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Sunday, 14 Feb, 2010 | 01:00 AM PST |
INDIA’S explosion of its nuclear device in 1974 drew only a customary “show of concern” from the western powers. But Pakistan’s nuclear programme, initiated in response to the Indian acquisition of nuclear weapons, evoked immediate and “serious concern” from the same quarters. Ever since, Pakistan has been under immense pressure to scrap its programm while the Indians remain uncensored.
That western attitude was discriminatory can also be seen by the religious colour it gave to Pakistan’s bomb by calling it an ‘Islamic bomb’. One has never heard of the Israeli bomb being called a ‘Jewish Bomb’, or the Indian bomb a ‘Hindu Bomb’, or the American and British bomb a ‘Christian Bomb’ or the Soviet bomb a ‘Communist’ (or an ‘Atheist) Bomb’. The West simply used Pakistan’s bomb to make Islam synonymous with aggression and make its nuclear programme a legitimate target, knowing full well that it merely served a defensive purpose and was not even remotely associated with Islam.
With India going nuclear soon after playing a crucial role in dismembering Pakistan in 1971 and enjoying an overwhelming conventional military superiority over Pakistan in the ratio of 4:1, a resource strapped Pakistan was pushed to the wall. Left with no other choice but to develop a nuclear deterrent to ward off future Indian threats, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto declared: “Pakistanis will eat grass but make a nuclear bomb”. And sure enough, they did it. Soon, however, both he and the nuclear programme were to become non-grata. Amid intense pressure, sanctions and vilification campaign, Henry Kissinger personally delivered to a defiant Bhutto the American threat: “give up your nuclear programme or else we will make a horrible example of you’.
And a horrible example was made of Bhutto for his defiance. But he had enabled Pakistan to become the 7th nuclear power in the world. This served Pakistan well. India was kept at bay despite temptations for military adventurism. Although there has never been real peace in South Asia, at least there has been no war since 1971.
Ignoring its security perspective, Pakistan’s western ‘friends’ refused to admit it to their exclusive nuclear club, though expediency made them ignore its ‘crime’ when it suited their purpose. But driven by identical geo-strategic interests in their respective regions and seeing Pakistan as an obstacle to their designs, Israel and India missed no opportunity to malign or subvert Pakistan’s programme.
Due to its defiance of Indian diktat, Pakistan is for India an obstruction in its quest for domination of South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. Israel’s apprehension of Pakistan’s military prowess is rooted in the strength Pakistan indirectly provides to Arab states with whom Israel has remained in a state of conflict. Conscious that several Arab states look up to Pakistan for military support in the event of threat to their security from Israel, it is unsettling for Israel to see a nuclear armed Pakistan.
Israel can also not overlook the fact that Pakistan’s military is a match to its own. The PAF pilots surprised Israeli Air Force, when flying mostly Russian aircraft they shot down several relatively superior Israeli aircraft in air combat in the 1973 Arab-Israel war, shattering the invincibility myth of Israeli pilots who believed themselves to be too superior in skill and technology. The Pakistanis happened to be assigned to Jordanian, Syrian and Iraqi air forces on training missions when the war broke out and, unknown to the Israelis then, they incognito undertook combat missions.
After successfully destroying Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981, Israelis planned a similar attack on Pakistan’s nuclear facilities at Kahuta in collusion with India in the 1980s. Using satellite pictures and intelligence information, Israel reportedly built a full-scale mock-up of Kahuta facility in the Negev Desert where pilots of F-16 and F-15 squadrons practised mock attacks.
According to ‘The Asian Age’, journalists Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark stated in their book ‘Deception: Pakistan, the US and the Global Weapons Conspiracy’, that Israeli Air Force was to launch an air attack on Kahuta in mid-1980s from Jamnagar airfield in Gujarat (India). The book claims that “in March 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed off (on) the Israeli-led operation bringing India, Pakistan and Israel to within a hair’s breadth of a nuclear conflagration”.
Another report claims that Israel also planned an air strike directly out of Israel. After midway and midair refueling, Israeli warplanes planned to shoot down a commercial airline’s flight over Indian Ocean that flew into Islamabad early morning, fly in a tight formation to appear as one large aircraft on radar screens preventing detection, use the drowned airliner’s call sign to enter Islamabad’s air space, knock out Kahuta and fly out to Jammu to refuel and exit.
According to reliable reports in mid-1980s this mission was actually launched one night. But the Israelis were in for a big surprise. They discovered that Pakistan Air Force had already sounded an alert and had taken to the skies in anticipation of this attack. The mission had to be hurriedly aborted.
