Tuesday December 12, 2006

Gulf Arab states want nuclear power

edition.cnn.com :

Gulf Arab countries want to acquire nuclear energy capability and have ordered a study on a possible joint atomic program, a statement at the close of a two-day Gulf Cooperation Council summit said. The GCC groups Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

"The countries of the region have the right to nuclear energy technology for peaceful purposes," said Abdul-Rahman al-Attiya, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The statement comes amid concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions and suspicions that Israel has nuclear weapons. Saudi officials have said a nuclear Iran could spur a regional arms race, hinting that Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, could look to acquire the technology too.

The GCC statement said its nuclear program would be aimed at meeting energy needs. At least six Arab countries are developing domestic nuclear power programs to diversify energy sources, the Middle East Economic Digest reported last month. It said Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria have shown interest in developing nuclear power primarily for water desalination. Similar plans by the United Arab Emirates and Tunisia were only at an early stage. But Gulf governments, led by Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, also want to check what they view as the creeping influence of Shi'ite power Iran in the Arab region through support for Lebanon's Hezbollah, Shi'ite parties in Iraq and Tehran's alliance with Damascus.

- Okay, let's take a re-cap shall we :

a. The country with the world's largest oilfield (Ghawar, Saudi Arabia) wants to go nuclear (electrical).
b. The country with the world's second largest oilfield (Cantarell, Mexico) wants to double its nuclear (electrical) output.
c. The country with the world's second largest oil reserves (Iran) wants to go nuclear (electrical/weapons).
d. The one non-Arab country in the Middle East (Israel) all but admits to being nuclear (weapons).
e. (a) and (c) are of different Islamic denominations and (a) is uncomfortable with (c) going nuclear (weapons) and it is now rumoured that (a) may want to go nuclear (weapons) too.

Are we clear on everything yet?

See also :

1. Arabs urged to develop nuclear energy
2. Egypt will go nuclear
3. More nations clamor for nuclear energy
4. Mexico may double nuclear plant output
5. Israeli PM admits to nuclear weapons

(2006-12-12 18:49:40 SGT) [Energy] Permalink

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