Pakistan Missile Test: Government Says It Test-Fires Rocket With Nuclear Capability

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's military says it has successfully test-fired a short-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

A military statement says the Hatf III Ghaznavi with a range of 290 kilometers (180 miles) was launched Thursday at the conclusion of the annual field training exercise of Army Strategic Force Command.

It is the second such test by Pakistan in the past two weeks. On April 25, Pakistan launched what it said was an intermediate-ranged missile after its archenemy India conducted its own missile test.

The country routinely test-fires what it claims are indigenously developed missiles.

The world community closely watches Pakistan's weapons program as it has fought three wars with its nuclear-armed neighbor, India, since 1947.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) – Pakistan's military says it has successfully test-fired a short-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

A military statement says the Hatf III Ghaznavi with a range of 290 kilometers (180 miles) was launched Thursday at the conclusion of the annual field training exercise of Army Strategic Force Command.

It is the second such test by Pakistan in the past two weeks. On April 25, Pakistan launched what it said was an intermediate-ranged missile after its archenemy India conducted its own missile test.

The country routinely test-fires what it claims are indigenously developed missiles.

The world community closely watches Pakistan's weapons program as it has fought three wars with its nuclear-armed neighbor, India, since 1947.

Comments

[Otis Ross]

02:17 PM on 06/05/2012

all the focus on iran we need to watch india and pakistan too mortal enemies who keep test firing missiles to show each other we are just as ready as you for a war the u.s.a. and china and russia could not stop a war which would hurt the worlds atmosphere and hurt all mankind once a nucluar war breaks out it is the end like i said every body wants the bomb but to use it is the end.

[Davinci Mode]

05:25 AM on 05/14/2012

Bravo!!!.. keep it up guys.

[Javedm]

06:20 AM on 05/11/2012

What Pakistan really needs are more missiles when the economy is shattered, massive power shortages over ½ the population living below the poverty line. The West needs to stop giving aid (including military aid.) also stop turning a blind eye on the billions being deposited in westerns bank by the ruling & military classes this is the only way this country will become stable.

[Taxim]

02:08 AM on 05/11/2012

The United States, notably the President Ronald Reagan's Administration, was a staunch sponsor of Zia's military regime and was the major ally of Pakistan's conservative military.[35] Reagen administration declared Zia's regime as the "Front-line" ally of the United States in the fight against the Communism.[35] American legislators and senior officials most notable were Zbigniew Brzezinski, Henry Kissinger, Charlie Wilson, Joanne Herring, and the civilian intelligence officers General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was the 4th Chief Martial Law Administrator and the sixth President of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988. Zia's idea of religious conservatism in Pakistan became the primary line of his military government. Throughout the 1980s, Zia managed to consolidate more and more power in his hands, gradually putting down all opposition groups in Pakistan. Zia's major domestic initiatives included the consolidation of the nuclear development and the empowerment of the Islamic conservatives in the military.

Michael Pillsbury and Gust Avrakotos, and senior U.S. military officials General John William Vessey, General Herbert M. Wassom, and had been long associated with the Zia military regime where they had made frequent trips to Pakistan advising on expanding the idea of establishment in the political circle of Pakistan. Nominally, the American conservatism influenced General Zia-ul-Haq to adopt his idea of religious conservatism as the primary line of his military government, forcefully enforcing the Islamic and other religious practices in the country.

[mortonrchrd]

09:45 AM on 05/11/2012

We were allied with Stalin from 1941 to 1945, so anything the Soviets ever did is Americas fault ? We sold oil and scrap steel to Japan before WWII, so anything Japan did in WWII is Americas fault ?.....Britain was allied with Tecumseh in the war of 1812, so Britain is to be blamed for the 7th Cavalry getting killed at the Little Bighorn ?
The point is, what does that have to do with what we should be doing today ? Which is getting out of Afghanistan and letting the Pashtun,Hazara, Tajiks and Uzbeks get back to their multi-sided tribal warfare.......That and quit propping up Chinas ally Pakistan... If Beijing wants to prop them up, let them do it.

[Foodgrade]

12:18 AM on 05/11/2012

But that's ok with us. Man are we stupid.

[mamacat]

11:46 PM on 05/10/2012

As crazy as he was, Hitler did not use poison gas on enemy combatants or civilians. He had to know that his enemies would respond in kind, if he chose to drop poison gas by airplane or artillery shell. Similarly with nuclear weapons, hopefully, the world's leaders must realize that using these weapons on one's enemies invites similar retribution on one's own country.

Having said that, Mac Arthur was said to have wanted to use nuclear weapons against China,

http://www.mrgallagherstudentsites.com/1950s/?page_id=16

and General Le May is said to have advised President Kennedy that a nuclear war was in America's best interest, since, in the General's opinion, the US would be able to survive such a war.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAlemay.htm

In other words, there are plenty of crazed leaders who would use nuclear weapons if given the chance. Some of them have been American generals, held in check by strong Democratic Presidents, Truman and Kennedy.

