Wednesday, February 20, 2019

One rule for Iran, another for Saudi Arabia

While the US is enforcing stringent sanctions on Iran to halt whatever ambitions it may or not have in developing nuclear weapons, America apparently has been complicit is providing Saudi Arabia with the know-how and facilities to develop such weapons.

On Tuesday, the House Oversight and Reform Committee revealed that, based on the testimony of “multiple” whistleblowers, the Trump Administration has been attempting to rush through a transfer of “highly sensitive U.S. nuclear technology” to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without Congressional approval in violation of federal law. 

Before the Committee’s revelation , we knew that since 2017, the Trump Administration has been in negotiations with the kingdom over a “123 agreement” which would allow American corporations such as Westinghouse to transfer technology to the Saudis for the construction of two nuclear power plants. These agreements are permitted under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, subject to Congressional approval. These uses of nuclear power aren’t what’s most troubling. It’s the possibility that the Saudis will build a bomb.  According to Vox, “some skeptics think the whole energy argument coming out of Riyadh is merely a cover for its military ambitions.”

Enriched to 4%, uranium can power a nuclear reactor.  Enriched to 90%, uranium can be used to make a nuclear bomb.  Along with reactors, the Saudis want the tech that will enable them to enrich uranium.  Never mind that the Saudis would find it far cheaper to purchase nuclear fuel from outside the country.  Further, Saudi Arabia refuses to permit “UN inspectors to look anywhere in the country for signs that the Saudis might be working on a bomb….” 

https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/02/20/when-saudi-arabia-gets-the-bomb/

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