6 Arab states join nuclear race
DUBAI: At least six Arab countries are developing domestic nuclear power programmes to diversify energy sources, reported a Middle East economic magazine on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria have shown interest in developing nuclear power primarily for water desalination, the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) quoted Tomihiro Taniguchi, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as saying.
“We held preliminary discussions with these governments. We will offer them help under our technical advisory programme to conduct a study for the power plants,” he was quoted as saying. He said that the interest the four nations had shown was “at a tertiary stage”. The UAE and Tunisia had also shown interest in nuclear power, but their plans were at an “infant stage”, said the magazine.
Nobody at the IAEA was immediately available for comments. A diplomat close to the IAEA said the plans of Arab countries reflected “renewed interest in nuclear power”.
Analysts say that in addition to the need for alternative energy sources, several Arab countries are concerned about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Western powers are attempting to forge a UN resolution to force Iran to suspend its nuclear programme.
Iran says it has a right to develop nuclear fuel, which it “wants for peaceful goals”, but which the West fears will be used to make atomic bombs.
Egypt’s nuclear programme is the Arab world’s most advanced. Russia is looking to take part in a tender to construct nuclear power stations in the country, a Russian official said this week. Egypt has ordered studies into building atomic power stations after President Hosni Mubarak in September called for a national dialogue on the subject. MEED said Algeria’s plans were the next most advanced after Egypt.
The announcement by the six nations is a stunning reversal of policy in the Arab world, which had until recently been pressing for a nuclear-free Middle East, where only Israel has nuclear weapons.
The sudden rush to nuclear power has also raised suspicions that the real intention is to acquire nuclear technology, which could be used for the first Arab atomic bomb.
Egypt and other North African states can argue with some justification that they need cheap, safe energy for their expanding economies and growing populations at a time of high oil prices. The case will be much harder for Saudi Arabia, which sits on the world’s largest oil reserves. agencies
Dan, dan, dannnnnnn. Watch out Kafir people, here come the Muslims.
Nah, don’t worry. There won’t be a nexus of Muslim countries with decalred/established nuclear energy and weapons before this decade ends anyway.
But anyway, I would like to know whether is this a shock for kafiristan?
