From ABC’s The Blotter:
A satellite photograph obtained by ABC News reveals Pakistan is nearing completion of a third, previously unknown plutonium production reactor, suggesting Pakistan may be planning to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal.
“With large stocks of plutonium, Pakistan can build a new generation of lighter, more powerful weapons that can more easily be launched via missiles and can cause far more damage,” said David Albright, the president of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), which, along with Digital Globe, provided the satellite image to ABC News.
The image, taken on June 3, indicates the new reactor is a replica of a second heavy water reactor, also under construction, at Khushab, approximately 109 miles south of Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital.
The third reactor is located a few hundred meters to the north of the second. The original reactor at the site began operations in 1998.
According to Albright, construction of the third reactor has been especially rapid. In the GeoEye image from August 2006, only minimal ground excavation is visible.
The Pakistani Embassy had no immediate comment
— presumably because, “oh, you saw that, did you?” would seem just a little bit silly.
Nuke that mother!
"A few hundred meters" is well within the kill-zone for the 1-megaton-plus warhead(s) already targeted on that site, my friend. No worries… Oops. Did I say that out loud?
That’s all right by me if you did. Pakistan still needs to suffer for its part in 9/11 for the gigantic public morality play of crime and punishment to be obvious in the Muslim world.
Is it just me, or is Pakistan one car bomb shy of becoming a severe pain in the ass?
‘Zactly, Dirk. That’s the one that gives me real, live sleepless nights.
Wait a minute — Pakistan is one of our staunchest allies in the GWOT. I heard the Prez say so. It isn’t like they have a bunch of Islamist wackos who could come to power with just a couple of assassinations or anything. And SURELY they wouldn’t dream of letting any of that weapons grade stuff fall into the wrong hands, would they? I mean, they have all sorts of safeguards in place, don’t they?
Don’t they?
This is a job for….India! A little nuclear winter will counterbalance India’s contribution to global warming in that area.
Pakistan an ally? Maybe so, but as previously stated the leadership of Pakistan can be taken down easily. Anybody remember what happened to that guy from Iran, what was name? Oh yes, the Shah of Iran. Fundementalism spreads like a disease, and I think in Pakistan’s case, radical Islam can steamroll. Nuclear winter here we come……..
Pakistan is one more phony shotgun marriage of a country, bounded by utterly artificial frontiers that were a product of various colonial aims. India has more Muslims than Pakistan, and the eastern half of the country is predominantly Punjabi; it ought to be a part of India. The Western frontier areas, currently the source of so many headaches, were part of Afghanistan until 1893, when the British government imposed the "Durand Line" that divided the Pashtun tribes roughly in half – this was done deliberately with the goal of fracturing the Pashtun, weakening Afghanistan, and making the frontier area more tractable. In reality, the Afghan government has never accepted the division and continues to periodically request a revision of the frontier.
The real answer is that Pakistan should be repartitioned; the Punjabi parts should return to India, and Afghanistan should reclaim the Pashtuns.
This is almost certainly impracticable right now, but if circumstances arise, we ought to do some serious thinking about just how we denuclearize the place, demobilize its Army, and return the two portions to the States they have historically belonged to.
And yes, I do understand that it might have to be done at Trident D-5 point. I’m just saying, is all.
(mumbles, looks for AAT*) *AAT = Attitude Alignment Tool, ie: a 2-foot section of 3/4-inch chrome-moly bar stock.
test test is it the mail domain?
Looks like it’s keying on mail domains, Jeff. "@home.com" no workee…
Does this work?
I had a theory about that, once upon a time…
In public utterances, yes Pakistan is a staunch ally. Of course, the President is this country’s first diplomat, and the definition of a diplomat is one who is paid to lie for his country. The reality of Pakistan is much different from those public utterances, but polite fiction has to be maintained in diplomacy. The truth can be considered very, very, impolite in some societies – for instance, the U.S. Congress, where every member is refered to as "My esteemed colleague" and not as "That twisty beady eyed weasel".
And yes, I know you were being satirical, SJY.
Yup. They are still steamed about it – and the Paks are none too pleased when the Afghans brng it up. Heh.
And it would also be totally uncharacteristic for a section of Pakistan to be so wild and uncontrollable that not even the Pakistani government has de facto jurisdiction, making it an ideal place for certain “militants” to hide out there while plotting the overthrow of the free world.
Nor is Pakistan’s “CIA” heavily infiltrated with jihadi sympathists. So I guess we can thank all our sundry gods for that.
Thank God. For a while there I thought I was going to have to put a disclaimer on my comments.
This may explain why the Geraniums are beavering away trying to spin enough to join the club;
Thank God. For a while there I thought I was going to have to put a disclaimer on my comments."
Oh no, I just needed an opening to call any member of Congress a twisty beady eyed weasel, and I ssaw one.