Six Arab countries seek nuclear power
Foreign Desk Report

DUBAI—At least six Arab countries are developing domestic nuclear power programs to diversify energy sources, a Middle East economic magazine reported on Saturday. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria have shown interest in developing nuclear power primarily for water desalination, the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) quoted Tomihiro Taniguchi, deputy director-general of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as saying.
“We held preliminary discussions with these governments. We will offer them help under our technical advisory program to conduct a study for the power plants,” he was quoted as saying, adding that the interest the four nations had shown was “at a tertiary stage.” The United Arab Emirates and Tunisia have also shown interest in nuclear power, but their plans are at an infant stage, the magazine said.
Nobody at the IAEA was immediately available to comment. A diplomat close to the IAEA said the plans of Arab countries reflected “renewed interest in nuclear power.” Analysts say that besides the need for alternative energy sources, many Arab countries are concerned about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Western powers are attempting to forge a U.N. resolution to force Iran to suspend its nuclear program. Iran says it has a right to develop nuclear fuel, which it says it wants for peaceful goals, but which the West fears will be used to make atomic bombs.
Egypt’s nuclear program is the Arab world’s most advanced. Russia is looking to take part in a tender to construct nuclear power stations in the country, a Russian official said this week. Egypt has ordered studies into building atomic power stations after President Hosni Mubarak in September called for a national dialogue on the issue. MEED said Algeria’s plans were the next most advanced after Egypt.
Agencies add: Iran has announced it had successfully test-fired new anti-armour weaponry and an anti-helicopter missile system on the third day of its latest war games. “The new generation of anti-helicopter and anti-armour weapons were successfully tested on day three of the manoeuvres,” an announcer on state television said as pictures of the test-firing were broadcast Saturday.
In the “Great Prophet II” war games, Iran has so far fired its Shahab-3 longer range missile for the first time in manoeuvres as well as new types of land-to-sea and sea-to-sea missiles. The anti-armour weapons tested Saturday include an anti-personnel rifle equipped with special sights that can identify an enemy seven kilometres (four miles) away and can penetrate a target wearing a bullet-resistant vest from a distance of three kilometres (two miles).
The other new anti-armour weapon tested was a system aimed at penetrating the armour plate of tanks that “can be carried by a person, with high accuracy, high speed and high explosive power”. “The bullet of this system penetrates the armoured equipment and then explodes,” state television said.
The anti-helicopter weaponry was described as highly portable and accurate. Four anti-helicopter missiles can be fired from each system. “The anti-helicopter weapon can hit helicopters in different circumstances,” the television added.
“The anti-armour weapon has the ability to penetrate different kinds of advanced bullet proof vests” as well as the armoured exterior of tanks, it said.
The war games come against a backdrop of rising international tension over Iran’s nuclear programme, with the United States leading a drive for UN sanctions against Tehran over its failure to suspend uranium enrichment.