Pakistan's "Islamic Bomb" Casts a Long Shadow

[Jerusalem Post] Yaakov Lappin - The resignation of Pakistani President Musharraf on Monday has reignited concerns among some security analysts who say the prospect of an Islamist revolution in Pakistan - the world's sole nuclear-armed Muslim state - keeps them up at night. Dr. Ely Karmon, an expert on Islamist movements and their drive to obtain weapons of mass destruction, says radical Pakistani Islamists have set themselves the goal of gaining access to Pakistan's estimated 80 to 90 nuclear bombs, an arsenal they call "the Islamic bomb." "Pakistan does not control parts of its territory. There are tribes allied to the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and very significant Islamist movements consisting of hundreds of thousands of members," Karmon said. "These are no less extreme than al-Qaeda itself." Furthermore, the Pakistani army "has been infiltrated by Islamists," he said.


2008-08-19 08:00:00

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