Building More Nukes
The week's news at a glance.
Islamabad, Pakistan
Pakistan shrugged off the disclosure this week that it was building a new reactor to make enough plutonium to fuel 50 bombs a year. The U.S.-based Institute for Science and International Security released a report analyzing satellite pictures of the reactor construction. “South Asia may be heading for a nuclear arms race that could lead to arsenals growing into the hundreds of nuclear weapons,” the report said, “or at minimum, vastly expanded stockpiles of military fissile material.” The report merely says “that Pakistan has a nuclear weapons program and a nuclear facility,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam. “This ought to be no revelation to anyone, because Pakistan is a nuclear weapons state.” The Bush administration said it is trying to persuade Pakistan not to use the plutonium for weapons.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The genetic secrets of South Korea's female free-divers
Under The Radar Unique physiology of 'real-life mermaid' haenyeo women could help treat chronic diseases
-
Democrats: How to rebuild a damaged brand
Feature Trump's approval rating is sinking, but so is the Democratic brand
-
Unraveling autism
Feature RFK Jr. has vowed to find the root cause of the 'autism epidemic' in months. Scientists have doubts.