Musharraf: Al-Qaeda Cannot Use Pakistan’s Nukes
Pakistan's President Musharraf has stated that al-Qaeda has a “zero per cent chance” of obtaining and using the country's nuclear weapons.
The assertion was made during President Musharraf’s current tour of Europe, in which anti-terrorism and democracy issues are understood to be playing a major part.
Musharraf stressed the impossibility of insurgent forces getting hold of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons reserve, highlighting how this could only take place if the Taliban or al-Qaeda “defeated the Pakistani Army entirely”, or if extremist religious organisations were victorious in the upcoming elections.
"There is a zero percent chance of either one of them...they (the nuclear weapons) cannot fall into any wrong hands," he stated.
"We don't think it is possible that this al-Qaeda or Taliban can take over in Pakistan. We cannot be defeated like this."
37 Insurgents Killed by Pakistan Army
Musharraf’s comments coincided with the news that the Pakistan army had killed 37 insurgents during overnight fighting in South Waziristan – a region in the north west which borders Afghanistan.
Referring to the situation in Pakistan following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December, the President highlighted the country’s stability.
"I can assure you that nothing will happen in Pakistan, he said. "We are not a banana republic."
He added that the recent arrest of a 15-year-old male in connection with the Bhutto murder was “unfortunate”.
The boy, he said, had been “indoctrinated” by the notorious insurgent leader Baitullah Mehsud – the brains behind the assassination, as far as the CIA is concerned.
Source – Armed Forces International’s Middle East Correspondent
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