CLEAR THREAT OF NUCLEAR TERRORISM

During inquiry Bashiruddin admitted that he met with Osama bin Laden and conduct negotiations to develop nuclear device! In 2004, a shocking truth revealed that Abdul Qadir Khan, father of Pakistan's nuclear technology sold the same to Libya, North Korea and Iran.

-          Keerthiraj

            If History is the story of wars, then Politics is nothing but the story of power management. Global politics is a chain of contradictions and conflicts.  Recently, even petty conflicts leaning towards Nuclear threat is not at all a good development. Nuclear threat is not a new development in world history.  In 1945, America became a Nuclear power with ‘Manhattan project' and its impact on Japan proved that world created its own destroyer. World powers tried to contain the spread of Nuclear weapons. Unfortunately all the attempts proved to be a failure.

            The fourth and last nuclear security summit took place in Washington in the first week of April. As expected nuclear terrorism became the prime concern of the world leaders. Today tens of thousands of nuclear weapons around the globe waiting for destruction. A small mistake is enough to burn the world without any discrimination! Decades ago, the Little Boy and Fat Man destroyed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But they are nothing if we compare the nuclear capacity of 2016. If the Cuban missile crisis brought the world to edge of extinction in 1962, we can imagine what will be the effect of today’s sophisticated nuclear devices.

           

All countries have their own kind of nuclear defence systems. There is no universal nuclear defence system to stop nuke proliferation to terror hands. A small mistake in any country's nuclear defence system can allow terrorists to access nuclear weapons. Recent statements by some terrorist organizations in favour of using nuclear weapons is a warning bell to World powers. Baghdadi’s Islamic State is slowly losing its influence in Iraq and Syria. In its desperate attempt to re-establish its influence, it may be provoked to purchase nuclear weapons. Recently a Belgian nuclear plant worker found dead and his security identity card stolen. Another source reported that two Belgian nuclear plant workers joined Islamic State. Shockingly, recently published Islamic state pamphlet announced terror groups are planning to acquire nuclear devices through bribing corrupt Pakistani officials!

            In January 2001, some nuclear scientists of Pakistan created UTN, a non-governmental organization under the chairmanship of Bashiruddin Mahmood (former head of Pakistan's Khushab plutonium reactor). Later in November 2001, Pakistan’s intelligence agency arrested the members of UTN, including Bashiruddin, under the direction of United States. During inquiry Bashiruddin admitted that he met with Osama bin Laden and conduct negotiations to develop nuclear device! In 2004, a shocking truth revealed that Abdul Qadir Khan, father of Pakistan's nuclear technology sold the same to Libya, North Korea and Iran. According to intelligence reports, al-Qaeda was also keen to have deal with Abdul Qadir Khan, but Khan rejected the demand. These incidents raised serious questions about the credibility of Pakistan regarding proliferation to nuclear technology.

            This is a known fact that Pakistan’s conventional defence is inferior to that of India. Statements of Pakistani leaders made it clear that Pakistan is already to use its ultimate weapon i.e. nuclear bomb to save its interests. Pakistan don’t have any voluntary cuts like India’s nuclear policy of ‘No First Use’. Hopefully, to date no country has showed the irresponsibility of transferring nuclear technology to the hands of terrorists. However, the current global politics is moving towards new dimensions of unexpected twists and turns. To ensure the safety of the world, world powers should be more serious about nuclear non-proliferation and it is the time to think about a ban over nuclear weapons, like biological and chemical weapons.

 KEERTHIRAJ (krj492@gmail.com)

·   Currently serving as a Faculty for International Relations and Political Science at Alliance University, Bangalore. 

      (This article was published in Central Chronicle newspaper on 5 May 2016)