The bizarre world of Pakistan...

1) the scientists probably were Taliban members anyway.

2)Al-Qaeda probably had nuclear paraphanelia in its possession already, they seek a way to make, transport, and deliver small nuclear devices.

3) The Pakistanian government is embarrassed because someone in the western world found out the scientists were not at their regular jobs and started asking questions...If Pakistan were a true ally, they would have reported the missing scientists immediately, allowing an opportunity to have a react team to try to catch the terrorists before they faded into the sunset...

4)It is of high note that Pakistan refuses to allow US forces into that area anyway....Is Pakistan afraid of what the US forces could uncover?....

Pakistan is indeed a Bizarre country with BIzarre people and government...

Posted by: exsgtbrown at March 10, 2007 9:35 AM

But, I thought they were the "pure" people, LOL

Posted by: darcy at March 10, 2007 9:39 AM

I hope this story proves to be true. We need to start talking seriously about nuclear terror goals of the Islamists and factor that into how we react in war from this point on.

We've been far, far too nice about all of this so far, and I fear it's going to cost us brutally.

One thing can not be doubted: jihadists are striving to attain the most terrible methods to slaughter innocents and eventually they will make good on their threats. The world better be prepared to stop coddling "certain elements" when that time comes, or we are legions of fools and will deserve our Fate.

Posted by: Foehammer at March 10, 2007 10:00 AM

find them and kill them - including the scientist who was 'kidnapped'

Posted by: A_Plague_on_Both_Houses at March 10, 2007 10:18 AM

find all of them. Taliban and scientists.

Posted by: A_Plague_on_Both_Houses at March 10, 2007 10:19 AM

The world will do nothing until one is used...it will be the worlds alarm clock...but we may find the clock was running slow....and we are to late to work..

Posted by: storagemanager at March 10, 2007 10:49 AM

"Brothers in islam", all of them

Posted by: Carolyn2 at March 10, 2007 10:49 AM

The entire thing called Waziristan should be the first of many lifeless craters left on the face of Islam.

Posted by: poetcomic1 at March 10, 2007 10:58 AM

"One thing can not be doubted: jihadists are striving to attain the most terrible methods to slaughter innocents and eventually they will make good on their threats. "

Word, Foehammer.

Does anyone else get a feeling that the entire Afghan-Pakistan border region is in severe need of thorough carpet-bombing? While I'm not a big fan of the restrained approach to begin with, in this case subtlety is right out.

It's pretty well documented that al Qaeda has purchased weapons grade fissile material, including "suitcase" nuclear bombs (whose shelf life was probably expired). If the "kidnapped" — yes, those are sneer quotes — scientists have the ability to assist the Taliban in rehabilitating or assembling any of these nuclear devices, they represent a singular threat and must be stopped at all costs.

Pakistan long ago ceased to be relevant in the Global War on Terrorism. Mushareff's lackadaisical progress in thwarting his nation’s huge terrorist infrastructure would be a joke if it weren’t such a menace to the West. That the Bush administration continues to show all the aggressive instincts of a neutered toy poodle is not in the least comforting.

Pakistan’s response to this crucial turn of events amounts to nothing more than CYA. It’s time to begin covering our own assets with some serious pre-emptive action.

Posted by: Zenster at March 10, 2007 10:59 AM

Pakistan has done a great disservice to the world by witholding this information for six months. If these scientists have been kidnapped and are still being held near Afghanistan perhaps conditions are primitive enough that their knowledge can't be put to use. Are these the same scientists the United States wanted to speak with a while back, maybe a year or so ago?

Posted by: backwoodsgranny at March 10, 2007 11:02 AM

The Taleban are going to produce nuclear bombs? Give me a break. How many centrifuges do they have? Perhaps if they kidnap Werner von Braun's corpse they can produce Saturn 5 rockets as well.

Posted by: TheOmegaMan at March 10, 2007 11:16 AM

The story sounds suspect, but if true, naturally there should be no "rescue" of Pakistani atomic scientists. Their captors should be bombed and no hostages need be, or should be, rescued.

Posted by: Hugh at March 10, 2007 11:40 AM

@TheOmegaMan:

The Romans scoffed at the Visigoths once too, and well all know how that ended up -- with the sacking of Rome.

Never underestimate a determined enemy -- and don't buy the lies that this is only about Al Qaeda -- the conflict is with a global jihad and Islam is the problem, so nuclear technologies being spread throughout the Islamic world is a damn nightmare, any way anyone tries to cut it.

Posted by: Foehammer at March 10, 2007 11:40 AM

suitcase nukes take highly skilled and intelligent individuals to maintain, repair and initiate firing sequences...........

mos have the suitcase nukes, what they lacked was the scientists to make the suitcase nukes viable.

are you concrened yet. when Israel attacks Iran and/or Syria go to your safe locatino and wait for nukes and WMD's to go off in America

war with the cult of islam is inevitable..

prepare be armed be ready

The Texican.
Live free and die free
God Faimly America Freedom the only choice at any cost.

