Pakistan's Nukes Within Terrorists' Reach?

CBS Evening News: Experts Say Taliban And Al Qaeda Sympathizers Remain Achilles Heel Of Country's Nuclear Complex

(CBS)  While calling the rising tide of Taliban violence in Pakistan cause for grave concern, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs played down the nightmare scenario of terrorists taking control of that country's nuclear weapons.

"I don't think that's going to happen," said Adm. Mike Mullen. "I don't see that in any way imminent whatsoever at this particular point in time."

But Adm. Mullen acknowledged there's a limit to what he knows since Pakistan guards its doomsday secrets as jealously as the U.S. guards its own, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

"Much of the complex is largely secret and kept so necessarily by the Pakistani government and so I'm not sure we know as much as we should," said CBS News consultant Juan Zarate.

Zarate worked with Pakistan on improving security at top secret plants during the Bush administration. He says the U.S. is not sure exactly how many weapons the Pakistanis have or where they all are.

"There are and have been Pakistani scientists or elements of the complex that have had sympathies and met with people who would be considered to be our enemies," Zarate said.

Shortly before 9/11 Osama bin Laden met directly with two Pakistani nuclear scientists. And former CIA officer Rolf Mowatt Larssen, who knows as much about Pakistan's nuclear complex as any American, says Taliban and al Qaeda sympathizers remain its Achilles heel.

"Security is strong," Larssen said, "particularly given the seriousness with which the Pakistani government approaches this unless there are people on the inside who are willing to work with terrorists."

The insiders might not be able to steal a full up weapon but might be able to smuggle out either the material or the know how to make one.

"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," Larssen said.

You don't have to be a nuclear expert to know that in a country as unstable as Pakistan there are more chances for things to go wrong. In a country with nuclear weapons that means more chances for disaster.

[souljam76]

This is a very serious matter. If Al Qeida gets the Nuclear Stuff, The United States in in Major trouble. Barrack Obama will not do anything about it. The United States voted for him cause maybe it would being instant peace to the Muslim world & that they didn't like McCain's pick of Sarah Palin

[roghil]

Well in the book and movie, they smuggled one into a port on a ship, disguised as a soda machine, took it to a football stadium and detonated it.

[globalcoolin]

WIERD HOW TALIQUEDA BUMBS WHO LIVE IN CAVES GOT MORE SENSE AND UNDERSTANDING THAN THE GREAT GAY AMERICAN WITH HIS LOW-FLOW TOILET;THE SENSE THAT WESTERN LEADERS ARE ALL WEAK AND TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR POLL NUMBERS AND ROCK STAR STATUS TO BE CONSERNED ABOUT TERRORIST GETTING IMPROVED WEAPONS.
MAYBE THERE IS A SECRET LAB DEVELOPING THE LIBERALLITE WEAPON FOR US TROOPS WHICH TICKLES THE ENEMY WITH EACH PULL OF THE TRIGGER AND GIVES THE TERRORIST 5 THOUSAND DOLLARS CASH, AS A BAIL OUT!

[mikecato18]

The Pakistani nuclear bombs, and the supply of enriched uranium , and plutonium (for making all the dirty bombs the Taliban/Al-Queda desrire) are not really a problem, since Obama is a very nice person. He is well-meaning, sincere, and sees the goodness in everyone, everywhere.His very presence, nay, his very existence will solve this problem.

[scyouth]

Does anyone know if Pakistan has ICBM technology to go with the nukes? If not, Al Quaeda nuking the US is fear-mongering.

[tbbaot]

Pakistan will slide to the dark side...it was all set up when Bhutto was killed. The world should have taken action then to secure the nukes or remove them from the country. Now it's too late.

[mysteriousjz]

This is all hype, or paranoia or propaganda to get ready for another occupation or at least another spot to rain bombs on. Enough already!!!! So many people have been bombed in their mudhouses and yet insecurity and paranoia continue.......... Start with your own backyard... more people are killed in your streets by your own than ever killed by others....

[tmittelstaed]

"...I suspect that the US,UK,France and probably Russia too would just wipe out the whole area with a complete massive nuclear assault.I really dont think Al-Queda wants to commit mass suicide by using nuclear weapons weapons.They want to stay alive in order to kill more of of what they call infidels...."Posted by goes1962

Rubbish. Of course they would explode a bomb if they could get one. The problem is they can't get one, at least not right now. As long as the MidEast has oil in it, the countries in it can do what they want and the rest of the world will let them get away with it.

My nightmare scenario is that Al Queda steals a bomb and smuggles it into the US, then puts it into a large cardboard box with a UPS logo on the side. Then a suicide bomber puts the box on a handtruck and wheels it into an elevator in one of the tallest skyscrapers in any given city, punches the button for the top floor, and when the elevator arrives at the top floor, presses the button to explode the bomb. I feel in my bones that if Al Queda ever got ahold of a nuke that this is what they would do with it.

[hungry1968-15]

Hey "iam4honesty"
YOU obviously know NOTHING of World War II AND did not read any American History. COME ON! For CHRIST SAKES, the ONLY way the United States was able to defeat the German strongholds in France was to GET IT OUT OF the Germans they captured as to *where* the supplies were being stored. No supplies=NO FIGHTING NAZI MACHINE. Are you REALLY that stupid?

GET OUT!! Enough of you!
Posted by goboblue at 8:14 PM : May 4, 2009






You might want to google: "how the allies won WWII", because you're clueless.

We won because we bombed their factories and manufacturing facilities into the stone age. Their production, couldn't match OUR production.

[hungry1968-15]

Any J*aCk*As* who thinks that "torture" is NOT warranted for national security--FIGURE IT OUT. HINDSIGHT does NOT matter when a city like Houston or L.A. gets *poofed* in a mushroom cloud, you APOLOGISTIC TWITS!

For GOD SAKES, waterboarding or locking someone in a room with a spider when they're afraid of bugs IS WARRANTED when it comes to this stuff.

Dontcha think?!! STOP APOLOGIZING TO THE WORLD for doing what we HAVE to do to keep us SAFE!!

Hello?!
Posted by goboblue at 7:09 PM : May 4, 2009





Since torture HAS NOT kept us safe, and ignoring the intelligence has MADE US MORE SUSCEPTIBLE to terrorism, then how do you figure that these remarks have any sense to them?

Bush was warned over 12 times about the pending 9/11 attacks, as early as January 2001. If we didn't torture until TWO YEARS LATER, then where did THAT intelligence come from?

Thin air?