DTN News: Lockheed Martin Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Exceeds 50,000 Miles Of Operational Testing

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Exceeds 50,000 Miles Of Operational Testing

*Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin

(NSI News Source Info) OWEGO, NY - August 15, 2009: Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] first four operational Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) prototypes, featuring at least one prototype in each vehicle category and including two variants of the Category B model, have successfully exceeded 50,000 combined miles of testing. To best simulate mission conditions, the prototypes are undergoing 2,000 miles of rigorous secondary and off-road testing weekly. Lockheed Martin unveiled its fourth operational Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) prototype, a second variant of its Infantry Carrier Category B model, at the Association of the United States Army Winter Symposium in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Since October 2007, the Lockheed Martin-led JLTV Team has introduced four prototypes: its original Infantry Carrier JLTV Category B model, which is designed for troop transportation and was unveiled in October 2007; the Utility Vehicle Light Category C model, which is designed with a focus on payload and was introduced in February 2008; the General Purpose Mobility Category A model, which is designed for logistical support and was unveiled in October 2008; and the second variant of the Infantry Carrier Category B model, which made its public debut today. “We have designed, developed and extensively tested mature JLTV vehicles,” said Lou DeSantis, vice president of JLTV Systems at Lockheed Martin. “We’ve received feedback from the customer and used it to improve our solution in areas such as ergonomics and survivability. Introducing the fourth operational prototype demonstrates our team’s commitment to provide the warfighter with the lowest-risk, most technically innovative and affordable vehicle possible.” Currently all of the Lockheed Martin JLTV prototypes are in system test. To date, they have accumulated over 50,000 combined test miles, more than half of which have been conducted off-road to simulate mission conditions. “From the time we formed our JLTV Team more than four years ago, one of our standing objectives has been to literally drive risk out of the JLTV program,” said Lou DeSantis, vice president of JLTV Systems at Lockheed Martin.

“Through prototyping and off-road testing, we’re doing just that. Surpassing the 50,000 test mile threshold emphasizes our commitment to delivering a mature, low-risk family of vehicles for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps as quickly as possible, and also speaks volumes to the hard work and dedication of our entire JLTV Team." Lockheed Martin’s current JLTV family of vehicles includes four prototypes, all of which are in system test: The original Infantry Carrier JLTV Category B model, which is designed for troop transportation and was unveiled in October 2007; The Utility Vehicle Light Category C model, which is designed with a focus on payload and was introduced in February 2008; The General Purpose Mobility Category A model, which is designed for logistical support and was unveiled in October 2008; and The second variant of the Infantry Carrier Category B model, which made its public debut at the Association of the United States Army Winter Symposium in February 2009. The Lockheed Martin-led JLTV Team includes leaders in their respective fields. The BAE Systems Global Tactical Systems and Security & Survivability Systems businesses are providing production facilities for high volume assembly, automotive design support and advanced armor solutions for protection.

Alcoa Defense is supplying materials experience, design services and aluminum components that give the vehicle its structural strength at reduced weight. JWF – Defense Systems is offering state-of-the-art machining and cost-effective fabrication. Lockheed Martin serves as the prime contractor and design agent, providing systems engineering, platform integration, design expertise, and program and supply chain management. Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

DTN News: Malaysia TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ Malaysia Activists Welcome Web Censorship U-Turn

DTN News: Malaysia TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ Malaysia Activists Welcome Web Censorship U-Turn

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - August 15, 2009: Malaysian rights activists on Thursday welcomed the government's decision not to implement a controversial plan to create an Internet filter blocking "undesirable" websites. The proposal has been described as a "horror of horrors" by the opposition which said it would destroy the relative freedom of the Internet in Malaysia, where the mainstream press is tightly controlled. A senior official with the National Security Council (NSC) last week confirmed to AFP reports that the ruling coalition was considering the controls, effectively scrapping a 1996 guarantee that it would not censor the Internet. But Information Minister Rais Yatim Wednesday said the government did not intend to introduce online censoring, telling state media it would instead directly target cases of sedition, fraud and child pornography on the Internet. "The government has taken a positive step not to implement it. I don't think censoring will make any sense in this globalised world," said N. Siva Subramaniam, a commissioner from the government-backed Human Rights Commission. "Even if you block certain websites, readers still can get the news from other sources," he told AFP. Activists however remained cautious over Rais's comments, saying that while the government appeared to have backed away from the plan for a formal filter, it could still be intent on curtailing freedom of expression. "We are happy if they are dropping the idea, but we would also like to see what is their approach on what should be available on the Internet," said V. Gayathry from the Centre for Independent Journalism. "The government seems to be determined to monitor and control online content. It creates fear among the people, it is an implied threat and that itself will make people practise self-censorship," she added. Malaysia's lively blogosphere has been a thorn in the side of the Barisan Nasional government, which was been in power for more than half a century but was dealt its worst ever results in elections a year ago. Internet news portals and blogs, which escape tight controls on the mainstream media, were credited as a key element in the swing towards the opposition which has been adept at using new media to communicate its ideas. In comments to AFP last week, the NSC official said the proposed filter was "to keep out pornographic materials and bloggers who inflame racial sentiments. We need to maintain racial harmony. We cannot have full-blown democracy like in the United States".

DTN News: Boeing Halted 787 Production At Its Italian Subcontractor

DTN News: Boeing Halted 787 Production At Its Italian Subcontractor *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) NEW YORK, USA - August 15, 2009: Boeing Co. stopped production at a 787 Dreamliner facility in Italy that was making parts for the plane's fuselage because of weakness in its composite skin, the Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday. Boeing 787 Dreamliner Will Provide New Solutions for Airlines, Passengers ~ Responding to the overwhelming preference of airlines around the world, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' new airplane is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a super-efficient airplane. An international team of top aerospace companies is developing the airplane, led by Boeing at its Everett facility near Seattle, Wash. Unparalleled Performance ~ The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry 210 - 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers), while the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 - 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers). A third 787 family member, the 787-3 Dreamliner, will accommodate 290 - 330 passengers and be optimized for routes of 2,500 to 3,050 nautical miles (4,600 to 5,650 kilometers). In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 will provide airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly sized airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today's fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85. Airlines will enjoy more cargo revenue capacity. Passengers will also see improvements with the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience. The Chicago-based manufacturer ordered its subcontractor, Alenia Aeronautic in Naples, to stop work two months ago, the same day it announced a separate structural flaw at where the wing and the fuselage meet, the newspaper reported. Boeing downplayed the news, saying Alenia was installing a fix to the problem and that it would have no affect on schedule or cost. The company had to cancel the maiden flight for the 787 scheduled for June because of the wing-fuselage weakness, and hasn't announced yet a new target date. Shares of Boeing were down about nearly 5% at last check to $44.31. Over the last year the stock has declined more than 30% on the recession and fears customers might cancel new aircraft orders due to falling air-traffic demand. However, the mounting problems in the 787 program's supply chain have also been a significant overhang. "After a thorough review we found only two locations on each airplane that needed to be strengthened with a fairly simple patch," Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter told the Journal, regarding the problems sat the Alenia facility. The two patches can be applied externally and should prevent any "wrinkling" of the composite material, which could lead to further damage if left unrepaired, she said. The wide-body jetliner is about two years behind schedule. More than a hundred subcontractors have been doing the majority of the production work to help spread out costs, but it has also led to a variety of supply-chain problems including a shortage of fasteners and incomplete software. In July, Boeing said it would buy a Vought Aircraft facility that builds fuselage parts for the 787 to give the manufacturer greater control of its supply chain. It's the second purchase of a 787-related facility. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter. First deliveries of the next-generation jetliner are currently scheduled for the first quarter of 2010, about two years behind the company's original schedule. After June's first-flight delay, some analysts predicted the first delivery will now occur sometime in 2011.

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ Poll Shows President Hamid Karzai Leading Ahead Of Afghan Election

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ Poll Shows President Hamid Karzai Leading Ahead Of Afghan Election

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - August 15, 2009: KABUL - President Hamid Karzai holds a strong lead in the Afghan presidential race but is still short of the majority he needs for a first-round victory, according to a poll released Friday with less than a week to go before the balloting. Afghan children play near a election poster of President Hamid Karzai on August 14, 2009 in Kabul, Afghanistan. 41 Candidates are due to run off for Afghanistan's presidential elections which are to be held on August 20. The incumbent president Karzai is considered to be the frontrunner despite claims of corruption and what many consider an ineffectual government. The poll by a U.S. government-funded group suggests turnout will be crucial, especially in the Pashtun south _ the president's support base where Taliban fighters have been warning voters to stay away from the polls. Ahead of next Thursday's vote, there are fears that election tension could boil over into street violence if presidential losers allege massive fraud. Opposition candidates have been accusing Karzai and his team of using state resources to ensure re-election. Local and international monitors are convinced there will be voter irregularities. According to the latest poll, Karzai remains the leading candidate in a crowded field of three dozen contenders with about 44 percent support, a rise of 13 percentage points from a poll conducted in May. Karzai's main challenger, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, trailed at 26 percent _ a dramatic increase over the 7 percent he received in the May poll. If no candidate wins over 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers will face a run-off in early October. That could lead to a coalition uniting around a single candidate to try to defeat Karzai. The poll, based on face-to-face interviews with 2,400 people between July 16 and 26, was funded by the International Republican Institute, a non-governmental group that receives money from USAID, the U.S. government aid arm. The poll had a margin of error of 2 percentage points. Karzai, meanwhile, took his campaign Friday to the western city of Herat, where he won the public endorsement of Energy Minister Ismail Khan, the political czar of the region. Karzai told a crowd of several thousand that if re-elected, his first priority would be to initiate talks with the Taliban and other insurgent groups. About 90 percent of the respondents in the latest poll said they planned to vote, despite Taliban threats to disrupt the balloting. Election authorities have said about 10 percent of nearly 7,000 polling centers will likely remain shut, most of them because of bad security. The threat is the greatest in the south and east, where the country's ethnic Pashtuns live. Karzai, himself a Pashtun, could see his totals lowered if insurgent violence keeps Afghans there from voting. In an effort to encourage voting, village elders in the south are trying to broker election day cease-fire agreements with Taliban commanders, according to Karzai's brother, Ahmad Wali Karzai. "Local elders in some of the far-flung villages are just meeting with some small group commanders to not bother people during elections and let them vote," he told The Associated Press. However, a Taliban spokesman denied any talks were under way. "We are denying any deals with anyone," Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmedi told the AP by telephone. "Don't listen to those liars. There is no truth to any talk of a cease-fire. People should not go to vote. The Taliban has no agreement with the government." In the southern province of Helmand, U.S. Marines have been trying to secure the strategic town of Dahaneh to cut Taliban supply lines and enable the government to open a polling station there. After two days of fighting, Marines helped Afghan officers raise the Afghan flag over the town Friday after tribal elders assured the Americans there were no Taliban left there. Soon after the flag-raising ceremony, the Marine base in the town came under small arms, machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire, sending Marines running for cover. A patrol was sent out to find the gunmen and ended up locked in a lengthy gunfight which continued into the night. Elsewhere, a suicide bomber attacked an Afghan army base in southern Afghanistan on Friday, killing a soldier and wounding four other people, an official said. The bomber rammed his vehicle into the base's gate in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, said Daud Ahmadi, the provincial governor's spokesman. Three civilians and a soldier were among the wounded, he said. In the capital, meanwhile, two rockets were fired at Kabul's airport Friday but caused no damage or casualties, said U.S. military spokesman Chief Petty Officer Brian Naranjo. It was the second rocket attack on the capital this month. Taliban militants took responsibility for the previous attack. Kabul is heavily guarded by Afghan security forces, and authorities say rockets fired from a distance are the only weapon insurgents can use against the capital.

DTN News: Indonesia TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ Indonesian Leader Defiant In Face Of 'Assassination' Plot

DTN News: Indonesia TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ Indonesian Leader Defiant In Face Of 'Assassination' Plot

*Source: DTN News / AFP

(NSI News Source Info) JAKARTA, Indonesia - August 15, 2009: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sent a message of defiance Friday to Islamist extremists, saying Indonesia would not be defeated by terrorism after police uncovered a plot to assassinate him. In an address to the nation ahead of Independence Day on Monday, the ex-general called on all Indonesians to remain vigilant against extremists blamed for a series of attacks including last month's hotel blasts in Jakarta. Police hunting Islamist fanatic Noordin Mohammed Top, who allegedly ordered the July 17 suicide attacks on the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, said this week they had killed three men involved in the assassination plot. "In this planned terrorist attack there is a new phenomenon which is to aim terrorist action directly at our country, including a plan to assassinate the head of state," Yudhoyono said. "I want to stress that our country cannot be defeated in the fight against terrorism." Two suicide bombers believed to be part of Noordin's network killed seven people, mostly foreigners, at the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton in downtown Jakarta, the first attack of its kind in Indonesia since 2005. Police investigating the blasts have killed three men who were allegedly planning to detonate a truck bomb at Yudhoyono's principal residence near Bogor, south of Jakarta, around Independence Day. Hundreds of kilogrammes (pounds) of explosive chemicals were found during a raid last Saturday at a house near Bogor where two alleged Noordin followers were rigging a small truck as a bomb, police said. They were killed when they tried to hurl pipe-bombs at arresting officers. A third man who was a key player in the hotel attacks and was being groomed to detonate the suicide truck bomb at Yudhoyono's house was killed later Saturday in a police raid on a farmhouse in Central Java, police said. Media reports that Noordin, 41, a Malaysian who leads an offshoot of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) regional terror network, was killed in the raid on the farmhouse proved false. Noordin is the most wanted terror suspect in the country and is blamed for at least four suicide attacks targeting Westerners in Indonesia since 2003 which have killed around 50 people. Police have said he ordered his followers to switch tactics and target the president during a meeting in April, as revenge for the execution of three Islamists convicted over the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people. Yudhoyono said "poverty and injustice" were the root causes of terrorism but the killing of innocent civilians could never be justified by religion. "Terrorist acts in public places are inhuman and the victims are innocent, whether they are foreigners or Indonesians," he said. "I urge the Indonesian police and other security apparatus to increase their vigilance to prevent and eradicate terrorism at its roots, whoever they are and whatever their motivation." He also called on ordinary Indonesians -- the vast majority of whom are moderate Muslims -- to "stay united" against religious fanaticism. "Let's protect our young people from the deviant and extreme way of thinking, which can lead to terrorist acts," he said. Islamists mostly linked to JI, and sometimes funded by Al-Qaeda, have killed hundreds of people in terror attacks in Indonesia over the past decade as they seek to undermine the secular government and create a pure Islamic caliphate. The country's highest Islamic body, the Ulema Council, issued an edict in 2003 condemning terrorism as un-Islamic, and council chief Amidhan repeated that assertion on Friday. "This is not the way to go to paradise," he said of suicide bombers, according to Tempo news website. "On the contrary, it's a foolish death."

DTN News: Philippines TODAY August 15, 2009: Philippines Seizes $10.4 Million Smuggled Diamonds

DTN News: Philippines TODAY August 15, 2009: Philippines Seizes $10.4 Million Smuggled Diamonds

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) MANILA, Philippines - August 15, 2009: A British woman has been arrested for allegedly smuggling $10.4 million worth of diamonds into the Philippines, an official said Friday. Officers from the presidential anti-smuggling group arrested Alpha Kwok, a Chinese-born British national from Hong Kong, at an upscale Manila condominium Tuesday and seized 160 carats of diamonds along with uncut emeralds and other precious stones, said Antonio Villar Jr., head of the agency. Kwok has been charged with smuggling and detained pending a review of the case by the Justice Department, Villar said. He said that some of the seized diamonds already were set on rings, earrings and pendants and others were loose stones. Kwok and her lawyers could not be reached for comment. Villar said Kwok may have been part of a smuggling syndicate that has been bringing diamonds into the country and selling them to wealthy Filipinos. He said immigration records showed she had visited the Philippines more than 170 times in over two years, giving a dozen different addresses in metropolitan Manila during her stay. "She doesn't have any permit to import, and she has no working permit," he said. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo created the anti-smuggling group in 2007 to curb unlawful imports and other tariff violations facilitated by corrupt customs officials.

DTN News: ASEAN, India Sign Free Trade Deal: Officials

DTN News: ASEAN, India Sign Free Trade Deal: Officials

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) BANGKOK, Thailand - August 15, 2009: India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed a free-trade agreement on Thursday expected to raise annual trade to 60 billion dollars within seven years, officials said. "The signing today is a good sign of the extended trade between ASEAN and India," said Porntiva Nakasai, commerce minister of Thailand, which holds the 10-member regional bloc's rotating chairman ship. "The agreement comes at an appropriate time taking into account the current world economic crisis," she said in a statement. The agreement has been hailed as a milestone following years of tough negotiations between ASEAN and India, its seventh-largest trading partner. It covers billions of dollars in trade and a market of 1.7 billion people. The signing came ahead of a meeting in Bangkok this weekend of finance ministers from ASEAN and its regional partners China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. Trade between ASEAN and India totaled 47 billion dollars last year but would rise to 60 dollars billion under the pact, Dow Jones newswires quoted Thai Commerce Ministry spokesman Krisda Piampongsant as saying. The Southeast Asian bloc of about 550 million people is forging free trade pacts with key regional economies, including China and India, to ensure it does not become economically sidelined. ASEAN itself aims to achieve a single market and manufacturing base by 2015.

DTN News: Singapore TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ Singapore Participates In Naval Exercise Against Terrorism

DTN News: Singapore TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ Singapore Participates In Naval Exercise Against Terrorism

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - August 15, 2009: The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is participating in the Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercise, together with the United States Navy (USN) and navies from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. Held from August 14 to 20, SEACAT, which was first held in 2002, is a series of annual exercises by the USN and navies of Southeast Asian countries to enhance maritime information—sharing and the coordination of maritime security responses. As part of the exercise, ships transiting through Singapore waters will be tracked. Other drills include the boarding of US civil resource ships participating in the exercise as merchant vessels suspected of terrorist activities. Personnel from the RSN’s Maritime Security Task Force, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority will be taking part in the exercise. Also with them are the RSN patrol vessels, Accompanying Sea Security Teams (ASSeTs), Police Coast Guard patrol boats and maritime patrol aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

