Pakistan's Nuclear Future: Reining in the Risk - Indo-Pakistani Nuclear Confrontation, Risk of Nuclear War in South Asia, Pakistan Economy, Nuclear Power, Demographics, Alternative Ethnic Futures

Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this unique book examines the issue of Pakistan's nuclear weapons arsenal and the risk of war in South Asia, including India. Normally, the risk of war between Pakistan and India and possible nuclear escalation would be bad enough. Now, however, most American security experts are riveted on the frightening possibility of Pakistani nuclear weapons capabilities falling into the hands of terrorists intent on attacking the United States.

Presented with the horrific implications of such an attack, the American public and media increasingly have come to view nearly all Pakistani security issues through this lens. Public airing of these fears, in turn, appear now to be influencing terrorist operations in Pakistan.

Unfortunately, a nuclear terrorist act is only one— and hardly the most probable—of several frightening security threats Pakistan now faces or poses. We know that traditional acts of terrorism and conventional military crises in South West Asia have nearly escalated into wars and, more recently, even threatened Indian and Pakistani nuclear use. Certainly, the war jitters that attended the recent terrorist attacks against Mumbai highlighted the nexus between conventional terrorism and war. For several weeks, the key worry in Washington was that India and Pakistan might not be able to avoid war.

Introduction: Pakistan's Nuclear Plans: What's Worrisome, What's Avertable? * Chapter 1 - The Indo-Pakistani Nuclear Confrontation: Lessons from the Past, Contingencies for the Future * Chapter 2 - Reducing the Risk of Nuclear War in South Asia * Chapter 3 - Is Nuclear Power Pakistan's Best Energy Investment? Assessing Pakistan's Electricity Situation * Chapter 4 - Pakistan's Economy: Its Performance, Present Situation, and Prospects * Chapter 5 - Surviving Economic Meltdown and Promoting Sustainable Economic Development in Pakistan * Chapter 6 - Pakistan 2020: The Policy Imperatives of Pakistani Demographics * Chapter 7 - Imagining Alternative Ethnic Futures for Pakistan