Posted by: The Texican at March 10, 2007 12:29 PM

bin Laden in al Qaeda custody, Zawahiri in Russian KGB custody and nuclear scientists in Taliban custody.

To repeat a post in short form. The Saudi government funded Pakistan's nuclear bomb program during the Clinton years for the expressed purpose that Saudi Arabia has access and ownership of "the bomb".

Pakistan is nuclear, Iran purchased several SS 20 Satan warheads which are mounted in Shahab 3 missiles aimed at Europe. Is why President Bush, the Poles and Czechs have missile defense along with Turkey. Is why the French threatened last year to nuke Iran.

This is a Russian play to destroy the oil fields so they will control the only non glowing fields.

To worry about nuclear scientists in Taliban custody is but a signal that the intelligence community has heard chatter that a nuclear event is in the works. One then blames the Taliban, so "the west" can vaporize the hinterlands as Sam Cohen advocated in 2001.

Because if the truth came out that Pakistani intelligence was aiding the terrorists, Russia sold nuclear material to the terrorists and Saudi Arabia funded a greater part of it.....well Americans would have to nuke a whole lot of nations just like they screamed for Bush to attack after 9 11....which he did and then abandoned him.

It might leak out when a nuclear event happens, but I doubt we will ever learn the signature of the nuclear material which will point exactly to the plant it was created in.

This story is not good, because the MSM press is deliberately pointing a nuclear finger at the Taliban. That means a bad guy has been named for an event about to unfold.

Posted by: Lame Cherry at March 10, 2007 12:30 PM

Well even obtained/builted a nuke or two and managed to use it [which is something we could avoid if we would quit trying to deal with them "nicely"]...it would mean the only place you could see them anymore would be in history books. This is the whole thing I just cannot understand about these jihadists. Don't they realize U.S. still has enough nukes to turn the entire mid east into a glass parking lot...and re-shine it hundred times over? When it comes down to the question of ultimate confrontation & survival, it will only end with the total annihilation of the Islamic homelands.

Posted by: SoteriA at March 10, 2007 12:31 PM

There's a huge and indefensible risk of underestimating Taliban/al Qaeda ingenuity and perseverance. It may make us feel better about ourselves by thinking of them us troglodytes, but that doesn't make us safer.

From this article: http://www.phyast.pitt.edu/~blc/book/chapter13.html

"If a nation decides to develop nuclear weapons, lack of reprocessing facilities would hardly stop it. Fourteen nations now have such facilities, and others would have little difficulty in developing them. A commercial reprocessing plant designed to operate efficiently and profitably with minimal environmental impact is a rather expensive and complex technological undertaking, but the same is not true for a plant intended for military use where the only concern is obtaining the product. Construction of such a plant requires no secret information and no unusual skills or experience. Details of reprocessing technology have been described fully in the open literature. It was estimated13 in 1977 that a crude facility to produce material for a few bombs could be put together and operated by five people at a cost of $100,000. A plant capable of longer-term production of material for eight bombs per year could be built and operated by 15 people, half of them engineers and the other half technicians, at a cost of $2 million. Either of these plants, or anything in between, could probably be built and operated "

Posted by: DaninVan at March 10, 2007 12:36 PM

" DaninVan"

......many surplus Russian Nuclear weapons are already unaccounted for(Russian security for Nuclear weapons is deplorable)....It is suspected these weapons are already in the hands of the terrorists...it is good to be concerned about new weapons developement....but the unaccounted for weapons already produced should be of equal or greater concern.....

Posted by: exsgtbrown at March 10, 2007 12:42 PM

This is an unusual case: it is more important to make sure the hostages do not survive, while the fate of the captors is less important.

Posted by: Hugh at March 10, 2007 1:10 PM

A few different scenarios are possible.

One is that of Taliban who learned everything they know about science and technology in a madrassa-- thus, with no concept of how nuclear weapons work or the specialized equipment and facilities necessary to make them-- trying to browbeat the scientists into throwing something together for them.

Another is that of a "dirty bomb," in which the scientists' expertise could be could be employed in making crude radiological devices, which would be a publicity coup for the Taliban, especially if detonated in particular areas of Kabul.

What's unclear here is how actively the ISI is engaged (rather few people within the Pakistani government would likely know for sure-- plausible deniability all around). That, obviously, would heavily influence access to equipment and work space for the Taliban and/or al Qaeda in order to produce a "real" nuclear device.

Posted by: MarisolJW at March 10, 2007 1:11 PM

Everyone get a grip...these guys also say that Briney tried to hang herself in rehab..who are they?
How reliable are they?

