International concerns are mounting again about the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons as fighting rages with the Taliban. But thanks to safeguards, experts worry much less about the Islamic fighters in the hills making off with a warhead. It's the radicals among the educated – potential insiders – who are in a more realistic position to abscond with nuclear material and know how to use it. Full Story »
Posted by Derek Hawkins
Not only addresses the threats of nuclear proliferation, but also the percieved threats and would have you believe they are not as grave as imagined by some people.
The main threat to nuclear weapons in all societies is the people that work on and handle them, we are wise to carefully vet all people close to them,
Informative report on international concerns about the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. This article gives a factual overview of safegards currently in place and cites a number of experts from Pakistan and the U.S. The author concludes that Taliban fighters pose less of a risk than radical insiders gaining access to nuclear materials. Interviews with nuclear physics students in Islamabad provide one more perspective: they generally oppose the use of force by Islamic fighters and appear unlikely to participate in such a radical scenario. Check the Christian Monitor podcast on the article page for an interesting interview with author Ben Arnoldy.
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