Challenges And Importance Of Nuclear Security A Case Study Of Pakistan

Master's Thesis from the year 2012 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Far East, Quaid I Azam University (Department of Defense and Strategic Studies), course: Seminar on Cureent Issues, language: English, abstract: The researcher has tried to look into the issue of the Security of Pakistan’s Nuclear Assets objectively. The day Pakistan has become the nuclear power; it has been under stressful situation. It has to face different threats, from inside as well as from outside. Pakistan, being the sole Muslim nuclear power, has perturbed the sleep of many foreign forces. She is the target of different open and concealed intrigues which are weakening her stance on nuclear issue. Pakistan possesses a full range of activities relating to nuclear weapons. It is capable to produce heavy water, enrich uranium and plutonium and manufacture nuclear weapons. It has also a full developed missile program. No doubt they are great assets and contribute much to buttress the defence of Pakistan. But at the same time, she is in the hot water for committing the dauntless deed of having a nuclear arsenal. However, some un-thoughtful acts of nuclear proliferation and rise of militancy have raised many concerns about the security of Pakistan’s nuclear asset. Unfortunately, the northern areas of Pakistan are the bedrock of Al-Qaeda’s militants. These militants claim of having nuclear material. All these factors are seen as great threat for world peace. Post 9/11 scenario has created an upheaval in our social, cultural, political and economic set-up. The clue of any terror event that takes place anywhere in the world is traced back in Pakistan. Therefore, the world powers express their deep anxiety regarding the security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets. These fears and anxieties are not baseless. A. Q. Khan Network’s involvement in nuclear proliferation and secondly some of our scientists alleged meeting with Osama-bin-Laden have raised many questions regarding the security of Pakistan’s assets. A gory wave of terrorism has grilled the country. Extremism and sectarianism have distorted the pretty face of Islam and Pakistan. Different terrorist groups have been playing a ruinous game in the name of Jihad. They are hell-bent to disparage the integrity of Pakistan. These are the facts and call for serious and effective steps by the stakeholders to foil all these dirty designs. Any laxity in this matter would be very fatal for the life of Pakistan. America and other world powers have been forcing Pakistan to sign CTBT and NPT. These powers have been urging Pakistan to cap her nuclear programme. India-Israel malicious designs about Pakistan’s nuclear program are an open secret.

The Mumbai blasts of 1993, the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, Mumbai 26/11—cross-border terrorism has continued unabated. What can India do to motivate Pakistan to do more to prevent such attacks? In the nuclear times that we live in, where a military counter-attack could escalate to destruction beyond imagination, overt warfare is clearly not an option. But since outright peace-making seems similarly infeasible, what combination of coercive pressure and bargaining could lead to peace? The authors provide, for the first time, a comprehensive assessment of the violent and non-violent options available to India for compelling Pakistan to take concrete steps towards curbing terrorism originating in its homeland. They draw on extensive interviews with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, in service and retired, to explore the challenges involved in compellence and to show how non-violent coercion combined with clarity on the economic, social and reputational costs of terrorism can better motivate Pakistan to pacify groups involved in cross-border terrorism. Not War, Not Peace? goes beyond the much discussed theories of nuclear deterrence and counterterrorism strategy to explore a new approach to resolving old conflicts.

The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material was signed at Vienna and at New York on 3 March 1980. The Convention is the only international legally binding undertaking in the area of physical protection of nuclear material. It establishes measures related to the prevention, detection and punishment of offenses relating to nuclear material. A Diplomatic Conference in July 2005 was convened to amend the Convention and strengthen its provisions. The amended Convention makes it legally binding for States Parties to protect nuclear facilities and material in peaceful domestic use, storage as well as transport. It also provides for expanded cooperation between and among States regarding rapid measures to locate and recover stolen or smuggled nuclear material, mitigate any radiological consequences of sabotage, and prevent and combat related offences. The amendments will take effect once they have been ratified by two-thirds of the States Parties of the Convention.

This open access book examines key aspects of international cooperation to enhance nuclear safety, security, safeguards, and nonproliferation, thereby assisting in development and maintenance of the verification regime and fostering progress toward a nuclear weapon-free world. Current challenges are discussed and attempts made to identify possible solutions and future improvements, considering scientific developments that have the potential to increase the effectiveness of implementation of international regimes, particularly in critical areas, technology foresight, and the ongoing evaluation of current capabilities.

The role that nuclear weapons play in international security has changed since the end of the Cold War, but the need to maintain and replenish the human infrastructure for supporting nuclear capabilities and dealing with the multitude of nuclear challenges remains essential. Recognizing this challenge, CSIS launched the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) in 2003 to develop the next generation of policy, technical, and operational nuclear professionals through outreach, mentorship, research and debate. PONI runs two signature programs—the Nuclear Scholars Initiative and the Annual Conference Series—to engage emerging nuclear experts in thoughtful and informed debate and research over how to best address the nuclear community’s most pressing problems. The papers in this volume comprise research from participants in the 2017 Nuclear Scholars Initiative and PONI Conference Series. PONI sponsors this research to provide a forum for facilitating new and innovative thinking and a platform for emerging thought leaders across the nuclear enterprise. Spanning a wide range of technical and policy issues, these selected papers further discussion in their respective areas.

Concern about the threat posed by nuclear weapons has preoccupied the United States and presidents of the United States since the beginning of the nuclear era. Nuclear Security draws from papers presented at the 2013 meeting of the American Nuclear Society examining worldwide efforts to control nuclear weapons and ensure the safety of the nuclear enterprise of weapons and reactors against catastrophic accidents. The distinguished contributors, all known for their long-standing interest in getting better control of the threats posed by nuclear weapons and reactors, discuss what we can learn from past successes and failures and attempt to identify the key ingredients for a road ahead that can lead us toward a world free of nuclear weapons. The authors review historical efforts to deal with the challenge of nuclear weapons, with a focus on the momentous arms control negotiations between U.S. president Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. They offer specific recommendations for reducing risks that should be adopted by the nuclear enterprise, both military and civilian, in the United States and abroad. Since the risks posed by the nuclear enterprise are so high, they conclude, no reasonable effort should be spared to ensure safety and security.

Nuclear security culture is an important component of an effective nuclear security regime, as it serves as a tool to improve the performance of the human component at nuclear facilities and organizations to counter both insider and outsider threats. Security culture connotes not only the technical proficiency of the people but also their awareness of security risks and motivation to follow established procedures, comply with regulations and take the initiative when unforeseen circumstances arise. A workforce made up of individuals who are vigilant, who question irregularities, execute their work diligently and exhibit high standards of personal and collective behaviour is able to achieve effective nuclear security. Building upon this understanding of the importance of a strong nuclear security culture, this publication provides practical guidance on how to implement a systematic nuclear security culture enhancement programme.