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| Terror Networks & Islam |
| Where terror and the bomb could meet |
| 2005-07-10 |
| Needs to be p.49-ed. Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf's June 25-26 unscheduled trip to Saudi Arabia has raised many an eyebrow in Islamabad's diplomatic circles, where it is believed the visit was meant to seek the assistance of the kingdom to circumvent the ongoing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigations into reports that the Saudis might have purchased nuclear technology from Pakistan. The speculation goes that Musharraf aimed to chalk out a joint strategy on what stance the two leaders should adopt to satisfy the IAEA and address its concerns. Saudi Arabia is under increasing pressure to open its nuclear facilities for inspection as the IAEA suspects that its nuclear program has reached a level (with Pakistani cooperation) where it should attract international attention. The pressure has also come from Europe and the United States, which want Riyadh to permit unhindered access to its nuclear facilities. Well before the IAEA probe began, the US had been investigating whether or not the father of Pakistan's nuclear program, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, sold nuclear technology to the Saudis and other Arab countries. Acting under extreme pressure from the IAEA, the Saudi government signed the Small Quantities Protocol on June 16, which makes inspections less problematic. However, the US, European Union and Australia want it to agree to full inspections. The Saudi stand is that they will agree to the demand only if other countries do so, including Israel. International apprehensions that Saudi Arabia would seek to acquire nuclear weapons have arisen periodically over the past decade. The kingdom's geopolitical situation gives it strong reasons to consider acquiring nuclear weapons: the volatile security environment in the Middle East; the growing number of states (particularly Iran and Israel) with weapons of mass destruction; and its ambition to dominate the region. International concerns intensified in 2003 in the wake of revelations about Khan's proliferation activities. The IAEA investigations show that Khan sold or offered nuclear weapons technology to Saudi Arabia and several Middle Eastern states, including Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #4 Pakistan and Saudi Arabia recently signed a 1.2 billion dollar agreement for sale of tanks, armored vehicles and trainer aircraft. This is a very strange deal. Why would Saudi purchase a billion dollars worth of Pak assembled Chinese weapons when they have the best tanks - American made M1s lying unused in storage? Well, this equipment would not be used for the Saudi military. It would equip a Pakistani armored brigade based in the kingdom. This raises another question: Why host a Pak brigade? Sadddam is gone and a single Pak brigade hardly deters Iran or Israel. A billion dollars for Pak troops? Why? One very strong possibility is the Paks are needed to protect something in Saudi. Something belonging to Pak and transferred to Saudi but under Pak command and control. Nukes. Pak missiles would provide Saudi with deterrent capability and provide Pak with a launch site far from Indian strike aircraft. |
| Posted by: john 2005-07-10 16:30 |
| #3 DO, There has been much informed speculation to just that. The Saudis financed the Paki A-bomb and speculation is that they got warheads in return. The Chinese designed, Pakistani built bombs would make a nice little payload for the Saudi's Chinese built DF-3 ballistic missiles (2500km range). |
| Posted by: ed 2005-07-10 12:37 |
| #2 Who wants to bet that the Sods haven't just out and out bought complete bombs from the Paks? Why buy all that expensive tech and knowhow when you have enough money and pull that you can just buy the final product. Others have commented how incompetent and featherbedding the Sods are. What makes anyone think they could run a fuel cycle and weapon production line either by themselves or by importing enough Pak or other foreign experts? |
| Posted by: DO 2005-07-10 11:50 |
| #1 Look. Bush's sensitivites are a bit to much to stomach. Why isn't there a massive wetworks or contract let to remove the nutcase branches of the Saudi Royal Pig Sty? There are 5000 primary and 50,000 secondary royals. Assume 10% matter! That means 500 primary and 5,000 secondary tits up. Its reasonable!!! Why isn't it being done? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-07-10 11:11 |