Israel Matzav

'Our friends the Saudis' to go nuclear

Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal has warned of 'calamitous consequences' resulting from an attack on Iran, and is therefore once again urging a 'nuclear-free zone' in the Middle East that Israel give up its alleged nuclear weapons.

Prince Turki, speaking to an elite group of academics and faculty members at the prestigious Alfaisal University in Riyadh, said a zone free of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) was the best way to get Iran and Israel on board and to force them to abandon nuclear programs.

“Such a zone must be accompanied by a rewards regime for those countries in the region that join the zone,” said the prince, while stressing and calling for “a nuclear security umbrella guaranteed by all the permanent members of the UN Security Council for the region.”

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Replying to a question about the possibility of an attack on Iran to force it to roll back its nuclear program and the impact of such an action, Prince Turki reiterated that the impact will be “calamitous … cataclysmic, not just catastrophic.”

He said that Iranian actions have provoked worldwide opposition but at the same time suggests that Iran's nuclear program is being singled out, while Israel is being given a clean chit. Any unilateral decision to launch a military attack aimed at halting the nuclear program of Iran could have huge consequences, he warned.

He, however, expressed his grave concerns that if Israel and Iran acquire a range of nuclear weapons, they would unleash a cascade of nuclear proliferation that would significantly destabilize the region and possibly destroy efforts to establish a nuclear weapons free zone in this part of the world.

To this end, he also noted that the last year's nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference included in its final document a call for the establishment of a Middle East zone free of all weapons of mass destruction.

When all of the Arab countries plus Iran get rid of all their weapons of mass destruction in a verifiable manner, we can talk about getting rid of our alleged nuclear weapons. By the way, we've had our alleged nuclear weapons for 50 years and have never even threatened to use them, so I don't think we're the problem.

In other news, 'our friends the Saudis' announced a plan to spend $100 billion to build 16 nuclear plants. Does the world's largest oil exporter really need nuclear energy, or might that have something to do with Iran?

Hmmm.

Labels: Iranian nuclear threat, Israeli nuclear capability, our friends the Saudis, Turki al-Faisal

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:55 PM