[NukeNet] Pakistani Nukes: US Special Forces on Standby Over Nuclear Threat

[Bill Smirnow]

Special forces on standby over nuclear threat

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/foreign/display.var.1933388.0.Special_forces_on_standby_over_nuclear_threat.php

IAN BRUCE, Defence Correspondent December 31 2007
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US special forces snatch squads are on standby to seize or disable
Pakistan's nuclear arsenal in the event of a collapse of government
authority or the outbreak of civil war following the assassination of
Benazir Bhutto.

The troops, augmented by volunteer scientists from America's Nuclear
Emergency Search Team organisation, are under orders to take control of an
estimated 60 warheads dispersed around six to 10 high-security Pakistani
military bases.

Military sources say contingency plans have been reviewed over the past
three days to prevent any of Pakistan's atomic weapons falling into the
hands of Islamic extremists if the administration of President Pervez
Musharraf appears threatened by civil unrest.
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Some of the special forces are already believed to be in neighbouring
Afghanistan and on alert for the mission. It is also understood that
satellite surveillance of Pakistan has been stepped up to keep track of the
possible movement of nuclear weapons and missile delivery systems.

According to a US Congressional report published in November, Pakistan's
nuclear deterrent consists of warheads for missiles and bombs dropped from
aircraft.

To maintain security, the weapons are not stored fully-assembled. Warheads,
detonators and missiles are kept separately, but able to be married up
"fairly quickly" in the event of a national crisis such as confrontation
with India.

While the US has stated publicly its confidence that Pakistan's military has
the weapons "under effective technical control", Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice admitted two years ago that if there was a radical Islamic
coup, the US was "prepared to try to deal with it".

Internal security at Pakistan's nuclear storage sites is the responsibility
of a 10,000-man security force commanded by a two-star general. Every member
of the force is vetted with the aim of weeding out sympathisers of the
Taliban and al Qaeda or anyone with extreme Islamic views.

US diplomatic and military initiatives since 2001 have concentrated on
trying to ensure that pro-western commanders were in charge at the most
sensitive sites.

There has also been pressure to keep Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency,
thought to contain a number of high-ranking pro-Taliban supporters, out of
the nuclear loop.