Al-Queda infiltration into Pakistan Military makes Pak nukes unsafe
Renu Malhotra
Dec. 2, 2007

The Taliban and Al-Queda have their eyes on the Pakistani nukes for along time. Their strategic plan is to quietly take them over and no one will even notice or understand what really happened.

As Musharraf is busy maintaining his so-called ‘one man show’ in Pakistan, Al-Queda has infiltrated the Pakistani Military at all levels and ranks. There is enough Al-Queda sympathy in Pakistan for that to happen. Pakistan's Nuclear Command and Control System have become more complex than ever. It is under control of various parts of the Government infrastructure. National Command Authority (NCA) manages Pakistan's nuclear forces. According to Pakistani government sources, the NCA is responsible for policy formulation and will "exercise employment and development control over all strategic forces and strategic organizations."

The NCA comprises an Employment Control Committee (ECC), a Development Control Committee (DCC), and a Strategic Plans Division (SPD). Of all these, the terrorists have their eye on the Employment Control Committee (ECC) for a long time. Al-Queda is trying for a long time to infiltrate and have their own people well entrenched into the NCA.

The major leaders of the Pakistani Government chair the ECC. Other members include the ministers of foreign affairs, defense, interior; the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff committee; the three service chiefs; the director-general of the SPD, and technical advisors as required. In recent years the ISI also have gained ground in the NCA. That is where the real vulnerability lies. The ISI is well infiltrated by the Al-Queda and other terror groups.

Al-Queda and other extremists have also tried to infiltrate the DCC. The DCC controls the "development of strategic assets." The head of the Pakistani government also chairs the DCC. Other members include the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff committee; the three service chiefs; the director-general of the SPD; and representatives of strategic organizations and the scientific community.

The SPD acts as the secretariat for the NCA and is responsible for establishing a reliable command, control, communications, computer, and intelligence network. The SPD is located in the joint services headquarters and is led by a senior army officer.

AL-Queda and other terror groups in Pakistan need a very few people in the NCA to take control of the nukes when the Government is thrown into chaos and the Pakistani Army is divided into opposing groups the middle of fighting a civil war. Pakistan reently reacted angrily to a suggestion that the US should send its troops to secure Islamabad's nuclear arsenal, asserting that it had "adequate retaliatory capacity to defend its strategic assets and sovereignty".

Sending troops will not do any good. It will be too late and as a matter of fact can cause a nuclear retaliation against India and Israel by Pakistan. Slowly and steadily the UN Security Council should ask Pakistan to work towards an international command and control structure by which Pak nukes are really safe from the extremists who are well entrenched into Pakistani Military, ISI and Pakistan's Nuclear Command and Control System.

Al-Queda infiltration into Pakistan Military makes Pak nukes unsafe
Renu Malhotra
AL-Queda and other terror groups in Pakistan need a very few people in the NCA to take control of the nukes when the Government is thrown into chaos and the Pakistani Army is divided into opposing groups the middle of fighting a civil war.
READ MORE>>

MORE ARTICLES >>