic background reports and updates for the benefit of lawmakers, wonders if Pakistan’s current expansion is in response to the 2008 US-India civil nuclear deal. The study, citing a public estimate, puts India’s stockpile at 60-80 nuclear weapons.
“Whether and to what extent Pakistan’s current expansion of its nuclear weapons-related facilities is a response to the 2008 US-India nuclear cooperation agreement is unclear,” the report says.
Ever since the first moves in 2005 on the US-India nuclear deal, Pakistan has been seeking a similar agreement, but Washington has cold-shouldered its demands.
“Pakistan’s strategic doctrine is undeclared, and will probably remain so, but prominent officials and analysts have offered insights concerning its basic tenets,” the report says, listing them as aiming to “deter all forms of external aggression; deter through a combination of conventional and strategic forces; deter counterforce strategies by securing strategic assets and threatening nuclear retaliation; and stabilize strategic deterrence in South Asia”.
“Pakistani officials have also indicated that this nuclear posture is designed to preserve territorial integrity against Indian attack, prevent military escalation, and counter its main rival’s conventional superiority,” it notes.
While a fundamental aspect of nuclear security is ensuring that personnel with sensitive knowledge do not proliferate that expertise, Pakistan has recognised this aspect of nuclear security only in the past 10 years.
The report notes that following the 2004 revelations about the AQ Khan nuclear network, Islamabad has taken a number of steps to improve its nuclear security and to prevent further proliferation of nuclear-related technologies and materials. These include stronger export control laws, improved personnel security, and international nuclear security cooperation.
Even so, CRS stresses that the instability in Pakistan has called the extent and durability of these reforms into question. “Some observers fear radical takeover of a government that possesses a nuclear bomb, or proliferation by radical sympathizers within Pakistan’s nuclear complex in case of a breakdown of controls,” the report says, adding: “While US and Pakistani officials continue to express confidence in controls over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, continued instability in the country could impact these safeguards.”
I bet before Obama leaves office, we will have fewer than a lot of countries. He really really wants to disarm America.
Yes and we are headed for zero if we do not stop Obama from his goals.
Guess all those genius work visas paid off for peace ..../sarcasm
Hopefully all low order smokers whose only threat is DDOT !
(Don’t drop on toes)
and all the sheeple will genuflect and say, Amen.
All our foes are building new nukes, while jack*** Obama wants to reduce our stockpile to a couple of hundred. I swear his administration is nothing but a disaster for this country. I pray everyday that the damage he does can eventually be reversed by someone who actually cares about this country in the future.
You think?
I used to think that Bush the Younger deserved the Nobel Prize for sending Rumsfeld over there to stop a nuclear war between Pakistan and India.
Now I think he made a huge mistake.
Sure glad we have a strong missile defense set up! Oh wait.....
I’m glad Pakistan is a stable country free from jihadiot influence, so there’s no chance a Pak nuke could end up in the hands of a lunatic mooselimb.
/sarcasm tag for those who doubted.
90. 110. What difference does it make?
Pakistan and Iran share a border. Iran wants nukes to use against Israel. Pakistan has nukes and needs cash. Iran has cash.
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