Excellent analysis! Whereas the history of Pakistan's involvement in conventional as well as nuclear terrorism is known to all and sundry, the fact that the country's overall military bureaucracy and those responsible for running the nuclear program have been actively associated with this atrocious exercise is even more flabbergasting and somewhat perplexing.

AQ Khan and the bunch of crooks who worked with/for him were well-sheltered and provided protection, incentives, perks and privileges by each successive government in Pakistan. These nuclear terrorists were 'above-the-law' types who had access to all possible channels of information and the capability to override rules and regulations with impunity.

It would be rather naïve to believe that AQ and company operated on their own. These ‘wretched of the earth’ had the full backing and support of the military as well and Establishment.

While AQ was busy making personal profits, those at the helm of affairs were occupied in brainwashing the Pakistani public that the development of the nuclear program is right in line with the precepts of religion, that Pakistan was threatened by India, US and Israel, that Pakistan needs to spend more and more on obtaining conventional and unconventional weapons in order to counter this monstrous threat to Islam!

Having met with considerable success in their endeavor to cheat not only the national but international systems as well, these ‘scientists’ were treated as ‘gods’, especially after the May 1998 nuclear tests. AQ became an overnight folk hero, a celebrity whose name became synonymous to Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton in the nationalistic Pakistani media. Some even went to the extent of calling him the ‘Father of the Nation’, a title normally used for Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

The Khan network is an interesting lesson for all of us. It’s a wake up call for the world community to pay attention to countries that strongly believe that they have to assert and make their presence felt in regional as well as global politics and they try to justify the ends without thinking substantially about means to achieve those ends.

Additionally, ‘friends’ of Pakistan need to pay heed to US apprehensions about the Paki nukes falling into wrong hands. Given that Pakistan is an utterly chaotic and terribly managed policy, access to that nuclear stockpile is just a heartbeat away from being taken over by the religious fundamentalists.

Unless strong and solid checks are put in place, this Pakistani nuclear and terrorist juggernaut will keep playing havoc and stand in the way of any peaceful progress that the world is trying to make in the way of fighting and curbing terrorism. Pakistan and Taliban are two names of the same ‘object’ – even the greatest of Pakistani supporters cannot deny that. It’s a sad fact but it is true to the core.

Granted that Khan and his gang are living in a somewhat ‘constrained’ environment at this time, the West needs to beware of the fact that this unending line of terrorists within the Pakistani state setup will stay on as a pain in the neck as long as impactful steps are not taken to subdue them.

These type of topics are always in. So many writers are putting their efforts to highlight these issue specially related to Middle East, Iran and Pakistan. Through these topics they creat uncertainity in these countries and brain wash western people against these countries. If we look into history who acted as irresponsibly, The USA and whose policies and decisions went wrong - The West. How many people died in 9/11 - max 4000, How many died in Afghanistan and Iraq - about 400,000. Who won this war ? What has been achieved through this war on terror ?
Pakistani authorities made it clear so many times that their Nukes are in safe hands and will remain safe no one has to worry about it, eventhen Davis Albright claimed they are not safe and wrote this book, why ? Once again I coat here Pakistans Nukes are in safe hands and will remain in safe hands.