Posted by: epaminondas at March 10, 2007 1:45 PM

Sounds like good cover for a "Rescue" attempt. Who knows what else one can find in the process.
We could be "helping" Pakistan find their Scientists.

Posted by: flowerknife_us at March 10, 2007 1:59 PM

nuclear scientists of Pakistan, taliban, binladen,
al qeada, they are all the same! all stupid islamist who want to destroy the WEst and all non muslims, and muslims not muslim enough , aka naseems from lahore pakiland. carpet bomb the border of pakistan and afgansitan.. do a Dresdan, and finish them off for once.

Posted by: ZenaWarriorPrincess at March 10, 2007 2:26 PM

exsgtbrown --

You always make me laugh, as "bizarre" is a good fit for Pakistan. Naseem may not appreciate your choice of words, but I sure do.

And if the actions of this country don't make sense....well....

Posted by: champ at March 10, 2007 2:36 PM

The problem all this points out is not so much the nuclear scientist taken (or defected) but Pakistan itself. Pakistan is like a giant house of cards that could go Taliban on us at any time. Hell they have already lost their western areas around the border who knows how long before the Pakistan Government itself falls?

Lets not forget that just because the ideological leaders of the Taliban may be madrassa types there are enough Islamist that have graduated from universities (some U.S.) in all sorts of fields of science/engineering who will assist. How secure is nuclear material and weapons in Pakistan? If those "secure" areas fall in Taliban hands or if the governemnt itself falls what are we going to do? Do we have guts to do what is needed? Also yes I can forsee them hitting the US. All you need is a large tanker or cargo ship with a nuke and you can kiss a major U.S. port city good bye.

All this points out is Pakistan might as well be considered a enemy. The leadership is not long for this world and even if they are they are questionable at best.

Now everyone will now say why would they attack if they knew we will return the strike? I really do feel they think we are inferior as a people and will not strike back. They feel we don't have the guts and worse they feel they have purchased enough leaders in the U.S./west to prevent this.

or they feel it is the will of Allah.....

Posted by: greatcometof1577 at March 10, 2007 3:05 PM

It would be a tragedy if Muslim nuclear scientists all over the world would begin suffering from a sudden rash of accidents (defenestration, shootings during "robbery attempts", adulterated food, "suicides", etc.), much like Russian journalists are currently going through.

Posted by: special_guest at March 10, 2007 3:56 PM

"mos have the suitcase nukes, what they lacked was the scientists to make the suitcase nukes viable."

Fortunately, due to their compact form factor, suitcase nukes have a very short lifetime. Thermal emission is responsible for internal temperatures of ~200ºF that markedly decrease the lifespan of wiring, circuits and other components. Without regular periodic servicing by highly skilled technicians, the devices become unusable in a very few years. None of this prevents the fissile core from being reused in a radiological "dirty" bomb.

Much more disturbing are reports that al Qaeda has obtained fissile material. A simple "gun barrel" design can be constructed in a residential basement and provide yields on par with Hiroshima. A ground level blast will have much less impact than an aerial burst, but the deaths and damage to a major metropolitan area would still be on the order of tens of thousands of people and tens of billions if not hundreds of billions of dollars.

Most ironic of all is that for maximum impact, Washington DC would be a very desirable target. Were it not for the loss of so much of our nation's historical records, having a majority of the flaccid politicians whose inaction has helped to exacerbate this crisis get incinerated would be some very poetic justice.

"Don't they realize U.S. still has enough nukes to turn the entire mid east into a glass parking lot...and re-shine it hundred times over? When it comes down to the question of ultimate confrontation & survival, it will only end with the total annihilation of the Islamic homelands."

You would think that they do but, evidently, their fanaticism disallows any doubt that somehow they will magically prevail. This sort of willful ignorance is the exact reason why I continue to predict a Muslim holocaust.

"Now everyone will now say why would they attack if they knew we will return the strike?"

They would anyway because the importance of crippling America is far greater than any single MME (Muslim Middle East) nation taking a hit or even being immolated. This is the exact same reasoning behind Ahmadinejad's intention of "wiping Israel from the map". Remember Ayatollah Khomeini's words during a speech in Qom in 1980:

"We do not worship Iran, we worship Allah... I say, let this land [Iran] burn. I say let this land go up in smoke, provided Islam emerges triumphant..."

Posted by: Zenster at March 10, 2007 4:35 PM

It is interesting that Pakistan has all the money to build nuclear weapons, yet, they cannot educate their children, provice adequate housing for their people, provide adequate health care for their people , and provide emergency services to those who suffer in earthquakes.

Posted by: callmeinfidel at March 10, 2007 4:50 PM

The answer is Ecomonic warfare. Render their infrastructure inoperable. That's right, back to the Stone Age.

