“But, the rules have changed on the nuclear subject throughout the whole region. Where I think Jordan was saying, ‘we’d like to have a nuclear-free zone in the area,’ after this summer, everybody’s going for nuclear programs.
“The Egyptians are looking for a nuclear program. The GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] are looking at one, and we are actually looking at nuclear power for peaceful and energy purposes. We’ve been discussing it with the West.
“I personally believe that any country that has a nuclear program should conform to international regulations and should have international regulatory bodies that check to make sure that any nuclear program moves in the right direction.”
I was actually more interested in other parts of the interview that were highly telling of King PS2’s personality.
1. He thinks of himself as a representative of the US government:
I can say that on behalf of the U.S. president and the secretary of state, and I’ve talked to both, that they’re very serious and very committed to moving the peace process forward, because they realize the dynamics of the region at the moment.
2. He’s unhappy about Israel losing to Hizbullah last summer and doesn’t bother to mention the irresponsibility of Israel’s actions:
The frequency of conflict in this region is extremely alarming, and the perception, I believe, among Arabs, and partly among Israelis, is that in the summer Israel lost this round… And that creates a very difficult and a very dangerous precedence for radical thinking in the area. The stakes are getting higher and higher.
But now I suppose I have to reluctantly recognize other bits of the interview were interesting, and I suppose no head of state can give very revealing interviews anyway. Still, his unwillingness to be a tougher critic of Israel, the main “saboteur” of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, is regrettable.
Shia crescents and Americans with black suitcases notwithstanding, the fact that Iran, Egypt and even the Gulfies have announced their intention to develop nuclear technology must make it pretty difficult for PS2 not to keep up. Imagine the metaphorical Arab League locker room.
The more I look into the matter, the less technical difference I find between “peaceful” and not-so-peaceful nuclear energy. The fact remains that new http://gharbeia.net/en/nuclear_power_is_a_wrong_answer“ rel=”nofollow”>nuclear power plants has no chance compared to the feasibility of mature renewables (Wind and Concentrated Solar Thermal powers), especially in the sun-belt desert countries like ours, and disregarding the many problems of nuclear energy: where does the waste go for the next 500 years? Is there a better target for terrorism? Where does the fuel come from, and who controls which parts of the fuel cycle?
Very good questions, Amr. I’ve been meaning to write a long piece about this for a while, I’ve amassed quite a few docs on this from the US policy side.
On the wind and solar power issue, though, the key problem is that the price the electricity distributor pays power producers is too low to make solar and wind competitive. If they removed subsidies and let the market decide (as well as make investment easier for green power companies) the people running the wind projects think they can be competitive. And Egypt specifically has the best wind farm spots on earth. With solar, the tech is not really ready, though.
Exactly, Issandr. Fossil fuel power is now subsidised. Solar Thermal (not photovoltaic yet) and Wind are competitive in a free market today, and any government looking for sustainability (50 years ahead) would subsidise renewables not hinder them. This is another reason to make me see the nuclear spring of 2007 will be followed by a nuclear winter sometime. Energy is not the main concern in all the recent developments. Amr Moussa said it recently. It is all strategic balance. How can “peaceful” electricity help here?
Having said that, photovoltaics are not competitive because they are still small-scale. It gets all its input from the leftovers and unqualified computer silicon. One big factory for photovoltaic cells can revolutinalise the market. Silicon is sand. Guess where the best sand is?
More questions: nuclear power plants have a lifetime. Is the dismantling cost taken in consideration? What about insurance costs? Environmental and social costs?
I dont agree with the bit about trivalising the iranian danger! Iran is historically iran is an enemy of the Arab nation….on the perconal level i have known many iranians , the barbaric creeps are full of grudge against Arabs and Arabic culture. In 1973 the shah mobilised his troops to prevent the full participation of iraq! The freak Khomini stated the Arab nationalism is herecy and tried to influence the shiaa in iraq. Now they are commiting the one of the biggest crimes in the entire Arab history by trying to alter the demographic structure of the most developed and strongest arab country iraq by pushing back into iraq 2million persians who were expelled in the eighties because of persian lineage or sympathy. They are supplying the iranian intelligence militants badr and gangsters sadr mob with arms to exterminate ,not just, Sunni Arabs but secuar and arab nationalist as well! So i just cant understand how come some Arabs are still defending that horrible enemy
Er…. Amre, if there is one country that is trying to “to alter the demographic structure of the most developed and strongest arab country iraq” it is the US, not Iran. The Shah was a US puppet and this is why he was generally pro-Israeli (although arguably Khomeini also dealt with the Israelis, but with very different motivations.) The Iranians are not inevitably the sworn enemies of the Arabs just because of some wars hundreds of years ago.
“The Iranians are not inevitably the sworn enemies of the Arabs just because of some wars hundreds of years ago.”
Worser. They don’t care. Hezbollah didn’t care and killed muslim arabs in Israel. “Arabs, who had previously been on the side of Iran.” Instead of polemic: http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=7576
And if you really argue that the US. in on its march for victory in against Iran, you should strongly be behind those that condem** Ahmadinejads 12th imam-fantasies*, to prevent that crusadersXXII. “This time, we will give all.” does not appear.
*Not with the Iranians. The Iranian people must be saved by the arabs. This will be more than traditional, more then religious, it will be a sign for everbody.
Sorry: Edited version:
“The Iranians are not inevitably the sworn enemies of the Arabs just because of some wars hundreds of years ago.�
Worser. They don’t care. Hezbollah didn’t care and killed muslim arabs in Israel. “Arabs, who had previously been on the side of Iran.� Instead of polemic: http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=7576
And if you really argue that the US. is on its march for victory in against Iran, you should strongly be behind those that condem Ahmadinejads 12th imam-fantasies*, to prevent that crusadersXXII. “This time, we will give all.�.
*Not with the Iranians. The Iranian people must be saved by the arabs. This will be more than traditional, more then religious, it will be a sign for everbody.
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And if you really argue that the US. is on its march for victory in against Iran, you should strongly be behind those that condem Ahmadinejads 12th imam-fantasies*, to prevent that crusadersXXII.
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