The arms race in the far east.

There's a WaPo article on Pakistan's new plutonium reactor this morning. Alot of the early blogging I've read seems to focus on the potential shift in the balance between Pakistan and India, but I would argue that it's part of a much larger militarization across the entire far east.

Beyond this mention of a Pakistani nuclear buildup, and the Bush administration's well discussed deal to exempt India from nuclear development and import controls, I think you need to add the growing rumbles of militarization coming out of the Japanese.

The direct cause of growing Japanese militarism is the threats and presence of North Korea, however, I don't think you can look at these developments separate from China. China's two main rivals, India and Japan are making moves to up their regional military capabilities forcing China to increase its capabilities.

My point is that at the same time the US is complaining about growth in the Chinese military, it is support for Pakistan and the failures on North Korea that are causing this coming far eastern arms race. And if you add tensions in that region, sooner or later they are going to release.

(Similarly, it is the US's blind eye towards Israel's nukes that is fostering their development in Iran.) Proliferation is a very delicate and dangerous game.