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Mideast countries speed up nuclear development projects
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

Several Arab countries in recent months have boosted their nuclear programs, in what experts believe is a response to Iran's aggressive drive to acquire nuclear weapons.

All the countries concerned, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Lybia, claim that they aim to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Analysts, however, point out that some of the nations in question are in possession of huge oil reserves, which can easily be used to produce cheap electricity, thereby eliminating the need for the costly development of nuclear facilities.

Experts are particularly curious as to the nuclear programs in some states in the Persian Gulf - a region which holds approximately 25 percent of the Earth's oil reserve. Some experts stress that peaceful nuclear technology can easily be converted to serve a nuclear weapons program.

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Virtually all the Arab countries in question indicated last year that they would consider launching programs for developing nuclear technology, just as the Iranian nuclear program began grabbing headlines all over the world.

Analysts note, for example, Turkey's recent announcement that it would soon begin building three nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes. The announcement came approximately one year after Iran declared it would not cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the analysts say.

In a recent article in the International Herald Tribune, Joseph Cirincione, director for nuclear policy at the Center for American Progress, offered an alternative explanation. Cirincione and his Israeli associate, Uri Leventer, a graduate student at Harvard University, argued that the nuclear surge in the Middle East is due to the interests of global powers, competing to sell their nuclear technology.

In their article, Cirincione and Leventer noted French President Nicolas Sarkozy's recent signing of a nuclear cooperation deal with Libya. Sarkozy later agreed to help the United Arab Emirates launch its own civilian nuclear program. Indicating that this could be just the beginning of a major sale and supply effort, Sarkozy declared that the West should trust Arab states with nuclear technology.

The former military adviser to Congress went on to warn that "if the existing territorial, ethnic, and political disputes continue unresolved, this is a recipe for nuclear war."

This is where the nuclear Mideast surge stands:

1. Yemen earlier this week announced its intention to purchase its first nuclear reactor for peaceful purposes. The Yemenite news agency said the reactor was needed for producing electricity.

2. Jordan's foreign minister, Abdelelah Al-Khatib, told Haaretz last month that his country was promoting a nuclear program which is "geared toward electricity production, and that it will be a completely transparent, according to the criteria established by the International Atomic Energy Agency."

