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Tuesday, Nov 24, 2009
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Antony reiterates fears over nuclear weapons

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister A.K. Antony has again expressed apprehensions about the possibility of nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands and felt that its consequences would be “unimaginable.”

“The threat of nuclear weapons falling into wrong hands remains an area of serious concern, and the consequences of such a situation are unimaginable,” he said, speaking at a seminar on ‘Changing nature of conflict: trends and responses’ here on Monday.

Though several countries were affected by terrorism, he said, the series of militant attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan thrust South Asia into the epicentre of a sub-conventional conflict and instability.

Chief of the Army Staff Deepak Kapoor included West Asia to the list of regions mentioned by Mr. Antony as the epicentres of conflict and instability. “Territorial disputes, provocation by proxy wars, religious fundamentalism, radical extremism, ethnic tensions and socio-economic disparities are the hallmarks of South Asia.”

Owing to the sub-conventional conflicts, countries could undertake interventions on “purely humanitarian grounds if the diaspora is under threat, the sovereignty of nations being questioned such as attacks on missions abroad and national assets and foreign soil being used constantly for attack by state and non-state actors,” he said.

The situation in the region could further worsen since there was neither any political or diplomatic unity nor any common ground to build a consensus to fight this new war. As a result, there was a need to re-examine the concept of national security and to evolve concepts and doctrine to protect nations’ interests within and beyond the boundaries as well, he said.

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