Giving Nuclear Weapons to Saudi Arabia
This op-ed, written by a Democratic politician, is a source for great worry. It seems that the United States is helping Saudi Arabia develop nuclear weapons. Although this make sense to some considering that Saudi Arabia is an ally of the West, it does not once one realizes that it is also one of the most extreme countries in the world.
Michelle Malkin explains the realist vision on the Middle East.
Professor Rice is something of a Waltzian neo-realist with a strong belief in power-balancing, one confirmed by her experience as a Russia specialist during the Cold War. Maybe the allies are hoping to guide the Arab states’ nuclear programs into a state like that of Japan–which I’ve heard described (facetiously) as “45 minutes from having a nuclear capability”. That way they can deter and contain an aggressive Iran from messing with them or with the flow of oil.
It’ll be like the Reagan days when we played off Iraq and Iran against each other. Except this time there’s fission involved. After all, when it comes to nuclear weapons, Waltz says that “More may be better“. And if we and our allies are involved in the construction of these programs, we’ll be able to keep an eye on them and know where to look if something odd is going on.
The problem?
That assumes (as Markey notes) that we trust Saudi Arabia, as well as the Emirates, Algeria, and Libya (!!!!) to manage a nuclear program safely and responsibly, and not, say, leak any of the reactor waste products to a terrorist for packing up a dirty bomb. Or to start enriching uranium, like Iran is doing. Because we’re, uh, kinda having trouble stopping them.
Exactly.
True allies of the West, allies who share most of our principles, can have nuclear weapons. But those who do not, cannot. This issue has nothing to do with right and wrong, with human or people’s rights. It has something to do with taking care of ourselves, and doing what is in our own interest.
Because, in the end, that’s what truly matters in foreign affairs.
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Saudi Royal family has enough trouble hanging onto power before introducing Nuke’s in their mix.
I don’t mean to make stereotypes of a region, but consider the pattern of behavior over there.
To be very blunt, every time we share weaponry with a country in the Middle East, it comes back to bite us in the ass.
Has anyone read the actual WSJ op-ed? We are not giving them weapons (nukes), but nuclear reactor technology for electrical power generation.
Now now, Rudi, don’t go confusing people with relevant facts.