The Evening Post

Sep 9, 2010

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The nuclear alternative

By AP
AP
GCC nations commission study for possible shared nuclear programme

The Arab states on the Gulf said they will consider starting a joint nuclear programme for peaceful purposes. The announcement yesterday comes as the US and its allies allege Iran is developing atomic weapons in violation of treaty commitments and appears to be a muscle-flexing gesture to it. It also was sure to ratchet up concerns about a regional nuclear arms race. Issued after a two-day meeting of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, the statement said the group “commissioned a study” on setting up “a common programme in the area of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes”, which would abide by international standards and laws. The statement read by Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah, secretary-general of the political and economic alliance, did not elaborate on the plan by the group – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Saud Al Faisal, was quick to tell reporters after the closing session that the group did not want to be “misunderstood”, saying its aim “is to obtain the technology for peaceful purposes, no more no less”. “Gulf states are not known for seeking hegemony or threatening power, they seek stability and peace,” he said. The area’s Arab nations have expressed worry over the disputed Iranian nuclear programme, which is the focus of a standoff with the West over Tehran’s refusal to suspend uranium enrichment. Iran insists its programme is for peaceful purposes, including generating electricity. Arab leaders also are concerned over Iran’s increasing influence in the region through its links to the Shiite Muslim parties that dominate Iraq’s government and its backing for the Palestinians’ Hamas-led government and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Kuwaiti columnist Fouad Al Hashem called yesterday’s announcement a “clear, strong and courageous” message to Iran that the GCC nations will not sit and watch while Iran presses forward with its nuclear programme. “They are saying that we can, with the help of our allies, balance the power and build our own reactors even if we don’t need them,” said Al Hashem, who writes for the Al Watan newspaper. “They are saying we’re here, and we have the whole civilised world on our side.” The Arab states around the Gulf have not previously pursued nuclear power, but their statement said they will look into the uses of atomic energy. Saudi Arabia already said in November it was experimenting with nuclear technology for medical purposes. Iran’s first reactor, being built in Bushehr just across the gulf from Kuwait and the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, is projected to begin operating in late 2007, and its Arab neighbours have said they fear an accident would endanger their citizens and the environment. But Iran’s neighbours also fear a military clash between Tehran and United States and its ally Israel. Gulf nations with US military bases – Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar – fear Iran could retaliate against them. Other Arab countries also have expressed interest in nuclear programmes. In an October warning about the threat of atomic arms proliferation, the UN nuclear watchdog agency said Egypt, Jordan and Yemen are among nations around the world considering nuclear programmes. Israel has long been thought to have nuclear bombs, a situation confirmed last week by incoming US Defence Secretary Robert Gates. Israel neither acknowledges nor denies possessing such arms, but it was estimated to have 100-200 nuclear warheads in a 2006 report by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Yesterday, the GCC leaders reiterated their position that the nuclear standoff between Iran and the West should be “resolved peacefully”, and they called on Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which calls for an atomic weapons-free Middle East.