Pakistan steps up nuclear construction: images

Pakistan steps up nuclear construction: images
by Staff Writers Washington (AFP) Oct 5, 2010 Pakistan appears to have stepped up construction of a new atomic reactor that could help the country produce easier-to-deliver nuclear weapons, a US research institute said. Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is one of the most sensitive topics for the United States as it tries to improve relations with its frontline partner in the campaign against Islamic extremism.
The Institute for Science and International Security

, a private US group which is critical of nuclear weapons, said Tuesday it observed progress at Pakistan's tightly guarded Khushab site which is key to plutonium production.n a September satellite image of the site in Punjab province, the institute said it observed a completed row of mechanical draft cooling towers at a third reactor, where construction began in 2006.
It marks a faster pace than for the second reactor, where such towers appeared after six years of construction, it said.
"Based on what I see in the image, it wouldn't surprise me if they started it up in 2011," said Paul Brannan, a senior analyst at the institute.
More at:
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pakistan_steps_up_nuclear_construction_images_999.html

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