Pakistan expanding N-arsenal: US

NEW YORK - Pakistan is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, raising questions in the US Congress whether billions of dollars in proposed military aid to the country could be diverted to its nuclear programme, a leading American newspaper reported Monday.
In a front-page story, which keeps the spotlight on Pakistani atomic weapons, The New York Times said members of Congress have been told about Pakistans nuclear drive in confidential and public briefings by Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Noting reports that Pakistan may be actually adding on their weapon systems and warheads Democratic Senator John Webb asked: Do you have any evidence of that?
Yes, Mullen answered.
Webb said that is a cause for enormous concern, because with the militant threat, he said, Pakistans government is not very stable.
Mullens statement is in sharp contrast with President Asif Ali Zardaris assurance during his recent trip to the United States that Pakistan wasnt adding to its nuclear arsenal and doesnt have to disclose the location of its weapons to the US. Pakistan is not adding to our stockpile as such, Zardari said on NBCs Meet the Press programme. Why do we need more?
Asked whether Pakistan would tell US intelligence officials where all its nuclear weapons are located, to allow for a joint strategy to keep them secure, Zardari said Pakistan is a sovereign country. Why dont you do the same with other countries yourself? Zardari said in the interview taped May 7.
I think this is a sovereignty issue, and we have a right to our own sovereignty.
On another issue, the United States has been urging Pakistan to focus on the extremist threat instead of India. But Mullen told senators that its still unclear that Pakistani leaders can shift their focus for a long period even as they slowly acknowledge that militants pose more of a security risk.
Historically, they havent done that, Mullen said. So right now, Im encouraged by whats happened, but I certainly withhold any judgment about where it goes because of the historic lack of sustainment, and they know they need to do that.
Also at the hearing, Admiral Mullen said it is not only Pakistans top leaders who need to recognise the militant threat. He said Pakistans powerful intelligence service, the ISI, must also change its approach, and one key to that is convincing its leaders there will be a long-term US commitment to helping them defeat the militants.
The ISI in the long run has to change its strategic thrust and get away from working both sides, he said. Thats how they have been raised, certainly over the last couple of decades, and thats what they [are going to continue to] believe, until they think were going to be there for a while.
Asked by Senator John McCain, Republican presidential opponent of Barack Obama, whether he still worried about the ISI cooperating with Taliban?, Mullen simply said: Yes, sir.
Several senators voiced doubts about sending millions of dollars to Pakistan without assurances it will be spent to fight extremists who threaten security and political stability both there and in Afghanistan.
Next years Pentagon budget includes $700 million to train and otherwise help Pakistan fight insurgents.
AFP adds: Pakistans effort to build new nuclear weapons has been a source of growing concern in Washington, because the country is producing more nuclear material at a time when the United States is increasingly focused on trying to assure the security of Pakistans 80 to 100 weapons so that they will never fall into the hands of insurgents, the report said.
The administrations effort is complicated by the fact that Pakistan is producing an unknown amount of new bomb-grade uranium and, once a series of new reactors is completed, bomb-grade plutonium for a new generation of weapons, the paper added.
President Barack Obama has called for passage of a treaty that would stop all nations from producing more fissile material.
Obama administration officials said they had communicated to Congress that their intent was to assure that military aid to Pakistan was directed toward counterterrorism and not diverted, The Times noted.
But Admiral Mullens confirmation that the arsenal is increasing seems certain to aggravate Congresss discomfort, the report said.