**‘Pakistan nuclear arsenal in safe hands’: Zardari
**
Updated at: 1445 PST, Monday, April 27, 2009
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Monday that Pakistan’s nuclear installations are in safe hands.
“All Pakistani nuclear installations are under extra security,” he told foreign media in an interview. “I want to assure the world that nuclear capabilities in Pakistan are in safe hands,” he said.
Zardari said that Pakistani intelligence believes Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is dead but acknowledged they had no evidence.
“The Americans tell me they don’t know, and they are much more equipped than us to trace him. And our own intelligence services obviously think that he does not exist any more, that he is dead,” Zardari said.
“But there is no evidence, you cannot take that as a fact,” he said. “We are between facts and fiction.”
Zardari was responding to reports that Pakistani Taliban in the troubled Swat valley have said they would welcome bin Laden if he wants to visit the former Pakistani hill resort which is now in the hands of Taliban.
“The question is whether he is alive or dead. There is no trace of him,” the president said.
Ruzan: Please post your own comments and what you need to discuss as per rules!
Just an open topic for discussion Captain1. I wanted to hear what pakistanis think about the safety of their nuclear arsenal, and also to report an alternative viewpoint amidst all the noise about Pakistani nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands.
Re: ‘Pakistan nuclear arsenal in safe hands’: Zardari
^ I agree its an open topic, but you would've your own opinion and thoughts on the topic too, right? so as a thread starter you are required to express your opinion first, thanks.
^ I agree its an open topic, but you would've your own opinion and thoughts on the topic too, right? so as a thread starter you are required to express your opinion first, thanks.
Fair 'nuff.
I personally feel that there is not a cat-in-hell's chance of pakistani nukes "falling into the wrong hands". If a Taliban invasion seems imminent, the National Command Authority would have made previous arrangements to shift them to an alternative location- likely Saudi Arabia or some other Middle Eastern country with strong ties to the US- or in any eventuality to dispose off them. IIRC, the majority of pakistani nukes are also fuse-removed, with a few in rapid ready-to-deploy mode for strategic deterrence. The latter is essentially what will have to be taken care of. But I believe the pakistani administration, and US influence therein, will ensure that pakistani nukes are not in any danger of being usurped.