Moreover, soon after India acquired early-warning radar Pakistan tested a cruise missile, which Postol believes was reverse-engineered from an American Tomahawk missile that fell in Pakistan during a 1999 attack on terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. Powered throughout its flight, such a missile can hug the ground to evade radar. And in an apparent response to the India-U.S. nuclear deal, Pakistan has begun building a reactor for producing plutonium, which may yield a warhead small enough to fit onto a cruise missile. Pakistan also possesses ballistic missiles fitted with small fins on their forward, payload sections. These structures can add maneuverability, making the warheads exceedingly difficult to catch.
Still, “the attacker is always concerned that missile defense might work better than he thinks,” Postol points out, and will launch more projectiles than necessary to ensure that at least a few get through. He suggests an alternative way of avoiding a nuclear holocaust. Both nations should disperse and hide their missiles and authorize a designated general in a remote outpost to launch retaliatory strikes should the political leadership be taken out in a first strike—and let the other side know. That way the rulers of both countries can be sure that a nuclear misadventure will lead to their homeland becoming history. Unlike missile defense, mutually assured destruction is at least a time-tested way to keep nuclear weapons in their holsters.
This article was originally published with the title Perilous Pursuit.
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4 Comments
Add CommentThe basic thrust of this article is that India should give up the ABM capability. The article talks of Pakistan acquiring nuke technology. Pakistani nuke technology is basically what was gifted to Pakistan by China with US blessings with the sole aim of styming India. The US is trying its level best to remove the nuclear and ABM capability of India so that it can then interfere and make Kashmir an independent client state of US.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYes it is true that the reaction time is low. Thats taken into account.
The greater danger is for the jihadis to use the Pakistani nukes against the west because they know that one or many attacks on India and Pakistan ceases to exist. They will never use it without being egged on by US as US egged on Musharaff and Shariff into the Kargil misadventure. The jihadis were the creation of the West. Now the west suffers. The west gifted nuclear weapons to Pakistan whose army will be jihadi when the senior officers are replaced by the present middle rung. Unless US denuclearizes Pakistan it will suffer. Thats what US should aim for and not attempting to denuclearize India while it faces China and its proxy, the US client State Pakistan both nuclear.
A very good psy-op article.
Amercians are funny, they end up supporting the wrong people and then fighting them. Nobody know better than Indians how hollow US calls for a free world are when they look to the support provided by US to its neighbours. They will support the jihadi Pakistani dictators but oppose Myanmar which has been peaceful for sucha long period. May be they dont like countries to remain peaceful!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIndia has the right to defend itself in the most hostile authoritative surroundings.
Amercians are funny, they end up supporting the wrong people and then fighting them. Nobody know better than Indians how hollow US calls for a free world are when they look to the support provided by US to its neighbours. They will support the jihadi Pakistani dictators but oppose Myanmar which has been peaceful for sucha long period. May be they dont like countries to remain peaceful!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIndia has the right to defend itself in the most hostile authoritative surroundings.
Amercians are funny, they end up supporting the wrong people and then fighting them. Nobody know better than Indians how hollow US calls for a free world are when they look to the support provided by US to its neighbours. They will support the jihadi Pakistani dictators but oppose Myanmar which has been peaceful for sucha long period. May be they dont like countries to remain peaceful!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIndia has the right to defend itself in the most hostile authoritative surroundings.