Pakistan’s long-range missile plans raise alarm in Washington

[Ryan Robertson]

PAKISTAN IS TRYING TO DEVELOP LONG-RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILES THAT COULD ONE DAY HIT THE UNITED STATES. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SAYS THIS IS OBVIOUSLY VERY CONCERNING, SO IT’S RELEASING SOME INTELLIGENCE ABOUT THE PROGRAM, AND PUTTING SOME NEW SANCTIONS IN PLACE ON GROUPS LINKED TO IT. STILL, THERE ARE PLENTY OF QUESTIONS REMAINING ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL STABILITY AND U.S.-PAKISTAN RELATIONS.

DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JON FINER DESCRIBES THE SITUATION AS AN “EMERGING THREAT” TO THE U.S., CITING PAKISTAN’S WORK ON ADVANCED MISSILE SYSTEMS AND TESTING EQUIPMENT FOR LARGER ROCKET MOTORS.

THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT’S DISCLOSING THE INTELLIGENCE ABOUT PAKISTAN’S ACTIVITIES ONLY AFTER DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO ADDRESS ITS CONCERNS FAILED. OFFICIALS SAY PAKISTAN ISN’T GIVING AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY IT’S PURSUING THIS CAPABILITY. FINER SAYS THE LIST OF COUNTRIES WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND LONG-RANGE MISSILE CAPABILITIES TARGETING THE U.S. IS SMALL AND ADVERSARIAL, MAKING PAKISTAN’S ACTIONS PARTICULARLY CONCERNING.

THE U.S. IS IMPOSING SANCTIONS ON PAKISTAN’S STATE-OWNED NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMPLEX, WHICH OVERSEES MISSILE DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE SHAHEEN BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM. THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO TARGETING THREE PAKISTANI COMPANIES IN KARACHI AND CHINESE ENTITIES SUPPORTING PAKISTAN’S MISSILE EFFORTS.

PAKISTAN’S GOVERNMENT IS DENYING U.S. CLAIMS, CALLING THEM UNFOUNDED AND AIMED AT HINDERING ITS ABILITY TO DEFEND AGAINST INDIA. SOME ANALYSTS SUGGEST PAKISTAN IS TRYING TO DEVELOP LONG-RANGE MISSILES IN ORDER TO DETER THE U.S. FROM GETTING INVOLVED IN ANY FUTURE CONFLICT WITH INDIA. ANOTHER THEORY IS PAKISTAN WANTS TO COMPLICATE EFFORTS TO DISARM ITS NUCLEAR ARSENAL.

EARLY ESTIMATES SAY PAKISTAN COULD DEVELOP MISSILES CAPABLE OF REACHING THE U.S. IN ABOUT A DECADE, BUT THE WHITE HOUSE IS STRESSING THE NEED TO ACT NOW IN ORDER TO PREVENT FURTHER PROGRESS. RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND PAKISTAN BECAME STRAINED IN RECENT YEARS, PARTLY DUE TO WASHINGTON’S CLOSER TIES WITH INDIA AND ISLAMABAD’S GROWING ALIGNMENT WITH CHINA.

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