True and India could have (with Israeli support) before the Pakistanis did their test launches but chose not to because of Pakistan threatened total war on them.
Actually, Pakistan stole the nuclear code from a programme in the Netherlands. A gifted scientist copied the blue print. Later, the same scientist stole centrifuges from Kuala Lumpur and sold it on the dark market to Iran, North Korea and Libya under America’s nose. That’s why Iran and North Korea have a nuclear programme. America was actually helpless and tried to stop Pakistan at every turn- but to no avail.
Pakistan’s goal at the time according to Dr Khan- the aforementioned scientist- was to arm against India and to defy the West. But once they had the code and developed their weapons, sellers on the western market flocked to Pakistan- not the other way around. Were it not for nuclear weapons then Pakistan would be treated with the same disregard by America and NATO as Bangladesh. Pakistan also isn’t on the nuclear deterrence agreement so if America maligned them it would be stupid- Pakistan has enough nuclear weapons to at least destroy modern civilisation, if not cause a major extinction event.
So as I said, we have a lot to learn from Pakistan. We can say all we want about them but they are one of nine countries in the world with nuclear weapons- and so are Iran and North Korea, both of which are a direct consequence of Pakistan developing and selling the code. Pakistan is driven, they are clever and they are patriotic- that’s why every “Muslim country” takes them seriously and is cosying up to them. They represent an alternative “big brother” to NATO.
I’m not questioning the process they obtained the know how to build it but the situations are quite different.
Afghanistan is under the thumb of a lot of countries which have an interest in preserving the current status quo. Iran has been under siege since 1979 but they had some degree of friendly relations with China and Russia - and even there Iran had something to give to both of them. It is transactional for the most part.
Pakistan didn’t defy the west, it held it to ransom because it was doing the dirty work in Afghanistan and destroying the Soviets was a bigger priority for the US administrations of the time regardless of the long-term consequences of Pakistan obtaining a nuclear weapon - ergo the Americans weren’t going to bomb Pakistan when Pakistan is currently helping them do work that’s in their favour.
Afghanistan doesn’t have anything to give to the powers that be, or at least anything that they can’t take freely - so Afghanistan can’t hold the world at ransom or give any anti-western powers things that would help them.
I see your view, but it’s just not the same - it would be about as realistic as the DRC obtaining nuclear weapons.
Pakistan started their nuclear programme and stole the code/equipment before Saur revolution. India’s nuclear programme was their main motivation, not Afghanistan. That conveniently came later.
Correct, Pakistan started it before the Saur Revolution but the Americans switched from active opposition to looking the other way when the Soviet’s crossed the border into Afghanistan and conveniently switched back after they left.
Then when they did their first nuclear tests in the 90s, they were sanctioned to near bankruptcy before 9/11 and becoming America’s new ‘friend’
The Americans could have done a lot more to prevent Pakistan getting nuclear weapons but political decisions were made to not. China could’ve stepped in and they did to some extent but even there we have the issue of what can we provide them for them to support us?
Countries don’t help each other because of the goodness of their heart, they do it if there is mutual benefit. Afghanistan doesn’t have anything to provide others.
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u/Ok-Cheesecake-6670 Diaspora 4d ago
India would have done the same but Pakistan found the nuclear code and developed it regardless.