The Middle East’s Nuclear Surge
Joe Cirincione and Uri Leventer argue that Iran's still-developing nuclear program is already sending ripples through the Middle East.
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Almost a dozen Muslim nations have declared their interest in nuclear energy programs in the past year. This unprecedented demand for nuclear programs is all the more disturbing paired with the unseemly rush of nuclear salesman eager to supply the coveted technology.
While
Sarkozy has a point: No one can deny Arab states access to nuclear technology, especially as they are acquiring it under existing international rules and agreeing to the inspection of International Atomic Energy Agency officials. But is this really about meeting demands for electric power and desalinization plants?
There is only one nuclear power reactor in the entire Middle East—the one under construction in Busher,
King Adbdullah of
Here is where the nuclear surge currently stands.
Not to be outdone,
Finally, the Arab League has provided an overall umbrella for these initiatives when, at the end of its summit meeting in March, it "called on the Arab states to expand the use of peaceful nuclear technology in all domains serving continuous development."
Perhaps these states are truly motivated to join the "nuclear renaissance" promoted by the nuclear power industry and a desire to counter global warming. But the main message to the West from these moderate Arab and Muslim leaders is political, not industrial. "We can’t trust you," they are saying, "You are failing to contain
Instead of seeing this nuclear surge as a new market, the countries with nuclear technology to sell have a moral and strategic obligation to ensure that their business does not result in the Middle East going from a region with one nuclear weapon state –
If the existing territorial, ethnic, and political disputes continue unresolved, this is a recipe for nuclear war.
This means that nuclear technology states must be just as energetic in promoting the resolution of these conflicts as they are in promoting their products. It means building the unity of the
Finally, it means that engaging with
Joseph Cirincione is director for nuclear policy at the Center for American Progress and the author of "Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons." Uri Leventer is a graduate student at the
This column was originally published in the International Herald Tribune on August 13, 2007. Read it here.
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