 Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are all seeking nuclear technology, the British newspaper The Times reported Saturday morning. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the countries involved claimed they were only interested in building civilian nuclear energy programs, a goal which is permitted under international law.
"Some Middle East states, including Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Saudi Arabia, have shown initial interest [in using] nuclear power primarily for desalination purposes," Tomihiro Taniguch, the deputy director-general of the IAEA, told the business weekly Middle East Economic Digest. He also added that after preliminary discussions with the governments, the IAEA would offer its support in helping to build the power plants, The Times reported.
| Since the IAEA is so good at stopping proliferation ... |
Mark Fitzpatrick, an expert on nuclear proliferation at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, pointed to Iran as sparking the sudden rush for nuclear technology. "If Iran was not on the path to a nuclear weapons capability you would probably not see this sudden rush [in the Arab world]," The Times quoted him as saying.
| Which makes no sense. The need for desalinization is a constant. If you need water you need water. Nuclear-generated electricity makes sense for that purpose, but if you need it today, you needed it yesterday. These countries hadn't taken any steps for nuclear energy yesterday, did they? The rush for nuclear technology has nothing to do with water and everything to do with Iran. The good ole' IAEA will 'help' these countries develop nuclear power, and they'll then take the last steps to working nuclear weapons on their own. Mark Fitzpatrick is a yutz, and a dangerous yutz because he doesn't see any of this. |
While Egypt and other North African states can justify the technology as necessary in the face of high oil prices, others, such as Saudia Arabia, will have a more difficult time defending their decision.
| They're not really looking to 'defend' their decision, Mark: in case you hadn't noticed Saooodi-controlled Arabia is not a democracy. Abdullah doesn't need to justify his decision to anyone inside the country, and the Saoodis have been pretty good at playing the West for fools. |
In addition to owning healthy reserves of oil, Saudi Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, told The Times earlier this year that his country was opposed to the spread of nuclear power and weapons in the Arab world.
| Until the Iranians made them jittery. That's the point. |
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