...ARAB STATES TO GO NUCLEAR ?...

a report published by the "gulf news" on november 15 , 2006 was the subject of a spirited discussion on TV-ONTARIO'S "the agenda" last night .
the six participants spent an hour laying out a scenario one could either describe as "reasonable" or "frightening" - depending upon your personal point of view .
not one of the six participants (two professors at canadian universitities - but having come from the middle east , one representavive of a muslim organization in canada , a retired professor from an american university , an american representative of a middle-east thinktank and a canadian{jewish} university professor) had any doubt that the arab/middle-eastern countries are ready and "have a right" to develop nuclear power . the question is : how will the current "nuclear power" nations respond to the aspirations of the "newcomers ?
hbg
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Published: 15/11/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)
Arab states to go nuclear?
By Manal Alafrangi, Special to Gulf News

Some Middle East states, including Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Saudi Arabia, have shown initial interest in (attaining) nuclear power, primarily for desalination purposes," said the deputy director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tomihiro Taniguch. The UAE and Tunisia have also "shown interests in pursuing similar plans .

...and further :

Reduced American influence, and the Saudi's desire to dominate the Middle East, make a nuclear programme attractive. And, according to Hamzaway, the US could not automatically veto the plan. "The Saudis do not have to seek permission but, instead, they have to reach consensus," he said.

Under international law, all nations are entitled to pursue nuclear knowledge under the proviso it is for peaceful ends, so at least in theory, no one can object too strongly. Whether the West will, in practice, be indifferent to nuclear Arab states is another matter.

America has also proved itself impotent - or complicit - in the face of other countries recently going nuclear: Pakistan, India, and now, North Korea. The US never wanted them to have nuclear weapons but they were unable to prevent it happening.

source :
...THE GULF NEWS REPORTS...