US questions Saudis need for nuclear energy

[jpak]

http://www.dawn.com/2006/12/17/int7.htm

WASHINGTON, Dec 16: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday she wanted to know more about Gulf states’ plans to study nuclear power and questioned why Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, might need atomic energy.

The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council said on Sunday it would study a joint civil atomic programme, raising concerns the Arab states may want to protect themselves if Iran acquires nuclear weapons and sparking fears of a regional arms race.

“I will like to know more about it and I think it’s something that we should have discussions (on),” Ms Rice said when asked about the move by the GCC, which includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. At the close of a summit on Sunday, the group said it ordered “a GCC-wide study to be carried out to create a joint programme in nuclear technology for peaceful purposes”.

While the group said the programme would be aimed at meeting energy needs, Ms Rice was sceptical. “I think one would have to wonder about the need of some states for nuclear power given their own energy resources,” she added.

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[applegrove]

1. Somebody tear the * playhouse down..pleeeeeeeeeaaaasse!

[Poll_Blind]

2. Condi's begging the question is disengenuous. If I am a country...

...who has resources which I can sell at great profit (oil), why not develop alternate energy programs (like nuclear) so I do not consume as much of the resource (oil) that I could be selling?

Increase the profit!

PB

[Norquist Nemesis]

3. I guess I'm just too damned stupid to not see the logic

of consuming your most valuable natural resource by your countrymen in lieu of finding an alternative so that you can sell 100% of your most valuable natural resource.

[GliderGuider]

4. My take on this

I think the Saudis know damn well the Ghawar field is about to crash, and that they aren't drilling up enough new oil to offset the imminent decline. If that's the case, it's not hard to see they will need alternative energy sources just to keep their country going.

The oil picture inside KSA isn't nearly as rosy as Condiliar is painting it. “I think one would have to wonder about the need of some states for nuclear power given their own energy resources,” she says. Of course, if their resources are about to start declining, there's not much left to wonder about. Condi is either dangerously naive, or a dangerous dissembler. Or even worse, both at once.

[denverbill]

5. The Bush doctrine made it mandatory for all countries to try to obtain nuclear weapons.

Since Shrub has declared it's perfectly fine to invade any country we want to on invented or trumped up charges and without worldwide support, any country that does not attempt to build nuclear weapons is leaving its citizens open to the same treatment Iraq is undergoing.

It's noteworthy that the only member of the 'Axil of Evil' that never faces US threats of military strikes is also the only one that possesses nukes.

No doubt it also accounts from Pakistan's notable omission as a terrorist supporting regime.

It's pretty funny to think that we invaded Afghanistan because they wouldn't give us bin Laden, claiming first that they had no proof and later that they couldn't find him. How come we aren't invading Pakistan when virtually the same situation exists there? Bin Laden is holed up there, and they either can't or won't act. Why don't we just invade? Answer: Nuclear weapons.

[YankeyMCC]

6. Bingo! nt

[rollopollo]

7. True about Bush Doctrine

>Since Shrub has declared it's perfectly fine to invade any country we want to on invented or trumped up charges and without worldwide support, any country that does not attempt to build nuclear weapons is leaving its citizens open to the same treatment Iraq is undergoing.

Well said. And same reason we've left N. Korea alone. Apparently its not enough for this administration to respect rogue states with nukes, and attack ones without nukes, but for the rare country that voluntarily disarms as Libya did with its WMD program, our response is to mock them. The fallout from this approach to foreign policy will be severe.

[Odin2005]

8. Gee, maybe all that oil will run out some day?

Condi must beleive that Abiotic Oil BS and so thinks the oil will never run out... :banghead:

[IDemo]

9. That, and that Michael Crichton is a climatologist n/t