The nuclear axis

The political father of Pakistan8217;s nuclear programme, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, gave the game away on day one when he dubbed its nuclear weapon as the 8220;Islamic bomb8221;. Evidence of Pakistani nuclear proliferation in Iran and Libya suggests someone in Pakistan took Bhutto8217;s vision seriously. There could well be a Saudi connection as well to this entire project. Long time friends and 8220;allies8221; doing the unthinkable? Billions of dollars of aid going to a country that is proliferating into dangerous territory? Is this some B-grade Hollywood thriller or what?

No news report about nuclear proliferation in Asia can really be news to US policy makers who have been repeatedly warned by their own intelligence agencies about a proliferation nexus between Pakistan, North Korea and other countries, perhaps including China, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Libya. There is adequate, convincing and now mounting evidence of Pakistan8217;s links with both 8220;rogue8221; states from the so-called 8220;axis of evil8221; category and more respectable nations in search of nuclear deterrence. As Pakistan8217;s most munificent benefactor at present, the US must reconsider the level of its commitment to a regime clearly engaged in a long-term game of hurting US8217;s strategic interests in the region. On the one hand, India was lectured sanctimoniously and punished with sanctions for always saying it had a nuclear programme and never denying its intention to go nuclear if the world refused to concede universal disarmament, it has never been adequately lauded or rewarded for steadfastly refusing to proliferate. On the other hand, Pakistan has been rewarded economically and politically for ostensible cooperation in the 8220;war against terrorism8221; with inadequate pressure being exerted in the direction of democratising Pakistan and reducing the power of the military. The so-called 8220;nuclear powers8221;, the veto powers in the UN Security Council, have also done little to expose the nuclear proliferation activity of China, Pakistan and North Korea.

What is more troubling about Pakistan8217;s nuclear programme is that it is almost entirely under military control and even within the military in the charge of a select few. Perhaps none of Pakistan8217;s democratically elected leaders has ever been fully briefed about its nuclear programme and capability. It may not any longer be a wild idea to suggest that the US must secure control of Pakistan8217;s nuclear programme. With US troops based in Pakistan and given the economic clout that it has acquired through financial aid, it is best placed to exercise restraint on Pakistan8217;s nuclear programme and proliferation agenda. US analysts routinely refer to the India-Pakistan border as a nuclear 8220;flashpoint8221;. The exposure of Pakistan8217;s proliferation activity should show clearly where lies the real threat.