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Pakistan is cranking up their capacity for building newer, better nuclear weapons... Hooray! [c.f. this article]

Because we know how reliable and responsible Pakistan is as a nation-state. Here is an interesting bit down towards the end of the article:

After comparing a sequence of satellite photos, the institute analysts estimated that the new reactor was still "a few years" from completion. The diameter of the structure's metal shell suggests a very large reactor "operating in excess of 1,000 megawatts thermal," the report says.

"Such a reactor could produce over 200 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium per year, assuming it operates at full power a modest 220 days per year," it says. "At 4 to 5 kilograms of plutonium per weapon, this stock would allow the production of over 40 to 50 nuclear weapons a year."

My major question is "why?" They already possess a significant nuclear deterrant to India (and China, for that fact).

Why does Pakistan need the ability to go to Plutonium-based weapons, and why do they need to ability to start cranking them out wholesale?

And of course India willl not be slow to respond to a major nuclear arms race escalation. And since neither nation is a signatory to the NPT, there is no incentive right now for them to stop, other than the threat of force from the other side.

Boy, I sure wish some nation powerful and rich enough to act in an international leadership role would reassert respect for international law and treaties and make them worthwhile for countries to sign...

Is there anyway this ends well? For anyone?

mojo sends