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Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal
Photo: AFP

Columnist: Saudi Arabia needs peaceful nuke program

Saudi columnist calls on his government to initiate nuclear project 'for peaceful purposes'

A Saudi columnist has called on his government to establish a nuclear program "for peaceful purposes."

 

Writing in the daily Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper on October 15, Amin Sa'ati said in the article, translated by MEMRI, the Middle Eastern media translation service: "Two months ago, American President George Bush declared that within ten years, the US would not need the oil of the Middle East, and that it was close to obtaining renewable energy, which is much cheaper than oil."

 

"Two months ago, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal visited Iran, and declared that international laws allow Iran the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes... In light of the events taking place in the region, the time has come to return to the Saudi nuclear program," he continued.

 

Sa'ati added: "It seems this is the right time to return to the issue of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, particularly as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty supports the existence of peaceful nuclear energy in member states."

 

'Very late in applying nuclear project'

"The science of peaceful nuclear energy is the science of the future, as the world suffers from severe crises in water and electricity. The water crises will result – as scientists and experts say – in future wars in many areas in the world, an in particular, in our own Arab area and in the Middle East. Beyond that, oil sources are being depleted, and this will create a crisis for the world, alongside the water crisis," Sa'ati said.

 

"In order to return to our Saudi nuclear (program), we must take a number of steps, most importantly the release of a state decree to the set up an 'independent nuclear body,' which will decide on the economic benefit and the expected advantage of various energies," he added.

 

"Peaceful nuclear programs have become one of the most important factors in the world for development and prosperity. A future nuclear program will soon be an important source in ongoing nuclear development. If we have a budget, there are gifted Saudi students studying this issue in the faculties of engineering in Saudi universities, who are aspiring to work in the nuclear field. Time is pushing us to begin the nuclear project, we have been very late in applying it," Sa'ati concluded.

 


פרסום ראשון: 11.01.06, 00:49
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