Nuclear weapons in safe hands: STR

In order to remove the concerns of Pakistani people after May 2 incident, about the safety and security of the nuclear weapons and delivery system, the Strategic Technology Resource (STR) on Saturday said that Pakistani nuclear weapons are in safe hands. The briefing on "Why Pakistan's nuclear assets remain secure" was organised here.
CEO STR, Dr Shireen Mazari briefed the participants about the safety of N-weapons at length. After May 2 incident, she said majority of people in Pakistan were concerned that whether the US or any other power or non-state actor could access and take over Pakistan's nuclear weapons or destroy them. She said it was not possible for any country to have access to Pakistan's nuclear facilities and weapons.
Shireen Mazari negating the propaganda said, "Non-state actors (terrorist groups) are not interested in nukes nor they need them." She said nuclear weapons are difficult to manage as they require large infrastructural support.
She said one has to remember that terrorists are on the run and have a mobile strategic doctrine. She said that nuclear weapons are not like guns or other small conventional arms that can simply be carried around endlessly. She said that Kahuta is a uranium enrichment facility and have significant fissile material stockpiles so even if we were to suffer a mishap at Kahuta, our nuclear weapons and delivery system would not be affected. She said security around the nuclear facilities is multi-tiered and immense and any attempt to come close to them for a strike will result in an immediate response, adding certainly not the same case as happened in Abbottabad, which was a residential area.
In military terms there is a distinction between a "soft target" like unarmed Osama Bin Laden and his family and a "hard target" with strong terminal defences like a nuclear facility. She reiterated that no one knows where all the weapons are located. This strict "need to know" is a deterrent by itself," she added.
Shireen Mazari said nuclear establishment has set up its own intimate and integrated security and intelligence network while over 10,000 personnel are working. She recalled in 2007, Michael O' Hanlan of Brookings suggested that the Pak military would help the US military "secure" Pak assets - an absurdity if there was once, since the US has no credibility in relation to Pakistan's nuclear assets.
She further said that US frustration was obvious as the CIA Director Leon Panetta has given statement on May 19, 2009 that the US did not know the location of all Pakistan's nuclear weapons. He admitted; "Obviously we try to understand where all these are located. We don't have, frankly, the intelligence to know where they are all located," she said while quoting the CIA Director. He also conceded that the US was confidant that the Pakistan government had a 'pretty secure approach to try to protect these weapons," Shireen said.
One major reason for the US inability to learn where our nuclear weapons and delivery systems are located is because we don't have fixed and hardened silos, she said. She said that with the development of short range missiles, Pakistan's level of nuclear alert is reduced further.
Quoting the statements of Indian Army Chief, General VK Singh, issued in October 2010, in which he declared that Pakistan had made unusual arrangements for the security of these weapons after global concerns its nuclear assets were properly secured and there was no threat to them. Concerns abroad were without substance according to him, adding that a few days earlier, he also declared that Pakistan was a threat to India's security.
She said that once again Pakistan's civilian nuclear facilities, all operating under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards have been checked and found safe. She informed about the latest IAEA endorsement to this effect coming on May 23 from the visiting IAEA Deputy Director General, Denis Flory who also pointed out that Pakistan was the 10th largest contributor to the nuclear security fund contributing $1.16 million.
Concluding the briefing, the CEO of STR said that no one can carry away missiles and warheads as it was not feasible. She added if there is an air strike to target our nukes, such attackers would surely be shot down, no matter from where they came - Americans or no Americans.