NUKES For Nothing? - Is Bush APPEASING Saudi Arabia?-By: emptywheel

[kpete]

Are We Giving Saudi Arabia Nukes?
By: emptywheel Friday May 16, 2008 5:09 am

No no, not the bomb. Strictly a peaceful civil program, you understand, just like the Iranians say they're developing.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-bush-mideast.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
As Bush flew into Riyadh, the White House said the United States, the world's largest energy consumer, had agreed to help protect the resources of the world's top oil exporter and help it in developing peaceful nuclear energy.

"The United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed to cooperate in safeguarding the kingdom's energy resources by protecting key infrastructure, enhancing Saudi border security, and meeting (its) expanding energy needs," a White House statement said.

"The U.S. and Saudi Arabia will sign a memorandum of understanding in the area of peaceful civil nuclear energy cooperation."

The announcement came as Bush ended a three-day trip to Israel where he vowed to oppose Iran's nuclear ambitions. Tehran says its program is peaceful but Bush said it would be "unforgivable" if Iran were allowed to get the bomb.

So we're giving Saudi Arabia nukes while still refusing to allow Iran nukes.

While Bush is likely to find common ground on Iran when he meets King Abdullah, the Saudi monarch is expected to rebuff for the second time this year Bush's face-to-face call to get OPEC pumping more oil to world markets.

Wasn't it just yesterday that Bush was decrying negotiations with evil dictators? Does giving them nuclear technology while getting nothing in exchange count as "appeasement"?

more at:
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/05/16/are-we-giving-saudi-arabia-nukes/

[havocmom]

1. the difference is all those Iranian hijackers who attacked us...

oh, wait....

Yep, double standards are the only standards neocons have.

[Octafish]

2. It may be they already have them.

Saudi petrodollar wealth helped finance BCCI and AQ Khan of Pakistan.
It's a good bet they'd want something in return.

[leveymg]

3. Physical custody isn't even necessary. Proxy control works.

Just like they control American banks and the Bush wing of the CIA and GOP. Through proxies.

Pakistani nukes and and al-Qaeda are two sides of the same "Safari Club" deal that GHW Bush made with Prince al-Turki in 1976. Saudis got the Bush CIA to look the other way while Saudi proxies developed nuclear and paramilitary capabilities in exchange for petrodollar funding for CIA black operations banned by the Democratic Congress.

Saudi Royals delegated the dirty work to others. Always have, always will.

[aquart]

4. There are, of course, no radical elements in Saudi Arabia

which might steal this technology and use it against us. Oh wait.

[DemReadingDU]

5. morning kick