Take Afganistan. The war there would be just about over if the US or NATO or both would make a serious effort to spray the Poppy Fields with ROUND UP. Kill the Poppy Crop and the Revenue for the Talliban dries up. Hit every field we find. Start with the really bad guys fields first and work their way down the list.

What can anyone do to stop spraying the Poppys with a Comercially avaliable defolient?

Spray the fields, the Poppys die. The Field lies Fallow for a period of time. Re-plow the field and plant something else. Like Food. They will need it when we stop sending it.

Some solutions are just to simple for great minds to figure out. hard to figure out how anyone could complain about a program eliminating Narcotics at its source.

Posted by: flowerknife_us at March 10, 2007 5:22 PM

Yeah flowerknife, that would be such a simple & effective strategy that would work RIGHT NOW.

Posted by: SoteriA at March 10, 2007 6:05 PM

Because if the truth came out that Pakistani intelligence was aiding the terrorists, Russia sold nuclear material to the terrorists and Saudi Arabia funded a greater part of it.....well Americans would have to nuke a whole lot of nations just like they screamed for Bush to attack after 9 11....which he did and then abandoned him.
++++++++++++++++++++

did anyone see mushroom clouds over mecca, medina or the middle east............. ++++++++++++++++++++

Most ironic of all is that for maximum impact, Washington DC would be a very desirable target. Were it not for the loss of so much of our nation's historical records, having a majority of the flaccid politicians whose inaction has helped to exacerbate this crisis get incinerated would be some very poetic justice.
+++++++++++++++++++++

nukes going off in DC, the politicans would finally see the light of the evilness, vileness and violence of the cult of islam............

Posted by: The Texican at March 10, 2007 7:53 PM

You guys are so reactionary and right wing islam haters. You are also over reacting. I have it on good authority that the Pakistan government has recently employed an American to oversee nuclear security for all of it's reactors/installations.

Relax they are in good hands

http://atlanta.metblogs.com/archives/images/2005/11/t-homer_asleep_on_job1.jpg

Posted by: hierophant at March 10, 2007 7:57 PM

"Relax they are in good hands"

Until Pakistan's entire nuclear arsenal and weapons R&D are no longer in Muslims hands, relaxing is the very last thing we should do.

Pakistan's government is riddled with terrorist facilitators and supporters. Second only to Saudi Arabian financing of wahhabist indoctination, it is Pakistani madrassas that churn out the most terrorists. Pakistan ginned up the Taliban who, by sheltering bin Laden's al Qaeda, bequeathed us 9-11. Pakistan's government knowingly allow Khan to proliferate nuclear weapon designs and reprocessing technology to two of the most unstable and dangerous regimes in the entire world, namely, Iran and North Korea. These two totalitarian tyrannies rank amongst the very worst violators of human rights.

Yet it is we who are "over reacting" regarding this giant threat to global security, heirophant. That you demonstrate any confidence whatsoever in Pakistan's stewardship of nuclear technology or weapons calls into question your own intelligence and mental competence.

Posted by: Zenster at March 10, 2007 8:41 PM

"That you demonstrate any confidence whatsoever in Pakistan's stewardship of nuclear technology or weapons calls into question your own intelligence and mental competence.
Posted by: Zenster"

Oh really please grow up. Are you being serious? I can't believe you said that.

My post was meant to be ironic. It wasn't that sophisticated it was actually sarcasm. I would have thought the Homer cartoon would have given it away.

Zenster you are obviously an American - "wouldn't recognise irony unless it bit you on the arse".

God you're hard work sometimes.

Posted by: hierophant at March 10, 2007 9:29 PM

hierophant, have you seen the posts by people like Naseem and The Doctor? If so, you might better appreciate that your post can just as easily be taken seriously as not.

Making an unverifiable assertion like:

"I have it on good authority that the Pakistan government has recently employed an American to oversee nuclear security for all of it's reactors/installations."

is what bought you my reply. My sense of irony is extremely well developed. Despite the Simpsons cartoon, your ability to project nuanced humor is rather lacking. I suggest that you re-read your post. One can justifiably interpret your little tirade for its face value. I recommend you learn to use sneer quotes and selective italics with greater dexterity. And, yes, I can be rather "hard work sometimes", it filters out the fainthearted.

Posted by: Zenster at March 10, 2007 10:17 PM

The US should do everything necessary to zap these scientists. Keep them from returning to Pakistan to continue their nuclear weapons work and keep them from aiding the Stone Age Taliban.

Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at March 10, 2007 10:47 PM

This story is not good, because the MSM press is deliberately pointing a nuclear finger at the Taliban. That means a bad guy has been named for an event about to unfold.
Posted by: Lame Cherry

Very interesting. I hope you're not right, but you very well could be. Leaks happen to the MSM for a reason, a sort of foreboding of things to come.

Posted by: Bonniea at March 10, 2007 11:44 PM