What Pakistan’s Bomb Could Not Buy

So: All clear headed men (nasah, hamidm, anil, kaalchakra) can agree on the facts. Which basically are, as nasah eloquently put it, equally immature Nawaz Sharif had no choice but to explode a few crackers to pour some ice water down on Advani jee`s (now a Jinnah admirer) nucear erection.... . In other words, only a bigger fool than Nawaz Sharif could have turned India`s overwhelming odds against Pakistan into a nuclear stalemate (and jump with glee in the process)...and Indian politicians were up to that task. And the good professor hoodbhoy will no doubt keep moaning and groaning forever over Pakistan being able to defend itself.

But lets go beyond this now: For that I refer to majumdar #13 where he correctly points out that with India neutralized, Pakistan`s real enemies are now internal to Pakistan. And that is indeed the case. If the good professor hoodbhoy is reading this: Please, Professor Hoodbhoy, be a Goodbhoy and get over this damned bomb and focus your energies on something more relevant today, namely the real issues facing Pakistan today . The real issue is the need to ensure free and fair elections in 2007. There are indeed internal enemies of pakistan - hiding behind beards and behind uniforms - who will come in the way of these elections. So, professor sahib, please focus your energies on these relevant issues, not non-issues like your ranting over the bomb.

Re: # 40

tahmed,

....exactly ! ........... it is nice that we have the bomb and may they multiply and grow bigger and badder so that the horrible hindoos, with their armpit knives and big pitchforks, do not dare cast an evil eye on the land of the pure and ignorant ....... actually, i believe that everyone should have a bomb - the iranians, the fijians and the papua new guineans ...... yea, that`s it, a chicken in every pot and a bomb in every garage ......... but the real question is: then what ? .......... and that`s what dr hoodbhoy and other clever people should be focused on instead of wringing their hands and crying in their yakhni .......

.......... this nuclear stuff, like the chicken flu, is overated

If anything, it made clear that Pakistan can now never hope for a military victory in Kashmir.


Yup..Pakis will have to swallow the bitter pill and realize that Kashmir will never Banega Pakiland..not the Indian part..

Usually bitter pills can be swallowed with sugar but I hear that`s pretty expensive in Pakiland right now and some of it is from India anyway..

It`s ironic..Pakis swallowing the bitter pill with Indian sugar...

``The Kargil episode offers the very first example in history where nuclear weapons, by dint of creating a presumed shield for launching conventional covert operations, were responsible for having brought about a war.

The unrestrained propagation of false beliefs in nuclear security brought India and Pakistan to the brink of a full-blown confrontation that could well have been the very last one. Arguably it was the BJP that, by ordering Pokhran-II, fathered Kargil.`` (Hoodbhoy)

-- a 100% correct asessment -- a Crass Commando turned Demented Dictator vs the Buffoon Bajpayee -- the way that Adhjul Gugree Advani was jumping with glee -- after a few peurile Pokharan Patakhas -- even threatening the Pakistanis with the Nukes on Kashmir -- equally immature Nawaz Sharif had no choice but to explode a few crackers to pour some ice water down on Advani jee`s (now a Jinnah admirer) nucear erection....

...what else can one say bout these Cretins from that Iodine deficient subcontinent....the damn fools.

