Pakistan & Mullen.

This is coolbert:

Has everyone been following the events that have transpired just recently in Pakistan?

175 million persons imperiled by a bunch of Taliban villains, wearing black turbans and carrying nothing much more than an AK! The Taliban have gained autonomy over the Swat valley, imposing Shariah law in a draconian manner, NOW moving into other areas of Pakistan, ONLY SIXTY OR SO MILES FROM ISLAMABAD!!

A disintegrating Pakistan, becoming a failed state, falling under the rule of the Taliban and Al Qaeda bad guys, is the ultimate nightmare for U.S. officials??

Nuclear weapons, delivery systems, and a capacity for further manufacture will be at the disposal of some madrassa educated semi-literates?

"Does Pakistan's Taliban Surge Raise a Nuclear Threat?"

"When asked last year about the security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen" [answered]:

* "I'm very comfortable that the nuclear weapons in Pakistan are secure,"

"Asked the same question earlier this month, his answer had changed."

* "I'm reasonably comfortable,"

"Pakistan is thought to possess about 100 [nuclear weapons] - the U.S. isn't sure of the total, and may not know where all of them are. Still, if Pakistan collapses, the U.S. military is primed to enter the country and secure as many of those weapons as it can, according to U.S. officials."

This means an invasion of Pakistan folks!! Paratroops, rangers, Special Forces, SEALS, etc. Possessing and taking control those nukes will become an overriding issue of the utmost importance!!

Even using the most elite American military units for a "plucking" operation is no guarantee of success either:

"there is no way a complete nuclear weapon can be plucked from Islamabad's stockpile, which is protected by about 10,000 of the Pakistani military's most elite troops." .

According to the experts, we should all rest assured? Provisions have been taken in advance so that even if compromised, the nukes CANNOT BE USED!!

These weapons consist of modular designs?

"The guts of the nuclear warhead are kept separate from the rest of the device, and a nuclear detonation is impossible without both pieces."

Dedicated delivery systems are also imperative. ONLY certain specific missiles or aircraft can be used to carry these weapons to the target?

"Additionally, the delivery vehicle - plane or missile - is also segregated from the warhead components"

Electronic "locking" mechanisms have been built into the design of the atomic warheads - - FROM THE START!! Without the proper "unlocking" codes, no detonation can occur?

"Then, there's the touchy area of 'permissive action links' - the electronic 'locks' on nuclear weapons that must be 'opened' for a nuclear detonation to take place . . . 'our people have developed our own' - - former senior Pakistani nuclear official Naeem Salik"

WE ARE ALL RESTING ASSURED ABOUT ALL THIS? WE ARE? RESTING ASSURED?

coolbert.