3. Egypt announced last year that it intended to resume its nuclear program. Cairo has maintained a policy of apparent ambiguity, but the government said it intended to build four nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes within 10 years.
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  1.   Some fallacious logic here 04:51  |  Rebekah S 22/08/07
  2.   settler nation 05:11  |  otiwa ogede 22/08/07
  3.   Who can blame them 08:26  |  Natallie Durson 22/08/07
  4.   SUDDEN need for "nuclear power" as soon as Shiite Iran started 10:25  |  PETERS SM 22/08/07
  5.   Hardly surprising, is it 10:28  |  English Resident 22/08/07
  6.   For Natallie Durson # 3 10:42  |  Clickfool 22/08/07
  7.   someone is missing 10:53  |  indrajaya 22/08/07
  8.   THE QUESTION IS SIMPLE FOR ISRAEL 10:54  |  indrajaya 22/08/07
  9.   Mullah`s reaaly rabbis in disguise 11:13  |  Uri 22/08/07
  10.   CFOOL You like quotes try this- 11:21  |  PETERSM 22/08/07
  11.   "PEACEFUL PURPOSES" GREATEST LIE THEY SAD EVER! 11:23  |  ILSupporter 22/08/07
  12.   turkey can not develop nuclear weapons 11:26  |  mehmet 22/08/07
  13.   US, France are fueling this 11:28  |  Kstephan 22/08/07
  14.   They Are Acting Rationally 12:12  |  MB 22/08/07
  15.   This phenomenon is obviously the result of Iran`s long term 12:47  |  Rut Bat-Horin 22/08/07
  16.   if Israel or US hits Iran 12:52  |  mehmet 22/08/07
  17.   MB Then they should have expressed an interest 2 years ago 13:06  |  PETERSM 22/08/07
  18.   They are reacting at least as much to Israeli nukes 13:28  |  Petteri 22/08/07
  19.   THREE MORE WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE NEEDED 13:39  |  indrajaya 22/08/07
  20.   Mehmet - Irans regime will be wiped off the map 13:40  |  Johnny 22/08/07
  21.   Indrajaya - of course the would dare to hurt one another 13:44  |  Johnny 22/08/07
  22.   I can understand Saudi fear 13:55  |  Ronnie Wolman 22/08/07
  23.   iran will never be wiped off the map 14:31  |  mehmet 22/08/07
  24.   Attacking Israel? Johnny. 14:33  |  Bernie 22/08/07
  25.   #6 Clickfool 14:41  |  Sarah 22/08/07
  26.   This is very funny 15:07  |  Axel 22/08/07
  27.   dont be stupid # 12 15:11  |  ayman 22/08/07
  28.   30 years too late to be responding to Israel. 15:22  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 22/08/07
  29.   For Sarah # 25 15:33  |  Clickfool 22/08/07
  30.   Bernie, I don`t get it fighting is good or bad 15:42  |  Johnny 22/08/07
  31.   Clickfool has extended the borders 15:47  |  Shlomo 22/08/07
  32.   So was Oil`s Wales 15:47  |  Za`atar 22/08/07
  33.   #24 - Bernie 16:00  |  Shlomo 22/08/07
  34.   Indrajaya 16:11  |  Infidel Too 22/08/07
  35.   Mehmet 16:15  |  Infidel Too 22/08/07
  36.   Clickfool 16:26  |  Danite 22/08/07
  37.   mehmet =dana 16:27  |  Danite 22/08/07
  38.   What `experts`? 16:31  |  Mark Lincoln 22/08/07
  39.   The Situation in Iraq Shows What Nuclear Moslems Can Do :0 16:39  |  ME 22/08/07
  40.   Clickfool and Genesis 16:40  |  Danite 22/08/07
  41.   #26, Any more comment needed 16:43  |  Johnny 22/08/07
  42.   #38mark fails to see the real dangers 16:53  |  victor hardman 22/08/07
  43.   # 36 danite 17:08  |  Axel 22/08/07
  44.   # 13 Kstephan 17:14  |  Lynn 22/08/07
  45.   # 41 johnny 17:14  |  Axel 22/08/07
  46.   # 16 mehmet 17:17  |  Lynn 22/08/07
  47.   # 41 johnny - 2 17:19  |  Axel 22/08/07
  48.   Axel #45 17:23  |  Johnny 22/08/07
  49.   Nuclear Middle East? 17:33  |  Wiktor 22/08/07
  50.   A Lovely Future, Unless... 18:13  |  Solon 22/08/07
  51.   If it`s OK for Israel than it`s OK for the 18:34  |  MA 22/08/07
  52.   #45 axel and a very short memory 18:34  |  victor hardman 22/08/07
  53.   The Fear is a nuclear weapon in a madman´s hands 18:43  |  Alicia 22/08/07
  54.   a terror pal state would have also claimed 18:49  |  Joseph E . 22/08/07
  55.   # 48 Johnny 18:51  |  Axel 22/08/07
  56.   For Shlomo and Danite, on the boundaries of Israel 18:59  |  Clickfool 22/08/07
  57.   Johnny, No It Has Not Stopped 19:01  |  Bernie 22/08/07
  58.   Shlomo, 39 civilians died 19:03  |  Bernie 22/08/07
  59.   #49 - Wiktor 19:05  |  MichaelF 22/08/07
  60.   #18 - Petteri 19:09  |  MichaelF 22/08/07
  61.   The Arab Persian Romance 19:10  |  NB 22/08/07
  62.   Here is what Dick Chaney had to say about it 19:16  |  Pablo B 22/08/07
  63.   If Israel doesn`t like the latest proliferation, sign the NPT! 19:35  |  Pablo B 22/08/07
  64.   @16, mehmet, then USA will finish all- i mean all - 20:00  |  v 22/08/07
  65.   @20, johnny, not regim in iran but people should be 20:01  |  v 22/08/07
  66.   To v 21:54  |  Persian Kitty 22/08/07
  67.   To Ronnie Wolman 22:05  |  Persian Kitty 22/08/07
  68.   Axel 22:10  |  Danite 22/08/07
  69.   Coming War Keeps Getting Bigger 22:50  |  Efox 22/08/07
  70.   Nuclear Development 22:53  |  RonH 22/08/07
  71.   Axel #54, you`ve been had 23:08  |  Johnny 22/08/07
  72.   # 67 danite 23:09  |  Axel 22/08/07
  73.   Persian Kitty #65, on calling for genocide 23:13  |  Johnny 22/08/07
  74.   Clickfool 23:20  |  Danite 22/08/07
  75.   Clickfool 23:20  |  Danite 22/08/07
  76.   It is apparent 23:22  |  Mark Lincoln 22/08/07
  77.   # 5 English Resident 23:30  |  Lynn 22/08/07
  78.   The Race for Nukes 23:34  |  Mary 22/08/07
  79.   # 32 Za`atar 23:35  |  Lynn 22/08/07
  80.   # 66 and #67 Hey Kitty!!! 23:39  |  Lynn 22/08/07
  81.   # 69 Efox 23:42  |  Lynn 22/08/07
  82.   Nothing to worry about 00:09