[The ORF in Largo]

08:31 PM on 05/10/2012

Wow a missile that has range of 180 miles coupled with a nuclear warhead would appear to do
almost as much damage to Pakistan as it would to whoever it targets

[Jessen Joseph]

07:56 PM on 05/10/2012

This goes without saying.

But similar to its sister, India, Pakistan too, suffers from major inferiority complex.

[Nighthawlk]

07:43 PM on 05/10/2012

aaaand it's ..... a.......dud!!!!!! [BOOM] sorry Israel, Pakistan lied about how far it can go and that it wasn't armed with a nuclear head.

The radical terrorist led by the military took over the Pakistani government and just went red button crazy.

Iran isn't the one to worry about. Their government is stable compared to others. Iran has a rational leader and a council that will not permit using a nuclear bomb unless one is used against them... or threatened with speeches about a preemptive strike.

I do not agree with their political structure but I don't let that blind me.

[Ansdlmol]

06:14 PM on 05/10/2012

I've said t before and I reiterate. Pakistan is far more dangerous than Iran and infinitely more irrational.

[Nighthawlk]

07:16 PM on 05/10/2012

Few want to hear the truth. I and my friends seem to understand but the supporters for Israeli goal to establish a war between the US and Iran refuse to accept hard facts. Good Post, Ansdlmo, keep reminding everyone.

[William Diaz]

07:51 PM on 05/10/2012

I have been saying that since before 9/11, but common sense wasnt the strong point of the US government in the early 2000's...

Have a great day!

[Cannonball Taffy O Jones]

01:30 PM on 05/10/2012

As Pakistan’s missile program draws heavily on North Korean know how, which itself is based on cutting edge 1960’s Soviet technology, I would say that the chances of Islamabad’s missiles landing anywhere remotely close to where they were aimed at is about 1 in 10. On a good day.

[sean beamer]

04:55 PM on 05/10/2012

hmmm. i wonder if you would put your money where your gob is ?...or better still stand at point X when they fire...knowing as you know that it miss point X and will end miles away !

[Djay0252]

05:22 PM on 05/10/2012

The Bock's Car was quite off of its ground 0 but 45,000 people died....in 1945

[alpi57]

01:29 PM on 05/10/2012

It's funny that Israel doesn't complain about Pakistan, a country with no real leadership and full of Muslim radicals.

That's because US have told them that Pakistan, for the time being, is off limits. Plus, most of the weapons that are in the hands of Al-Queda still comes from Israel

[terroristmd]

05:32 PM on 05/10/2012

Well that and Pakistan can't find Israel on a map, them trying to hit Israel w/an ICBM is 100-150 years away at least.

[alpi57]

06:01 PM on 05/10/2012

If they have the technology to fire an ICBM, they can pinpoint anyone in the area.

Underestimating your opponent is the mother of all foul ups.

[Davinci Mode]

05:21 AM on 05/14/2012

alpi57
Israel can't complain because its a country full of Jew radicals.

[Shah Deeldar]

12:33 PM on 05/10/2012

I hope they do not use it on any country. This is not an automatic insurance that Pakistan can harbor Al-Quida gang and its cohorts and feel safe against the US wrath. One or two bombs may not mean anything if they failed to explode at the right moment.

[ggradkiss]

10:31 AM on 05/10/2012

ref: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/05/total-war-islam/
U.S. Military Taught Officers: Use ‘Hiroshima’ Tactics for ‘Total War’ on Islam
The Democrats and Republicans will team up together, and declare war against anything that overpowers them. And still miss that Norway is busy today conducting live war exercises with Russia's Navy. Pakistan had live war exercises with China not long ago...when the uS killed some of Pakistan's border personnel.
The CIA appears to be in charge ... and have probably invested heavily in their own pension funds rather than used common sense.
Everyone knows there is no common law in the uS. The CIA and associated unionized law enforcement teams are not here to protect citizens they are all more likely to protect their retirement checks.

[mamacat]

04:56 AM on 05/11/2012

Has someone declared that China and Russia are now our enemies? Because that is the only way that Norway cooperating with Russia, and Pakistan cooperating with China, could be seen as contrary to our interests.

Perhaps America borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars from China, and American astronauts relying on the Russian Soyuz program to get back and forth from the ISS, should be looked at as treasonous? Closing the Chinese pocketbook would kill the entire world economy, and the Russians now have the power to keep US manned missions out of space. Sure, let's declare them our enemies, and see how that works out.

CIA union teams? What are you smoking?
When Cheney decided to eliminate the American CIA team dedicated to preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, the first thing Valerie Plame did was NOT to go to her union rep,, which person, by the way, does not exist in the real world.

[Daniel Alman]

10:14 AM on 05/10/2012

Pakistan: A crumbling country with nukes...

[sean beamer]

05:02 PM on 05/10/2012

Pakistan: A crumbling country with nukes... ? really ....you have been reading/listening too much american crap news on fox .....they have managed to develop a nuke without consent or cooperation of the likes of usa...and at a minimal expense...crumbling ...hmmm ......its all about perception...