Whether the Marines would actually be needed for such a task, and whether they could pull it off, remains unclear. Sources say Musharraf has strengthened security at Pakistan’s nuclear facilities since September 11. Last week his foreign minister, Abdul Sattar, insisted the nukes were “under foolproof custodial controls.” Musharraf also has purged Taliban sympathizers from the top ranks of the military and his intelligence agency. But recently the military regime had to detain two scientists who played key roles in the development of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons–and turned out to be Taliban supporters. The two men, Bashir ud Din Mahmoud and Chowdhury Mohammed Amjad, retired after Pakistan’s nuclear test in 1998 and founded an Afghan relief organization. What they could offer bin Laden, in theory, is inside knowledge of the Pakistani nuclear program–security procedures, the number and location of warheads and the names of current staff members who might be sympathetic to Al Qaeda.
By one estimate, Pakistan has enough nuclear material to make 30 to 50 bombs or warheads. How many have actually been made isn’t known, but even unassembled parts could be dangerous. A “radiological weapon”–a conventional explosive device used to scatter radioactive particles–would be nearly as devastating as an actual nuclear bomb, producing fallout that could render an American city uninhabitable for years. The material could come from a weapons program or a civilian facility, such as a nuclear power plant. Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are dispersed across several secret locations, and some elements of the armed forces surely would resist any attempt by foreigners to take control of them. But if it comes to that, a shootout with Pakistan might be preferable to nuclear terrorism in the United States.