Pakistan reminded the Israelis that Pakistan was no Iraq and that PAF was no Iraqi Air Force. Pakistan is reported to have conveyed that an attack on Kahuta would force Pakistan to lay waste to Dimona, Israel’s nuclear reactor in the Negev Desert. India was also warned that Islamabad would attack Trombay if Kahuta facilities were hit.
The above quoted book claims that “Prime Minister Indira Gandhi eventually aborted the operation despite protests from military planners in New Delhi and Jerusalem.”
McNair’s paper #41 published by USAF Air University (India Thwarts Israeli Destruction of Pakistan’s “Islamic Bomb”) also confirmed this plan. It said, “Israeli interest in destroying Pakistan’s Kahuta reactor to scuttle the “Islamic bomb” was blocked by India’s refusal to grant landing and refueling rights to Israeli warplanes in 1982.” Clearly India wanted to see Kahuta gone but did not want to face retaliation at the hands of the PAF. Israel, on its part wanted this to be a joint Indo-Israeli strike to avoid being solely held responsible.
The Reagan administration also hesitated to support the plan because Pakistan’s distraction at that juncture would have hurt American interests in Afghanistan, when Pakistan was steering the Afghan resistance against the Soviets.
Although plans to hit Kahuta were shelved, the diatribe against Pakistan’s nuclear programme continued unabated. Israel used its control over the American political establishment and western media to create hysteria. India worked extensively to promote paranoia, branding Pakistan’s programme as unsafe, insecure and a threat to peace. The fact is otherwise. It is technically sounder, safer and more secure than that of India and has ensured absence of war in the region.
The US invasion of Afghanistan provided another opening for Indo-Israeli nexus to target Pakistan’s strategic assets. This time the strategy was to present Pakistan as an unstable state, incapable of defending itself against religious extremist insurgents, creating the spectre of Islamabad and its nuclear assets falling in their hands. Suggestions are being floated that Pakistan being at risk of succumbing to extremists, its nuclear assets should be disabled, seized or forcibly taken out by the US. Alternatively, an international agency should take them over for safe keeping.
Posted by admin in ANAY WALEY GHAZWA-I-HIND KAY JAANBAZ, PAKISTAN AIR FORCE-THE SHAHEENS, Pakistan Army Pakistan Air Force Pakistan Navy Fight Against Taliban & Alqaeda Terrorism, Pakistan Army's Biggest Enemy Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Fights Terrorism, PAKISTAN'S MISSILE DEFENCE, Pakistan's Nuclear Deterrent, Pakistan's Nuclear Targets on October 1st, 2014
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Posted by admin in PAKISTAN'S MISSILE DEFENCE, Pakistan's Nuclear Deterrent, Pakistan's Nuclear Targets, Pakistan's Strategic & Security Focus, Pakistan-A Polaris of Earth on July 23rd, 2014
Why should a nation love its Army? by Ali Raza Mudassar An army consists of disciplined unique individuals overwhelmed with devotions and ultimate sense of patriotism. The army is the most important living organ of the state that should not only be strong but also active, brave and vigilant. Armies are pride of nations because of their savior role in testing times of nations. They are uniquely motivated people and rich with spirit of utter sense of sacrifice for their fellow citizens and motherland. Madam Noor Jahan (late) has sung a melodious Punjabi song to narrate an unique character of soldiering (Ay putar hattaan tay nahi wikday, ki lab-ni aey wich bazaar kuray? – these great sons are not saleable commodity, what are you looking for in the market?). Nations that do not respect and honour their armies are perished by their enemies because the men can fight only with the strong support of their nations. The famous quote of George Patton – “The wars may be fought with weapons but they are won by men”. There are five fundamental logics that Army must be respected and honoured by nations for their own survival. Firstly, Political Reason. Army is a tangible living organ of the state which provides defense against the internal and external physical threat to the nation. Without strong and motivated soldiers this physical threat cannot be averted and this physical threat has potentials to devastate the existence of the state. A nation state needs a strong and potent force for its survival in this realist world, otherwise continued existence as a nation state is in danger. In 1991, Iraq ruined the Kuwait in matter of few hours because Kuwait was not maintaining strong Army for response. Secondly, Psychological Reason. Motivation is critical factor in psychological mechanism of fighting. It is only motivation which arouses the individual’s feelings and convinces him to fight against the enemies of the country and fellows. Un-motivated individuals are destined to loose or prepared to die dejectedly. Armies only win when they fight with spirit and motivation which comes with love of their countries men. Loves and affection inspire the soldiers to take ultimate step (scarification of life) for the honour and wellbeing of their nation fellows. This motivation is evaporated, if their countrymen are not standing behind them. Motivation is the sole reason of taking bullets on chest with smiling face. If nations don’t love their fellow soldiers then the strongest Army can’t guarantee the survival of state. Soldiers of Islamic state fights because they believe that it is legitimate cause and thousands mothers, sisters, brothers and fathers are praying for them – that gives him inner satisfaction. Thirdly, Islamic Reason. Soldiering is sacred and Islamic profession. Loving