WASHINGTON – US National Security Adviser John Bolton has raised concernsover the nuclear safety of Pakistani nuclear weapons.
He was addressing the Federalist Society in Washington DC the other day onthe topic of the International Criminal Court’s request for permission toinvestigate some US defense and intelligence personnel for “alleged warcrimes”.
During the question and answer session that followed his speech, aPakistani journalist asked a question unrelated to the ICC. Instead, heasked about Imran Khan’s election and the suspension of military assistanceto Pakistan.
Bolton referred to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent visit toIslamabad and said, “He wanted to convey the message that we hoped andexpected that Pakistan would cooperate fully in the war against terrorismwhich they had committed to do.
It was before my time but the Trump administration did not take thedecision to cancel a substantial part of the military aid package toPakistan lightly.
It was done knowing that Pakistan is a nuclear state and the risk that thegovernment could fall into the hands of terrorists who would get control ofthose nuclear weapons was particularly serious.
But it is a serious problem on the sub-continent and I hope it’s one thatthe new government of Pakistan addresses because this terrorist threat is athreat, I think, to the majority of the people in Pakistan not to theterrorists and not to the some of their supporters in the military andelsewhere.
It’s a matter of extra-ordinary importance to the United States and onethat we hope that the new government addresses”.