Hmmm. What would masked men in Pakistan, near the Afghan border, want with nuclear experts? Perhaps they want to discuss how nuclear bombs violate the peaceful teachings of Islam. Yeah, that must be it. "Nuclear experts kidnapped in Pakistan," from Agence France-Presse (thanks to Dav):
TWO Pakistani nuclear energy officials have been abducted by masked men from a troubled northwestern area near the Afghan border, police said today.The kidnappers bundled the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) workers and their driver into a vehicle in Sheikh Badin, a town in militancy-hit Dera Ismail Khan district, local police chief Akbar Nasir said.
"They were technicians from the PAEC, they were whisked away early Monday morning," Mr Nasir said.
The officials were on a routine visit to conduct a geological survey for mineral exploration in the mountainous area, which adjoins Pakistan's lawless tribal regions, the police chief said.
"We don't know if the abductors were militants or members of some criminal gang," he said, adding that they were believed to be from the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.
"A search is underway, we are contacting local people ... We are all trying but so far we have no clues."...
Just a guess, but they may be looking to improve their weapons system beyond this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWmK4mpImWw
"We don't know if the abductors were militants or members of some criminal gang,"
Is there a way to tell the difference?
It's doubtful that these officials, called technicians, had any nuke material in the trunk of their car, and they probably can't construct a device from scratch, so I wonder what good these
'official technicians' are to them, beyond ordinary hostages...
"...workers and their driver into a vehicle in Sheikh Badin, a town in militancy-hit Dera Ismail Khan district..."
Gee, wonder what brought them to THAT area?
Mineral exploration. Uranium in the lawless tribal regions? How about oil? Wouldn't that be fun! How long would the "troubled" regions remain so if the government could derive revenue from the area?
I suppose I'm a bit surprised this has only received 4 comments, but maybe I'm reading into it.
So far, Pakistan has taken several precautions to prevent militants from stealing nuclear secrets, such as codes and separating the parts.
The militants will surely have a tough time unless Pakistani security forces are as infiltrated as the CIA and M16.
Perhaps this is a cover story for Pakis defecting to Iran to help with their nuclear programme?