Thursday, February 17 2005 15:27 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Concerned over the threat of nuclear proliferation to international stability, the US has said that it anticipates increase in weapon inventories of various countries, including China, India, Pakistan and North Korea.

"Immediately behind terrorism, nuclear proliferation remains the most significant threat to our nation (US) and international stability," Defence Intelligence Agency Vice Admiral Lowell E Jacoby told the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington yesterday (Feb 16, 2005).

India and Pakistan, he said, "continue to expand and modernise their nuclear weapon stockpiles. We remain concerned over the potential for extremists to gain control of Pakistani nuclear weapons. Both nations may develop boosted nuclear weapons with increased yield."

"We anticipate increases in the nuclear weapon inventories of a variety of countries to include China, India, Pakistan and North Korea," he said.

Pakistan and India continue to develop new ballistic missiles, "reflecting tension between those two countries and New Delhi's desire to become a greater regional power".

He said that Pakistan flight-tested its new solid propellant medium range ballistic missile for the first time in 2004. India is developing a new Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, the Agni III.

US was also watching non-Government entities and individual entrepreneurs. The revelations about A Q Khan's nuclear proliferation network shows how a complex international network of suppliers with "requisite expertise and access to the needed technology, middlemen and front companies can successfully circumvent international controls and support multiple nuclear weapon programmes," he said.