and respecting own Army is an Islamic tradition. In the state of Medina, when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) along with his companions left for Badr to fight with the enemies of state and Allah, they were seen off by men, women and children with love, affection and lots of prayers to fight well and demonstrate perseverance against the enemy. That exuberance of the people gave unflinching loyalties and strength to remain steadfast against their superior enemy. Finally victory kissed their feet at Badr and again they were received back with love and affection at the gate of Medina. There can’t be any better reason for honouring and respecting the Army of Islamic country. Fourthly, Social Reason. Soldiers are above the controversaries of religion, sectarian, linguistic and ethnicity. Army should be kept aloof from the divisive tendencies which can adversely affect the social fiber of the Army. They have to be kept mentally and physically united to take on the enemy of the nation. Army must not be dragged into internal politics or any other petty conflicts which can cause polarization and fragmentation on any pretext because polarization can generate conflict. Army is symbol of unity for nation and it is only possible if united nation stands behind them after shunning their differences for unity of army. Fifthly, material reason. Contrarily, Soldiers experience rough life – away from families and loved ones for months and years. They breathe in inhospitable environment, drink dirty water and eat unhygienic food for one reason only – live for nation. Soldiers often sitting alone in their bunkers and are dreaming about the love, affections and honour of their companions and fellow countrymen. They know that the army is responsible for his fellow countrymen, so they sleep peacefully at nights while he stands guard of the country’s frontiers. Solider also knows, if he loses his heart, he will loose honour of his countrymen. And if he loses his life, it will add life to his motherland. In war, there is no substitute for victory and the army strives with all its might to sacrifice their lives for the country. Every citizen of the country should proudly and with gratitude salute each and every man of the army because the patriotism is at peak with army men. The nation ought to reciprocate with lots of love, affection and honour in their larger interest. Let me conclude with outstanding words of Sir Winston Churchill which emphasized on the maintaining robust and live army, ” Armed forces are not like a limited liability company, to be reconstructed from time to time as the money fluctuates. They are not inanimate things, like a house to be pulled down or enlarged or structurally altered at the caprices of the tenant or owner. They are living things, if they are bullied, they sulk, if they are happy, they pine, it they are harried, sufficiently they get feverish, if they are sufficiently disturbed, they will wither and dwindle and almost die, and when it comes to this last serious condition, it is only revived with lots of time, effort and money.” (The writer is a Ph.D Scholar on Peace and Conflict Studies at the National Defence University, Islamabad).
Posted by admin in PAKISTAN'S MISSILE DEFENCE on September 29th, 2013
Courtesy: http://blogs.transparent.com/urdu/pakistans-missile-program/
Posted on 05. Mar, 2013 by nauman
Motivated by ongoing hostilities with India, Pakistan embarked upon an intense ballistic missile development program in the early 1980′s. Overcoming technical naivete substantial disadvantages in infrastructure and human capital relative to India, the imposition of U.S. and Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) sanctions, and the uncertainties of democratization, Pakistan gained a sophisticated missile arsenal in only 30 years.
The perceived strategic necessity of displaying the ability to execute a nuclear strike deep within India has sustained Pakistan’s interest in medium- and long-range missiles. The Congressional Research Service and other assessments continue to report ongoing Pakistani missile collaborations with China and North Korea. Pakistan also remains a non-signatory to the MTCR, but the last U.S. missile sanction laws against Pakistani entities were waived in 2003. Recent missile developments, such as the April 2011 test-firing of the short-range nuclear capable Hatf-9/NASR missile, indicate potential Pakistani interest in building a tactical nuclear capability. Pakistan considers its nuclear weapons to be national “crown jewels” and likely holds missile delivery systems in a similar regard. Barring substantial changes in South Asian geopolitics, a change in attitude seems unlikely.
Barring unprecedented industrial growth and a substantially enhanced defense-industrial base, Pakistan will likely continue its strategy of developing advanced missile systems with foreign assistance rather than pursuing the more expensive and less feasible option of pure indigenous development. Continued state patronage, fueled by competition with India, the high prestige accorded to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, and the symbolic value of diversifying missile delivery systems will likely sustain continued missile development in Pakistan.
Here are the Known Missiles Currently Held by Pakistan:Battlefield range ballistic missiles (BRBM):
Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM):
Medium Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBM):
Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBM):
Intercontinental Ballistic missile (ICBM):Taimur 7,000 km, a proposed ICBM is under development for targeting Eastern India and potential rogue enemies in the Middle EastCruise Missiles:
MIRVs