In what could be devastating for the entire south asian region, sources from secret intelligence services have stated that Myanmar (Burma) is close to testing a nuclear bomb in the next few years with the help of North Korea.
Analysis of how this impacts India:
India, which shares its border in the north east with Myanmar, just cant afford this to happen, as if it does happen, India would be surrounded by 3 Nuclear powered states, China in the north, Pakistan in the west, and Myanmar to the east.
To add more, India has always had turbulent relationships with Myanmar since the slaughter of democracy in Myanmar by the 'military junta' which came in power 1962. India has also provided great support and succour to the pro-democratic activists in Myanmar, including to the noble prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under military arrest in Myanmar now. All this has only made the military rulers of Myanmar vary of India.
And the worst is, China, Pakistan & Myanmar have been close allies, especially China & Myanmar, which share not only cultural relations, but also robust trade and defense relations. After most of the western nations banned sales of arms to Myanmar in late 1980's, China strategically grew its influence in the country increasing the threat to India and the entire south east asian region. India, though could not afford to spoil its relations any further with Myanmar, as it had the risk of increasing insurgency from Myanmar to the already volatile North Eastern states and also to curb the drug trafficking in that area. In the recent past though, India has gone against its ethos and supported the military government by supplying high tech helicopters and support for naval and airforce upgradation. But still, relations of India & Myanmar are not on a strong foot holding as they are between China & Myanmar.
Finally, to add some more fuel to fire, reports have been saying that two Pakistani scientists, from the AQ Khan stable, had been dispatched to Myanmar where they had settled down, to help Myanmar's nuclear project. China and Pakistan being the closest of friends, surely have kept no reason left for India to stand up and take notice of Myanmar's dangerous games.
No wonder, India was in such hurry to have a nuclear triad capability. For all those wondering what a Nuclear Triad means, let me quote wikipedia for a simple understanding.
" A nuclear triad refers to a nuclear arsenal which consists of three components. The purpose of having a trifurcated nuclear capability is to significantly reduce the possibility that an enemy could destroy all of a country's nuclear forces in a first strike attack; this, in turn, ensures a credible threat of a second strike, and thus increases a nation's nuclear deterrence. "
To put it in a much simpler way, a country having the capability to strike nuclear bombs from land, air, and water, hence creating the triad.
After the recent launch of the top secret nuclear powered submarine by India, it has come closer to the Nuclear Triad capability, which is only with the USA & Russia at present. After the induction of this submarine in the Navy, India would be amongst the TOP 3 most powerful nations of the world nuclear capability & deterrence wise. The exact or approximate number of nuclear bombs in India's arsenal has been a mystery and a well kept secret.
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Sidharth Mehta
Dubai, UAE
Posts
As per B. Raman, (Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai) on IntelliBriefs,
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When the US troops occupied Afghanistan post-9/11 after expelling the Taliban from power, they reportedly found evidence of contacts between some retired and serving nuclear scientists of Pakistan and Osama bin Laden. They short-listed four names--- retired scientists Sultan Bashiruddin Ahmed Chaudhry and Abdul Majid and serving scientists Sulaiman Assad and Mohammad Mukhtar.
At the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) took into custody the two retired scientists who where interrogated by the FBI. They reportedly admitted having met bin Laden at Kandahar before 9/11, but asserted that their meeting with him was in connection with the work of a humanitarian relief organization which they had founded after retirement. They were released as no evidence of their involvement in any activity relating to the supply of nuclear material or expertise to Al Qaeda was found. However, as a safety measure, the ISI, at the request of the FBI, imposed restrictions on their movement outside their home town. The FBI got the bank accounts of their supposedly humanitarian relief organization frozen by taking up the matter with the anti-terrorism sanctions committee of the UN Security Council.
Sulaiman Assad and Mohammad Mukhtar managed to flee to Myanmar before they could be detained for questioning by the ISI. There was uncorroborated speculation that the ISI did not want them to be questioned by the FBI as they had knowledge of the proliferation activities of Pakistan, particularly about its nuclear and missile supply relationship with North Korea. It was alleged by some in Pakistan that the Myanmar military junta gave them sanctuary at the request of the ISI. There has been no further reliable news about them.
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http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/
Quite an alerting piece of info ...
ReplyDeleteSure it is.
ReplyDeleteAnother think tank says, that the secret nuclear reactor which is being built in Myanmar with the help of North Korea, is not just for Myanmar, but North Korea is shifting its nuclear assets to Myanmar, to avoid a US attack on North Korean soil.
The alarm bells ring as North Korea has been supplying military equipment to Myanmar since the re-establishment of its ties in 2007. What needs to be checked is if that has now become the supply of nuclear military equipment.