[tw]

Originally Posted by Griff

Six Arab states join rush to go nuclear By Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor

Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, UAE and Saudi Arabia seek atom technology

Your list is missing Turkey. But the situation is rather more complex and interesting. Two previous posts include facts not stated or acknowledged elsewhere.

Nuclear Iran is now the world's #1 problem
What does Russia fear most - and for good reason? Pakistan. Pakistan had been one of if not the most destabilizing force in that region. Iran, on the other hand, has been very cooperative and very stabilizing to that region. Russia most appreciates that. Russia's one fear is that the entire region - especially due to American allies Israel and Pakistan - has become so unstable that all powers - even Turkey - need nuclear weapons.

Where are all those high explosives that disappeared from Iraq (because US forces did not guard them); explosive perfect for making bombs? Where are all those machine tools necessary for manufacturing bombs that completely dissappeared from an industrial complex while US forces moved on to Baghdad? These facilities were tagged and known to UN inspectors - and yet the US did not have sufficient forces to protect them? So where did all that material go? At least some metals from those facilities were discovered in a dump in the Netherlands. Where did all this bomb making material disappear to while not guarded by invading American forces? Unanswered questions that would make Russia nervous.

Best that Russia can do is keep accounting of what Iran is doing - ie process that fuel in Russia and build the Iranian nuclear reactor. Russia's proposals may have been some of the most stabilizing especially given that the United States has so destabilized the region using pre-emption, offering uranium to India without any strings, and not condemning Pakistan for proliferating nuclear technology.

Don't forget China's position. Pakistan (and India) both make China nervous. China also does not appreciate these instabilities created by US actions. It left me wondering why the President of China made that visit to the White House even without honors such as a black tie dinner. I suspect the Chinese leader needed to gauge George Jr because China is getting nervous about south central Asia,... From the perspective of this discussion, China also worries about instability created by United States actions including uranium to India without signing the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and without other restrictions such as inspections of their fast breeder project.

Nuclear Iran is now the world's #1 problem
An Iran that is not threatened would then have a strong reform movement that was opposed to nuclear bombs. An India that did not have a friend in George Jr then would not have uranium to build more bombs. A Pakistan that was treated accordingly would be punished - not rewarded - for proliferating nuclear bomb technology throughout the world. A Turkey would not have so much to fear - and not start a nuclear program. And a North Korea that once negotiated away their nuclear program in exchange for short term economic assistance and long term relationships with the world has now been forced back into a nuclear program