US to help UAE build large, advanced nuclear reactor

It's official -- Washington has lost it mind. 

Last week, the White House quietly announced that it wants to help the United Arab Emirates (UAE) build a large, advanced nuclear reactor -- a plant critical for making either electricity or nuclear bombs. The White House claims getting the UAE to sign a U.S. nuclear-cooperation agreement next week would be a major diplomatic accomplishment, that the UAE has agreed to take several steps that would make it less likely that the UAE will ever make bombs, and that the deal would serve as a model for similar nuclear deals with Algeria, Libya, and Saudi Arabia.

All of this sounds good -- but Congress is urging Bush to punt. Why?

First, members worry that the UAE's close trade relations with Iran will undermine efforts to isolate Iran. Roughly half of the refined gasoline Iran needs to keep its economy and government -- and, therefore, its missile and nuclear programs -- running comes from India and Europe. All of this imported gasoline is transshipped through ports in the UAE. Those who want to pressure Iran to stop its dangerous nuclear weapons-related activities and its support of terrorists in Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine, think the U.S. and its friends should threaten to block this trade.

Second, Congress is increasingly wary of the UAE transshipments of militarily useful technology to Iran. Most recently, this included computer chips used in improvised explosive devices that Iran has handed off to Iraqi insurgents who have used them against American troops. Also, recall that Pakistani nuclear-weapons proliferator A. Q. Khan used the UAE as a base of operations to transship sensitive material to Iran. A bipartisan group of Congressmen led by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of the House Foreign Affairs Committee has already tabled legislation blocking the deal until the president can certify that militarily useful transshipments to Iran through the UAE have stopped, and that the UAE's export controls -- which were only announced last year -- are working and effective.

This, then, brings us to Congress's third worry: It is not altogether clear whether the nuclear deal explicitly blocks the UAE from making nuclear fuel -- an activity that, once completed, brings a state within days of acquiring nuclear bombs.  (By Henry Sokolski, National Review Online, continue reading at AINA)

Comments

[Matthew Avitabile]

It's okay-- I'm sure they'll use it for energy, just like North Korea and Iran.

[MK]

Maybe there's some sort of angle they're hoping to work here, threaten iran that if they go nuclear, the rest of the region will go nuclear as well. Bah! Who know anymore, the nutjobs are in charge of the asylum.

[Steve Harkonnen]

No matter how many times I've thought of the scenarios that come from this grave foreign policy error, I see them all as bad. The mere idea of a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility in the ME is frightening enough.

Nuke plants in the ME is a huge mistake. One day I'd like to see Russia and the US realize that Muslims are not good people to deal with, period, but seeing that happen just won't.

[Steve Harkonnen]

No matter how many times I've thought of the scenarios that come from this grave foreign policy error, I see them all as bad. The mere idea of a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility in the ME is frightening enough.

Nuke plants in the ME is a huge mistake. One day I'd like to see Russia and the US realize that Muslims are not good people to deal with, period, but seeing that happen just won't.

[Steve Harkonnen]

No matter how many times I've thought of the scenarios that come from this grave foreign policy error, I see them all as bad. The mere idea of a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility in the ME is frightening enough.

Nuke plants in the ME is a huge mistake. One day I'd like to see Russia and the US realize that Muslims are not good people to deal with, period, but seeing that happen just won't.

[Aukmuntr]

Trusting Muslims? Hell, they do not even trust each other. When will the wonks learn from history? Takiyah is all they need to learn. Can we just get rid of Foggy Bottom and start over with a brand new State Department?

[Debbie]

You all feel the same way I do. Yes, Washington seems to have their reasons and they think something good will come from this. But as usual, I fear they are wrong. This is a bad move.

State Department won't be any better with Hillary.

[nanc]

yeah, because n.korea uses it so wisely:

http://offtopic.kimcm.dk/Images/KoreaByNight.jpg

[Always On Watch]

Yet another reason that I'm fed up with GWB, for whom I twice voted.