Pakistan Test-Fires Nuclear Capable Missile

NUKEWARS

This hand out picture show nuclear-capable missile Hatf V (Ghauri) being test-fired from an Undisclosed Location in Pakistan, 12 October 2004. Pakistan conducted its fourth test this year of a nuclear-capable missile Hatf V (Ghauri), test-firing the intermediate Ghauri missile which can hit targets deep inside rival neighbour India.AFP Photo distribtion

Islamabad (AFP) Oct 12, 2004
Pakistan conducted its fourth test this year of a nuclear-capable missile Tuesday, test-firing the intermediate Ghauri missile, which can hit targets deep inside rival neighbour India.

"Pakistan this morning carried out another successful test of the indigenously produced intermediate range Ballistic Missile Hatf V (Ghauri)," a military statement said.

The Hatf V (Ghauri), with a range of 1,500 kilometres (932 miles), was test-fired as "part of a series of tests planned for the Ghauri missile system."

"The test completely validated all the design parameters," the statement said, adding the Ghauri "can carry nuclear and other warheads."

The Hatf V was tested twice this year, on May 29 and June 4 and the long-range Shaheen missile was tested on March 9.

Neighbouring states were notified beforehand, it added, and an Indian official in New Delhi said it had been informed in advance of the test in accordance with agreed protocols.

The tests this year have been seen less as sabre-rattling against India, with whom Pakistan is in the middle of a step-by-step peace process, and more for domestic consumption.

Analysts say they are aimed at placating domestic fears that the nuclear proliferation scandal surrounding top nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who confessed in February to selling nuclear secrets and technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea, would force Pakistan to wind back its nuclear program.

"Fears about the roll back of Pakistan's nuclear program will never go away," the former head of Pakistan's military spy agency ISI, retired lieutenant general Hameed Gul told AFP.

"Israel does not want a Muslim state to possess nuclear weapons," he said.

Military analyst and retired general Talat Masood said Pakistan had to aggressively pursue its nuclear and missile program to offset the conventional military imbalance with arch rival India.

"The test also coincides with the fifth anniversary of General Musharraf in power," Masood said.

Musharraf, also army chief, led a bloodless army coup against the elected government of premier Nawaz Sharif on October 12, 1999, suspending parliaments and declaring himself president 21 months later.

The Ghauri is believed to be based on North Korea's Nodong missile.

Ex-premier Benazir Bhutto admitted in a Japanese newspaper interview in July that her government had obtained long-range missile technology from North Korea through her December 1993 visit.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, military top brass and scientists witnessed the test at an undisclosed, the military statement said.

President Pervez Musharraf in July foreshadowed an "extremely important substantive" missile test in the following months, as he responded to speculation that Pakistan might roll-back its nuclear and missile programs under pressure from Washington over the proliferation scandal, and under peace moves with India.

"This would be a great test," he told journalists at the time.

All rights reserved. � 2004 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

NUKEWARS

Unprotected Nuclear Weapons Multiply

Washington (UPI) Oct 11, 2004
Four countries that secretly built their nuclear programs against the wishes of the international community now possess more than 400 nuclear weapons, says a report released in Washington Monday.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.