Researcher speaks on nuclear arms race in South Asia
In the world of the nuclear arms race, Zia Mian says proper attention is not always given to India and Pakistan, although each country is quickly building and enhancing its nuclear arsenal.
Mian, a research scientist at Princeton University and nuclear expert, appeared in Eggers Hall on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the current status of nuclear capabilities between India and Pakistan, as well as the countries’ connection to peace and security on a regional and global scale.
‘The issues between these two countries are not opinions about political ideology, about communism and democracy. The issues are essentially blood feuds,’ Mian said.
Mian is director of the Project on Peace and Security in South Asia at the Program of Science and Global Security at Princeton. His research focuses on nuclear weapons and nuclear energy policy in Pakistan and India, among other South Asian countries.
In the past few years, Pakistan’s roles in the war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, as well as India’s emergence as a major economy and potential rival to China, have become the key international concerns about these countries, Mian said. These developments have drawn attention away from the nuclear arms race between Pakistan and India, Mian said.Mian said the White House recently issued a statement that generalized the cooperation and possible partnership between the United States and India. The statement specifically included the words of a strategic partnership, he said.
But when discussing Pakistan, Mian said President Barack Obama did not talk about a partnership but focused on ‘disrupting, dismantling and defeating al-Qaeda.’
‘This brings into focus the difference between the relationship that the U.S. wants with the two countries,’ Mian said.
Mian emphasized the issues a war between India and Pakistan would cause by displaying ecological effects of a nuclear war, showing that after 49 days the entire world would be covered with damaging smoke.
Mian found it shocking that, even though India is a democracy, the country parades around weapons of mass destruction on its Independence Day, he said. The only other countries that have done that are North Korea, China and Russia, he said.
Stephanie Rugolo, a political science graduate student who attended the event, was surprised by what Mian had to say.
‘I couldn’t believe some of the information he gave,’ she said. ‘It was a very informative talk and had lots of facts that would be difficult for people to find.’
But Rugolo said that while Mian gave a lot of facts, he did not offer solutions.
Greg Nelson, a public administration and international relations graduate student, was not disappointed in Mian’s talk.
‘He really impressed me,’ Nelson said. ‘He showed the rising severity of the issues between India and Pakistan, and the relationship the U.S. has with both.’
Published on March 29, 2011 at 12:00 pm
