Washington, Mar 16: Many militant groups based in the region are eyeing Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, a top most US commander has said stressing that a strong vigil is needed to be maintained.
 Hinting that groups other than al- Qaeda and Taliban might be seeking to arm themselves with nuclear weapons, General David Petraeus, Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan has suggested that US should stay engaged in the area in which “we have such vital interests”.
 The General also raised the possibility of operating joint military bases with local forces, after US troops withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014.
 Previously US had said that it was only groups like al- Qaeda and Taliban that were out to acquire small sized nuclear weapons, but now General David Petraeus, Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan said “there are many groups operating on Pak-Afghan border eyeing weapons of mass destructions”.
 “There are certainly other elements in Pakistan, the Pakistani Taliban and several other varieties of elements who generally have symbiotic relationships, the most extreme of which might, indeed, value access to nuclear weapons or other weapons that could cause enormous loss of life,” Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
 ‘Poisonous snakes in Pak backyard’
 Meanwhile, top US lawmakers and Pentagon voiced concern over Pakistan allowing “poisonous snakes” to exist in its own backyward during the “war on terror” and said they are crossing the border and biting its “neighbours.”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST