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This article was first published 13 years ago

America CAN'T attack Pakistan's nuclear weapons: Musharraf

Last updated on: November 7, 2011 11:26 IST

Image: Pakistan's nuclear-capable air-launched Ra'ad cruise missile

Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has claimed that the country's nuclear weapons are very hard targets and can never be attacked by the United States.

"I don't think it is possible from my purely military perspective for anyone, including the United States, to attack them that easily," Musharraf told CNN in an interview.

"They are very well dispersed and they in very strong positions and also guarded. So I don't think it's as simple as the Osama bin Laden action or one point action, which is a soft target. These are very hard targets. And (they are kept) in places which are not accessible," he said.

America CAN'T attack Pak's nuclear weapons: Musharraf

Image: A handout image shows a Hatf IX (NASR) missile being fired during a test at an undisclosed location in Pakistan

Musharraf said Pakistan's nuclear weapons are demated.

"As far as this mating and demating is concerned, they are all demated. I think even when we had a confrontation with India, we never mated the weapons, and I don't think India did. Because we have conventional strength to meet the challenges of war, so we don't have to go unconventional right away. So therefore they are never mated," he said.

America CAN'T attack Pak's nuclear weapons: Musharraf

Image: Pervez Musharraf

Responding to questions, Musharraf alleged that Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has refused to accept Pakistan's offer of training its security personnel.

"I have been bending backwards for Afghanistan. I have been bending backwards, asking President Karzai, (and) we opened out all our training institutions free of cost. (We told them) Come to Pakistan and we will train you. No one has come," he claimed.

Musharraf said he still does not trust Karzai, despite the latter recently stating that Afghanistan would support Pakistan if the latter gets involved in a war with the United States.

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