Pakistan And Its Nuclear Weapons -- Are They Safe And Locked Under Key?

Nukes Unlikely To Be Affected By Musharraf
Leaving -- Yahoo News/AP

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pervez Musharraf's departure from the presidency is unlikely to have a significant impact on how Pakistan's nuclear weapons are controlled.

Experts say a 10-member committee, and not just the president, makes decisions on how to use them and only a complete meltdown in governance — still a distant prospect in Pakistan — could put the atomic bomb in the hands of extremists.

"Pakistan's nuclear assets are not one man's property," said Maria Sultan, a defense analyst and director at the London-based South Asian Strategic Stability Institute.

"Any (political) transition in Pakistan will have no effect on Pakistan's nuclear assets because it has a very strong custodial control."

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More News On Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons

Pakistan crisis is west’s single worst nightmare -- The Herald
Loose nukes plus terrorists is disaster -- Delaware Online
'Islamic bomb' casts a long shadow -- Jerusalem Post
Rebels could win Pakistan's nuke haven -- The Australian
Pentagon plays down impact of Musharraf departure -- Reuters
U.S. counter-terrorism officials express relief over Musharraf exit -- LA Times
Pakistan, the world's most dangerous country, is still no safer -- the Telegraph

My Comment: This is the same country that produced A. Q. Khan, the man who started and developed Pakistan's nuclear program, Father of Pakistan's Atomic Bomb, Hero to the people of Pakistan, and the man who developed a clandestine international network of nuclear weapons technology proliferation from Pakistan to Libya, Iran and North Korea.

Pakistan does not pass the smell test on this. It's refusal to have outside intelligence officers from other countries (the U.S. being one of them) to question him on such a sensitive and potentially catastrophic situation tells me that they have a lot to hide from.

If a crude nuclear device or dirty bomb is ever exploded in a city, I would bet that Pakistan's fingerprints will be on it.