WASHINGTON: Pakistan is developing new types of nuclear weapons, includingshort-range tactical ones, that bring more risks to the region, America’sintelligence chief warned on Tuesday.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats remarks came while briefing theSenate Intelligence Committee.
Pakistan is developing new types of nuclear weapons, including short-rangetactical weapons, Coats told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing onworldwide threats organised by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Pakistan continues to produce nuclear weapons and develop new types ofnukes, including short-range tactical weapons, sea-based cruise missiles,air-launched cruise missiles, and longer-range ballistic missiles, hewarned.
These weapons will introduce new risks for escalation of dynamics andsecurity in the region, Coats said, reflecting on the risks involved indeveloping such types of nuclear weapons.
Coats also warned that Pakistan-supported terrorist groups would continueto carry out attacks inside Afghanistan thus risking escalation of tensionbetween the two neighbours.
“Militant groups supported by Islamabad will continue to take advantage oftheir safe haven in Pakistan to plan and conduct attacks in Afghanistan,including against US interests,” Coats said during the hearing on’Worldwide Threat Assessment’ of the US intelligence community.
Coats said North Korea will be among the most volatile and confrontationalweapons of mass destruction (WMD) threats to the US over the next year.
North Korea’s history of exporting ballistic missile technology to severalcountries, including Iran and Syria, and its assistance during Syria’sconstruction of a nuclear reactor — destroyed in 2007 — illustrates itswillingness to proliferate dangerous technologies.
In 2017 North Korea, for the second straight year, conducted a large numberof ballistic missile tests, including its first Intercontinental BallisticMissile (ICBM) tests.
Pyongyang is committed to developing a long-range, nuclear-armed missilethat is capable of posing a direct threat to the United States.