DTN News: Russian Submarine Designer Certain Of Bulava Missile Success

DTN News: Russian Submarine Designer Certain Of Bulava Missile Success

*Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - August 15, 2009: Russia's troubled Bulava ballistic missile will be developed and put into service with the Navy, the general designer of the Rubin design bureau for marine engineering has said. The missile, which is being developed by the Moscow-based Institute of Thermal Technology (MITT), has suffered six failures in 11 tests. The general director of the institute has resigned over the failures, seen as a setback in the development of Russia's nuclear deterrent. Sergei Kovalyov, who helped design three generations of Russia's strategic submarines, said the testing of Bulava, which is the most advanced submarine-launched ballistic missile ever developed in Russia, is a very complex process and takes time and effort to succeed. "Beyond any doubt, Bulava is a much more sophisticated missile [than the previous missiles]. Although we lag behind in the electronics, it uses far more sophisticated materials and components. Solid-fuel missiles are used around the world. The Topol [land-based missile] flies. I am convinced that Bulava will fly as well," Kovalyov said in an interview published by the Rossiiskaya Gazeta government daily on Thursday. The Bulava (SS-NX-30) submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) carries up to 10 MIRV warheads and has an estimated range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). The three-stage solid-propellant ballistic missile is designed for deployment on new Borey class nuclear-powered strategic submarines. The Russian military expects the Bulava, along with Topol-M land-based ballistic missiles, to become the core of Russia's nuclear triad. The expert dismissed criticism over serious problems in the Bulava missile testing process, saying the designers were forced to bypass required testing stages due to a lack of funds and the lack of necessary facilities. "In Soviet times, during the first stage of trials, dummy missiles were fired from a floating launch pad in Balaklava [a town on the Crimean Peninsula, which now belongs to Ukraine] to test the underwater segment of the trajectory," Kovalyov said. "After that, similar tests were conducted on board a re-equipped submarine. They were followed by a number of launches from a land-based launch pad in Nenoks in the Arkhangelsk region to test the flight range," he said. In the case of the Bulava missile, "there were no conditions to carry out tests at a floating launch pad in Balaklava, and there was no opportunity to conduct ground-based tests of the missile either, because the funds needed to build launch pads and a new silo were not provided." The expert also complained about the poor quality of missile components provided by a large number of sub-contractors, and the absence of military representatives at manufacturing plants to ensure quality control. "Some of the failed launches were caused by faulty components, which the military reps would never allow to pass," Kovalyov said. He also dismissed as "pure nonsense" media speculation that the U.S. was interfering with Bulava tests by using powerful radars or laser beams. "No country in the world possesses such a capability," the designer said. The Russian Defense Ministry said in July the Bulava tests could resume as early as in August.

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Pakistan’s Nuclear Program Owes Its Success To Afghanistan War Dr A Q Khan

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Pakistan’s Nuclear Program Owes Its Success To Afghanistan War Dr A Q Khan

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - August 14, 2009: The pioneer of Pakistan’s nuclear Programs and renowned scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan has said that Pakistan’s nuclear program owes its success due to Afghan war, which entangled US badly. Disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, right, walks with opposition leader Imran Khan, left, after their meeting at his residence in Islamabad, Pakistan on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. Pakistan defended Saturday the easing of restrictions on Khan, saying the man who once confessed to passing nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya no longer posed a risk because his smuggling network had been dismantled. While speaking in Private TV Channel program, Dr. A Q Khan said that after the creation of Pakistan, Liaqat Ali Khan visited America, followed by Field marshal Ayub Khan, who simply put the Pakistan on total mercy of America. Dr. A Q Khan accused that this act of former leaders of Pakistan has put the freedom and independence of Pakistan on stake, as every feeble government in the past continued to seek the support of US. He said that in the mid late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto tried to free the country from the grasp of US but unfortunately, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged by former military dictator Zia ul Haq which was the bad luck of Pakistan. He said that it is very unfortunate in the Pakistan that whosoever raised the voice for the freedom has been killed, while envying Iran for despite being very weak as compared to Pakistan, still did not allow US to violate their territory. He said that he had done his job L: whatever he could do, and maintained that the success of Pakistan’s Nuclear program was the Afghan war, which entangled US badly. He said that Afghan war and unrest in region has provided Pakistan an opportunity to complete its nuclear power. He further said that had there been peace in Afghanistan, it would have become difficult for Pakistan to accomplishment is nuclear program. Similarly, he said that Pakistan’s nuclear arms was in safe hands and said that news in the international media about falling of these nuclear arms into terrorists hands were merely baseless.