Re: # 34
````some ice water down on Advani jee`s (now a Jinnah admirer) nucear erection.... ``

LOL. Hasan Sahib, very funny........


except you created an imagination in my mind of the Advani`s p44s..........and I had enough for the day and I am leaving Chowk.......

Re: # 34

Nasah:

I got a real kick out of your description.

Anil

{{The ongoing widespread insurgency in Baluchistan}}

Why is this ``widespread`` insurgency concentrated in the Marri-Bugti areas only?

Respectfully sir, your article is littered with gross exaggerations that turn molehills into mountains. Let`s look at the bigger picture...

The blame for introducing nukes in South Asia lies at India`s door. Pakistan only started its nuclear progamme after India`s first Pokhran tests in 1974. Since India had violated Pakistan`s sovereignty only 3 years ago, Pakistani security concerns were justified. Yet the Americans threw the spanner in the French nuclear reactor deal. This is how America rewarded its loyal friend.

The greatness of a nation is measured by the challenges it overcomes to achieve its goal. The challenges to Pakistan`s nuclear programme were enormous. We had scant resources and faced stiff resistance from US-Israel-Europe. Yet we built a formidable nuclear program.

This is a great national achievement and must be celebrated. Nations that take pride in their achievements are more likely to repeat success in the future. This is the essence of national confidence. There are important lessons to be learnt from this achievement:

1- If a poor country like Pakistan can overcome enormous challenges to create a formidable nuclear program, then it can also develop a first-rate economy.

2- Despite their differences... the Army, politicians, Mullahs and bureaucracy are capable of working together like a team to achieve national goals e.g. dams, economic development, stable parliamentary democracy

3- Notwithstanding the requisite dissenters, the majority of Pakistanis value their national security and ideology (Islam) more than anything else.

Re: # 33

The pride is understandable.......but unfortunately it is not based on
reality. If you had developed a genuinely indigenous technological
base, instituitions of your own and then built bombs and missiles
nothing wrong for you to feel proud. Missile technology so far has been
simply repainting NK missiles:-) Also as Dr.Hoodbhoy points out
you have just about NOTHING to show in other ``first-rate`` scientific
fields.

India did misuse the reactor from Canada...but a lot of its
technology is indigenous and it has several other accomplishments
to show off in other fields.

Missiles and the bomb have given you a false sense of equality/
accomplishment. We have nothing to gain if you accept this folly!

Very good article.

``For Pakistan, the nuclear cost – political and social – has been even higher than for India``.

- a partisan understatement !

---

...``pre-bomb India could have attacked , post-bomb India dare not......``
Stupid arguments...if Pakistan focuses on nation/ instituition building, democracy, education and economic development why would India invade or attack Pakistan?


if you are obsessed with hostility against an economically, militarily bigger neighbhour at the expense of economic development you will end up being a loser. .....and that is exactly where you are.


and then the hypocrisy about ``unfortunately India has initiated arms race``........India is spending much smaller fraction of its GDP <3% than Paki or most other countries. If your delusions of grandeur / megalomania drive you to compete with India, why should India be responsible for this?

#8 by zeemax <<< ... and the good professor as usual leaves out explaining HOW `not` detonating would have helped Pakistan ! >>>

Allow me to answer this one if I may.

By sending a message to the Indians that we consider their detonation no more than a rat`s fart, and we don`t buy into this barbaric militarism that the US has forced upon the world and benefits from. It would have done wonders for Pakistan`s genuine independance from global forces impinging upon it. A lost opportunity that will not return.

#29 continued :

..... and oh, by the way, doctor hoodbhoy - as much as i love you - you are a party pooper !

............. the bomb party !

........... i don`t know much about the politics of the bomb and all that fancy high flautin stuff, but one thing i do know for sure : i was really getting a little worried when, for a whole week, pakistan did not come up with a tit to match india`s tat ........... i was having all kinds of scary nightmares about nukes falling on islambad and half-naked gandhian sadhus with upside down swastikas on their foreheads rampaging through the streets of rawalpindi impaling little babies on their pitchforks ......... i said to myself: `` here we go again - the crooks at the atomic energy commission have been up to their usual tricks - stealing all the money and cement and construction steel and spending it on building their palaces in bani galla instead of making the big firecracker !...... thieving ba%#*rds !`` .............. but then they came through !........for once, the pathetic pakis did something that made me proud .......... the sun came out from behind the clouds bringing joy to my heart and a song to my lips and i began planning the ``bomb party`` .........

............ and oh, what a party it was - a party to end all parties ! ... people are still talking about it : all the shrimp and sushi you coud eat, hamburgers, chicken tikka, samosas (those little crispy ones) and veggie burgers and pasta salad for my horrible hindoo friends ...... oh, yes! ...... i invited them too, and even though some of them were a little whiney and kept on insisting their`s was bigger than ours, they seemed to have a good time ............ every one had a good time ...........

Re: # 29

Hamidm sahib:

``....pakistan did not come up with a tit to match india`s tat ``

You really wanted Pakistani ``tit``. I thought you would concede Indian ``tit`` is better.

Anil

Mr. Hoodhbhoy wrote:

{{Punjab celebrates the Bomb while Baluchistan protests it.}}

Baluchi nationalists do not speak for Baluchistan. Baluchistan rejected them in the 2002 elections.

Mr. Hoodhbhoy wrote:

{{Many gaming scenarios played in the US strategic war planning institutions indicate that there are well-rehearsed contingency plans if Pakistan’s political situation changes radically after General Musharraf’s departure, planned or otherwise}}

Didn`t the US create similar gaming scenarios for Iraq and Afghanistan as well?

For argument`s sake, lets assume that US strategic plans for Pakistan will be 100% accurate. Suppose (in the year 2012), the people are completely disillusioned with secular parties and military rule. The MMA emerges as a viable third option and promises social justice and equitable economic distribution.

Should Pakistanis refrain from this third option because of fear? Can any country allow foreigners to dictate its domestic politics?

Re: # 27: The differnce is US special forces were not invited in by Iraq or Afghanistan. US intelligence, Military ops are already in Pakistan and one other thing. Forthe defenders Pak, i.e. the pak military...whose love for the country is trumped overwhelmingly by their love for wealth...how much do you think it would take to get them to sell out? I am thinking a Use Of Procceds of around $10 B.