Southeast Asia: Location of Transit of Nuclear Weapon Components

The Southeast Asian region is believed to be the transfer location of various components which can be used in the development of nuclear weapons by nuclear proliferation supporters in the world. If the government is not vigilant and does not impose strict regulations to govern it, the ideal of global nuclear weapons disarmament will be more difficult to achieve.
This opinion was asserted at a seminar entitled "Nuclear Energy, Nonproliferation and Strategic Trade Management: The Nexus of Security and Economic Management" in Jakarta on 19 July 2011. The seminar was held by the US Embassy in Jakarta and the Center for International Trade and Security (CITS) of the University of Georgia, US.
According to CITS senior analyst, Seema Gahlaut, in a number of disclosed trade plots of nuclear weapon components, it was discovered that some Southeast Asian countries has become the transit points or even the producers of the components. The most famous case is the disclosure of the nuclear proliferation network of Abdul Qadeer Khan.
Khan was considered as the father of the Pakistani nuclear weapons after he successfully developed the centrifuge technology for the uranium enrichment process. That technology was then transferred to North Korea, and had allegedly been shipped to Iran and Libya.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
According to Gahlaut, some of the centrifuge components such as the steel material for the rotor and the cap were actually produced by Singaporean and Malaysian companies. In another case it was found out that components of strategic weapons technology which were prohibited by European countries to be shipped to China were actually shipped to that country through Malaysia.
Gahlaut emphasized that what happened in Malaysia could possibly happen in Indonesia as well. She said: ‘After Singapore imposed stricter (export-import) regulations in 2004, the proliferation network moved to other countries in Southeast Asia.’
In those cases, according to Gahlaut, the country used as a transit route or companies producing such components did not realize that the products could be used in the assembling process of illegal weapons of mass destruction.
In addition to the lack of technical knowledge among law enforcers in the concerned country, the components also have other usages in the civilian fields such as in medicine, so that they can pass the customs service.
In the Asher Karni proliferation network case in 2004, the transferred device was a triggered spark gap. This component can be used not only in a machine to break kidney stones in hospitals, but it can also serve as a detonator for nuclear bombs.
Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
From the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali, the South East Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEAN WFZ) agreement was agreed upon to not only bind ASEAN member countries, but also countries possessing nuclear weapons that want to show their forces in South East Asia.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said that an understanding emerged that the agreement should also regulate the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. This is in line with the three basic pillars of the nuclear issue, namely nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

New Developments in US-Pakistan Relations

The Indian Government's immediate reaction to the news regarding the US Administration proposal to reach a nuclear agreement with Pakistan on the pattern of India is absolutely justified. In view of it the Obama Administration should not only review its proposal but it also, keeping in view Pakistan's past track record on the nuclear expansion, should not reach any such deal with Pakistan.

Broad-Based Agenda
Notwithstanding the US administration's observation that former President George W. Bush signed the nuclear treaty with India, there is nothing of that sort in its proposal. The US special envoy in Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke has admitted that there is a broad-based agenda for the talks at the strategic level wherein the US Government will listen to the Pakistani viewpoint with great attention. If the US is in favor of paying attention to the Pakistani stand, it implies that a significant change has taken place in the US approach toward Pakistan.

The Pakistani economy at this juncture is badly shaken and its nuclear industry also has received a severe jolt. There is, however, also the question of revival of this industry for which the United States is in the need of a fresh buyer also.

There has been an amazing track record of Pakistan with regard to the expansion of nuclear weapons. Pakistan is already a nuclear weapon country and the way the issue of secretly passing on the nuclear know-how to other countries by its nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan has come to the fore manifests that it is not serious regarding the nuclear expansion.
US-India Nuclear Agreement
Prior to the US nuclear deal with India, Pakistan used to vehemently oppose it and after the signing of it, Pakistan started demanding an identical nuclear treaty with the US. India has always supported nuclear non-proliferation and strictly observed it. As a part of the US-India nuclear deal, it has been argued that the nuclear energy produced through nuclear reactions will be used for peaceful purpose and economic development.

It is this feature of the US-India nuclear treaty that makes a difference with regard to the proposed US-Pakistan nuclear deal. The US-India nuclear agreement is solely based on the past track record of India as a peace-loving country and its nuclear energy requirements for economic development. No other nation can be treated at par with India on this score. This fact is acknowledged by US lawmakers also.

Devastating Situation
By reaching a nuclear deal with Pakistan, the United States will of course get another market for its nuclear industry. Yet, the likelihood of nuclear weapons finding their way to undesirable elements and the possible threat to peace in this region cannot be ruled out. There exists no stable government in Pakistan at this juncture and terrorists are exploiting government employees. Hence, nuclear assets may find their way to the hands of such elements. Then an extremely devastating situation will be created.

In the recent past, India has been under the impression that the United States is probably finding itself closer to India than Pakistan. The latest development has simply disillusioned India, for the latest change in the US approach is extremely intriguing.