New leaks from WikiLeaks: UK, US concerned over Pakistan’s nukes

WikiLe­aks docume­nts raise specul­ation on Indo-Pak ties and Nawaz Sharif.


Saba Imtiaz December 01, 2010

The latest of documents released by WikiLeaks point to growing concern in the UK and US about Pakistan’s nuclear programme, as well as speculation on Indo-Pak ties and Nawaz Sharif.

The newly-released memo describes a September 2009 meeting between UK and US officials. The meetings were held by US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher in London on the margins of the P5 Conference on Confidence Building Measures towards Nuclear Disarmament with UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Simon McDonald, Head of the Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat at the Cabinet Office, Mariot Leslie, Director-General, Defence and Intelligence, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and Jon Day, Ministry of Defence Director-General for Security Policy.

Democracy

While the US and the UK have publicly said that they support democracy in Pakistan, Day is quoted as having asked if the US would be “obliged” to cut  relations with Pakistan if the military took over again and said that the last time the military assumed power the UK had maintained military-to-military ties.

Interestingly enough, Day also asked the US for its perspective on Nawaz Sharif, whom he described as “potentially less venal” than other Pakistani leaders.

The nuclear question

The memo also echoes fears shared by other countries with the US and revealed in the leaked documents – about the safety and security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.

Leslie said in the meeting that the UK has ‘deep concerns’ about the weapons, but also believed ‘China could play a big role in stabilising Pakistan’.

China and Pakistan have had strong relations for many years and President Asif Ali Zardari has visited the country several times since he took over.

Leslie said that Pakistan has accepted nuclear safety help, but under the ‘International Atomic Energy Agency flag (albeit British technicians).’

Leslie is quoted saying that the Pakistanis worry that the US “will drop in and take their nukes.”

According to the memo, Leslie noted that China has “dumped” Pakistan in the Conference on Disarmament (CD), which is a “good sign”.

Under Secretary Tauscher then urged P5 action to get Pakistan to stop blocking progress in the CD on the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.

Indo-Pak relations

The meeting also elaborated on Indo-Pak relations. Jon Day, the Ministry of Defence Director General for Security Policy, is quoted as having “expressed support for the development of a ‘cold war’-like relationship between India and Pakistan that would ‘introduce a degree of certainty’ between the two countries in their dealings.”

However, Day said that recent intelligence indicated that Pakistan “is not going in a good direction.”

The memo elaborates that “Pakistan sees the debate about Afghanistan in the US and the UK as demonstrating that the allies lack the will to maintain their commitment there. The Pakistanis also believe that their recent successes against extremists in the Swat valley validate their belief that they can deal with their own internal problems without changing their approach toward India.”

The regional arms race

According to the memo, Mariot Leslie the Director General for Defence and Intelligence flagged the “inconvenient truth” that “China is building its nuclear arsenal.” Leslie is also quoted as having said that there was an arms race in the Pacific in light of India’s nuclear programme.

However, the memo shows that UK officials saw China’s role in the region as a positive sign. The memo says that Leslie was optimistic about China’s commitment to multilateral cooperation. She also suggested that the US and the UK should push China for progress “until they say ‘stop it’.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2010.

COMMENTS (1)

misk | 13 years ago | Reply Although I condemn the wikileaks disclosure, I still believe that all what is published is true. Zardari and Musharraf both have proved venomous for pakistan. If there is someone today who can save Pakistan in my opinion is Nawaz Sharif. I have full faith in him. He is one man who has always stood firm in the way of foreign pressures. Don't forget the nuclear explosions. Had it been Musharraf Bahadur in his place then, we all know what he would have done.
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