Global Security Newswire: Pakistan, U.S. Launch Nuclear Security Talks, Officials Say
The United States could help Pakistan safeguard or destroy highly enriched uranium and other radioactive materials under arrangements being discussed by the two nations, the Boston Globe reported today (see GSN, May 4).
One plan would establish a joint program to track down and eliminate Pakistani materials that terrorists could disperse in an improvised nuclear bomb, while a second proposal would enable U.S. personnel to remove highly enriched uranium from Pakistani civilian nuclear sites for disposal in the United States, said two Obama administration officials familiar with the talks between U.S. nonproliferation experts and their counterparts in Pakistan.
Concerns about nuclear security in Pakistan have risen as authorities there face a growing threat from the Taliban and other extremist groups. The Bush administration provided $100 million for nuclear security activities in the South Asian nation, including training and deployment of detection technology.
“The Pakistanis take this very seriously. Pakistan faces some unique challenges,” said one high-level U.S. participant in the discussions. “We believe the command and control of the nuclear arsenal is a primary concern of the Pakistanis,” the official added.
The joint effort would not increase Washington’s access to Islamabad’s closely guarded nuclear arsenal, which various estimates put at between 60 and 100 weapons. However, U.S. officials said they would make the case over the next few months that Pakistan must extend similar protections to its nonmilitary nuclear assets.
Pakistan’s refusal to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty would restrict what nuclear security assistance the United States could provide, the participants in the talks warned. Other experts suggested it would be possible for Washington to circumvent such limitations, and encouraged the administration to do so.
Bolstering U.S.-Pakistani nuclear security efforts “would be a really valuable place for us to spend a lot of diplomatic energy,” said Bernard Finel, a senior fellow at the American Security Project. “The worst-case scenarios in Pakistan are worse than anywhere else” (Bryan Bender, Boston Globe, May 5).
U.S. President Barack Obama plans to discuss nuclear proliferation matters at a meeting tomorrow with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Agence France-Presse reported.
The possibility of nuclear proliferation in Pakistan and elsewhere is “something that the president thinks is of the highest priority,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. “I don’t doubt that that will be mentioned” (Agence France-Presse I/Google News, May 4).
The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday defended the security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, AFP reported.
“I remain comfortable that the nuclear weapons in Pakistan are secure, that the Pakistani leadership, and in particular the military, is very focused on this,” Adm. Michael Mullen said.
“We, the United States, have invested very significantly over the last three years to work with them to improve that security. And we’re satisfied, very satisfied, with that progress,” he said. “We all recognize, obviously, the worst downside of — with respect to Pakistan — is that those nuclear weapons come under the control of terrorists. I don’t think that’s going to happen. I don’t see that in any way imminent whatsoever at this particular point in time” (Agence France-Presse II/Yahoo!News, May 4).
Gen. James Jones, the U.S. national security adviser, expressed more concern about the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, according to AFP.
“We have received many assurances from the [Pakistani] military that this is something they have under control but this is very much an ongoing topic,” Jones said. “The world would like to know that on this question, that there’s absolute security and transparency.”
Pakistan’s efforts to protect its weapons “are moving in a more positive direction,” but Washington needs more evidence that the weapons were safe, he said.
“If Pakistan doesn’t continue in the direction that it presently is and we’re not successful there then, obviously, the nuclear question comes into view,” Jones said, calling the possibility of Taliban militants acquiring any Pakistani nuclear weapons “the very, very worst case scenario” (Agence France-Presse III/Google News, May 5).
Pakistan has placed its nuclear weapons at no more than six sites, most of which are located south of Islamabad, the Associated Press reported. The country is believed to maintain its nuclear warhead cores and their detonators separately, and the warheads have not been mounted to missiles or other delivery vehicles.
The Pakistani government bars aircraft over many of the nuclear-weapon facilities, according to AP. Various electronic equipment monitors the outer areas of the sites, highly trained military personnel keep watch inside the facilities and the weapons themselves are kept in locked areas that require access codes from two personnel, according to Pakistani officials.
Pakistani intelligence agencies routinely investigate soldiers deployed to the nuclear facilities.
“The government of Pakistan values its nuclear arsenal for strategic reasons, which means that they are highly motivated to protect it. Those responsible for the weapons are dedicated and professional,” said William Tobey, former deputy administrator for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration.
However, individuals within Pakistan’s military might “harbor a certain level of sympathy for the goals, if not the methods of the militants,” said Robert Grenier, a former CIA station chief in Islamabad (George Jahn, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, May 4).
While stealing a nuclear weapon would be difficult, a Pakistani soldier in a sensitive position could potentially provide local militants with nuclear material or technical information on weapon assembly, former CIA officer Rolf Mowatt-Larssen told CBS News.
“Material that typically finds its way for sale by a terrorist group or another buyer comes from the production of nuclear materials and can be perhaps taken out of a facility,” he said (CBS News, May 4).
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090505_5644.php
