War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Ishrat Husain Usmani, 1986
Description:
Ishrat Usmani was a Pakistani atomic physicist who chaired the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 1960-1971. In the interview, he begins by recounting his education and how he came to the Pakistani AEC by way of a temporary post in the Indian civil service. After being tapped by Ayub Khan, he represents Pakistan at various international conferences, which he describes and discusses how Pakistan benefited from international programs, particularly Atoms for Peace. He says he had no expectation of benefiting from initiatives like Project Plowshares. On the other hand, he considered the IAEA "a beautiful idea," although he objected to the uneven application of safeguards, which were limited to countries that sought IAEA assistance. He recalls his personal involvement in negotiating with Canada over the KANUPP reactor, noting that India had similar aspirations at the time. After the Chinese test in 1964, he asserts that he did not give much credence to Homi Bhabha's claim that India could conduct its own test in 18 months. When the test eventually occurred, Dr. Usmani's reaction was "sheer disgust." When asked, he offers a technical description of a small nuclear explosion, comparing the characteristics of a weapons test with a so-called peaceful explosion. He disagrees that the only way to gain international prestige is by acquiring a bomb. Further in the discussion, proliferation issues are raised, including Dr. Usmani's objections to the NPT, and his views on whether a country with a reactor is likely to develop a weapons capability. Asked about the nuclear future of South Asia, he enthusiastically describes his idea for an entity called Asiatom, structured according to the model of Euratom, with the big powers, China and India, taking the lead.
