US Joint Chiefs Chair Adm Mullen has conceded that Pakistan’s nuclear programme is different from those of Iran and North Korea because it makes ‘extraordinary efforts’ to protect its nuclear weapons while there’s no reason to trust those two countries. His statement at a public forum in Aspen, Colorado, follows a meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group in New Zealand last week where the US, contrary to media speculations, did not raise a Chinese plan to build two nuclear reactors in Pakistan. Mullen said: "These are the most important weapons in the Pakistani arsenal.That is understood by the leadership, and they go to extraordinary efforts to protect and secure them. These are their crown jewels.""Resuming US-Pakistan relations that had ended in the 1990s also was important in light of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, he said. Dawn reported on Apr 29 that the US was unlikely to block the China-Pakistan nuclear deal, quoting a Washington think-tank, which observed that the US-India nuclear deal prevented the Obama administration from doing so.But powerful newspapers like the NYT and the WaPo insisted that the US would raise the issue at the NSG meeting. Mullen not only defended Pakistan’s efforts to protect its nuclear arsenal but also pointed out that the Pakistani programme aimed at deterring a perceived threat from India, unlike those of Iran and North Korea that Washington says would have destabilising affects around the world, saying:"I have raised this issue with the Pakistani military since Day 1. As much as we are focused on this threat, and the Pakistanis are more than they used to be, they see a threat in India and this is their deterrent. They see this as a huge part of their national security."
"By contrast, he said of Iran: There isn’t any reason to trust them. There is an uncertainty associated with Iran that is very consistent with Iran for a long time."
"North Korea’s desire for nuclear weapons and its increasing aggressiveness were cause for concern, the US military chief said, adding that he’d put North Korea “at the top of the list” of nuclear proliferation concerns. The Chinese plan for building two additional nuclear plants in Pakistan, however, was raised informally during the five-day NSG meeting but was not placed on the agenda, apparently because Beijing ignored all efforts to hold a public debate on this issue."
"In a statement issued at the end of the plenary meeting, the 46-state group of nuclear exporters said it “took note of briefings on developments concerning non-NSG states. It agreed on the value of ongoing consultation and transparency.” Pakistan is not a member of the NSG, which regulates nuclear trade and generally prohibits exports to nations that have not joined the NPT. Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons outside the pact, as does India, which received a waiver from the export control organisation in 2008 and has since finalised nuclear trade deals with a number of NSG nations.China, however, insists that any civilian nuclear trade with Pakistan would not violate its international commitments as it was only implementing an agreement it signed with Pakistan before joining the NSG in 2004."
"I believe the leadership in Pakistan recognises the importance of how it all turns out in Afghanistan,” he said. “We are in agreement that Afghanistan needs to be stable and peaceful. How we get there and the long-term commitment is critical. That’s a huge part of the engagement strategy with Pakistan.”The US and NATO strategy in Afghanistan is to dismantle the leadership of al-Qaeda to make the terrorist group ineffective. “And the al-Qaeda leadership resides in Pakistan,”
After going through all the statements given by Mullen,it is very obvious that America is fully trapped in Afghanistan and is helpless to deal with the ongoing situation therein.He admitted in one of his statements that "Pakistan is much more than it used to be".By saying this he admitted the fact that Pak Forces are best in the world.At this conjuncture,US wants the way out as it can't deny this fact that fighting in Afghanistan means total destruction of US forces.Now they want our help and this is why they are supporting our nuclear program.America's strategy in Afghanistan has totally failed and now they are worried about their future in Afghanistan and they are completely on the tenterhooks.Latest F-16s handed over to Pakistan by US and above quoted statements of Mike Mullen supporting our nuclear program are a gesture of showing a good will for Pakistan.It is obvious from this series of events that US is in a thick soup and its interest lies in good diplomatic and military relations with Pakistan and this is the right time when we must make a right move.We must get our own jobs done.At this point of time US will agree to all the commitments made by us but we must never serve for their interest and we will never do.Our leadership needs to take very shrewd steps to invigorate our own agenda.INSHA ALLAH End of our enemies is near.LONG LIVE PAKISTAN
