Reply #10: And from Reuters [View All]

[JCMach1]

Pakistan said building third nuclear reactor
(Reuters)

22 June 2007


WASHINGTON - Pakistan appears to be building a third plutonium production reactor at its Khushab nuclear site in order to build more powerful atomic bombs, a research group said on Thursday.

The construction was seen on commercial satellite imagery, according to the Institute for Science and International Security, or ISIS. It comes at a time when relations with a key US ally in the anti-terror war are already under some strain.

“Pakistan may have concluded that it needs to improve the quality of its nuclear arsenal and build a new generation of lighter, more powerful weapons,” said ISIS President David Albright and researcher Paul Brannen, in an analysis.

They said the activity at Khushab and also at a plutonium separation facility at Chasma, 50 miles (80 km) west of Khushab, “should be viewed as a sign of an accelerated nuclear arms race” between Pakistan and its nuclear-armed adversary, India.

“Both Pakistan and India appear on the verge of greatly expanding their production of nuclear explosive materials and nuclear weapons, including more powerful weapons,” they added... http://khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2007/June/subcontinent_June831.xml§ion=subcontinent