Gulf states also want to go nuclear

11 December, 2006

Gulf Arab leaders are considering a joint civilian nuclear programme, a move that could heighten proliferation concerns in the oil-rich region.

A GCC statement released on Sunday said: "The states of
the region have a right to possess nuclear technology for peaceful
purposes."

Analysts have recently been projecting that Saudi Arabia and Egypt will ask to develop nuclear capability after the Iranians in order not to be left in the dust behind the rising power in the Middle East.

A few months ago, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced that his country plans to establish a nuclear power plant and to obtain nuclear power for peaceful purposes in order to solve the energy crisis in his country "for the coming generations." After this announcement, Saudi Arabia was also expected to declare a similar step.

Egypt once had a nuclear weapons program, but gave it up in the 1970s and joined the NPT.

The area's Arab nations have expressed worry over the disputed Iranian nuclear program, which is the focus of a standoff with the West over Tehran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes, including generating electricity.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates's admission that Israel has nuclear weapons , has caused further anxiety in the Arabs.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Egypt, Jordan and Yemen are among nations around the world considering nuclear programs, in october warning about the threat of atomic arms proliferation.

Posted by munaeem 00:51 | Middle East Crisis | Comment(0) | Permalink

name: M. Munaeem Jamal

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