Iraq seeks other nations' help to build a nuclear reactor

UNITED NATIONS – Iraq's foreign minister is asking nuclear countries for help building an atomic reactor for peaceful purposes, saying the country has a right to use atomic power peacefully.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari made the request in his speech Saturday to the U.N. General Assembly's annual meeting of presidents, prime ministers and monarchs. He called for assistance "to build a nuclear reactor for peaceful purposes in Iraq, to acquire this nuclear technology."

Al-Jaafari cited the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty's provisions allowing countries to pursue peaceful nuclear energy projects. Iraq ratified the treaty in 1969.

Non-nuclear nations that signed it agreed to not pursue atomic weapons. In exchange, the five original nuclear powers -- the US, Russia, Britain, France and China -- promised to move toward nuclear disarmament and to guarantee non-nuclear states access to peaceful nuclear technology for producing power.