A new bipartisan resolution making its way through the Senate is aimed at blocking Saudi Arabia from having any path toward the creation of nuclear weapons, placing severe restrictions on Saudi activities if they accept a US civilian nuclear cooperation deal.
If the Saudis accept US nuclear cooperation, the resolution would forbid
them from any uranium enrichment, and from any attempted reprocessing
of plutonium produced in their reactors. These are the two primary ways
nuclear arms could be produced.
The Trump Administration is reportedly in the process of making exactly
such a cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia, with Energy Secretary Rick
Perry in quiet talks on sharing US civilian nuclear technology with
them.
Congressional anger at the Saudis for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi has
fueled a lot of resolutions on US-Saudi relations, trying to place
additional limits on Saudi access to US technology, to prevent abuses in
the future.
I’m still waiting for that Bill to stop all foreign aid/cooperation with the mighty nuclear Goliath in the Middle East, until they rid themselves of their massive nuclear arsenal.
I think this has more to do with Israel not wanting any nuclear competition than anything else. But guess what- the Saudis have money, and if they want nukes they’ll either build them or buy them. I guess this means we’ll have to hold the Saudis to the same standard we hold the Iranians. And who sits on the sidelines and is the real winner? One guess.
All ME policy is driven by Israel or must have its approval. Nothing’s changed.
Just shows the Saudis they are on the list of ME nations to destroy. Sooner, or later.
Now the gloves are off. Another ME standoff, prospects of anti-Iran “Arab NATO” appear dimming.
Righto! Onward Christian soldier….and all that.
Here it comes. The problem with Congress and all neocon lobbying is — old, stale approach. It did not work with Iran, and guaranteed would not work with Saudi Arabia. Our approach to alliances jn the Middle East is single minded: only Israel can have nuclear technology in the Middle East. But we are putting blinders on. Russia is building or has already built NPP in three Midfle East countries. Besides Iran. Russia is building one in Turkey and one in Egypt. Russia has its own mechanism within international Nuclear Proliferation regime to regulate nuclear technology. Our proposal violates the rights of non-nuclear states to acquire nuclear technoligy for peaceful purposes, from electricity to nuclear isotopes for medical purposes.
I suspect that the furious reaction to Saudi Arabia has everything to do with Saudi Arabia’s fast reallignment of its geopolitical orientation and nothing to do with poor Kashoggi — the incidental Saudi — , or our noble intentions to end Yemen war.
The truth is in numbers. Many numbers. Like Saudi King’s visit to Russia, immediatelly after court coup in June 2017, taking with him delegation of over 1,500 people. The agreements reached — in regional security. investments, energy, military — were in dozens. Since, imllementation has been fast and furious. While Saudis are still making some noises pleasing to neocon ears, it has become obvious even to the most hopefull, that there is a strategic shift taking lplace. So, the first warning noises on Kashoggi subsided in anticipation of Saudi change of “behaviour “. Not only that it did not happen — changes in Saudi internal and external posture have become too marked to ignore. All Trump is doing now iis playing politics — arguing against Congressional action on Yemen, so he can blame Congress for “losing” Saudi Arabia.
Yemen issue is NOT what it appears to be. It is only in small part Saudi fight against Houthis and restoration of long ago irrelevant President Hadi. It is a fight between allies, US and Saudi Arabia for the control of Arabian side of Bab Al Mandeb. The Gate of Sorrows. US wants to control the straights as it is a key to all transit from Asia to Red Sea countries, and to Medditerranean world. This control can choke traffic from Asia and vice versa to any country that fully depends on Red Sea, as do Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Egypt. While Egypt has other ports on Mediterranean — choking off traffic in Red Sea would mean economic dissaster for Suez Canal.
With Straits of Hormuz already being open only as US allows it, control of Bab Al Mandeb would be geopolitical game changer. Saudi Arabia has back in 2017 grasped that its role of usefull idiot — not a valued ally — could potentially bring Saudi Arabia into full colonial submission. Considering that Saudis fullfilled every whim imperial Washington asked for — funding Islamists back in the days of Chechnya to Bosnia and Kosovo, funding and staffing Al-Qaeda, Taliban, assorted Salafists, ISIS — and then being blamed for it, Kingdom reacted.
The decision by the Allegiance Council to remove US friendly Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, and appoint King’s son, MBS, was a far reaching decision. The King, far from being senile— as claimed by neocon megaphone media — was not ready to be pushed into retirement, but secured Saudi establishment support. With his son elevated to the head of Government, all intrigues came to an end. The strategic reallignment of the Kingdom began. Today, Russian small arms manufacturing is located in Saudi Arabia under license transfer agreement, same will be happening with anti-tank missiles, and there is talk of S-400. Russia will not consider selling technology to states with unstable political or military environment in the mid to long term. Or in countries where an accommodation with US is still possible. With Turkey, it took over a decade — as Turkey had many externally induced internal problems. Suprisingly, with Saudis, change in relationship sppeared to happen literally overnight. There are other changes, too numerous to go over. Some are in the developmentt of archeological sites, others in tourism, and in LNG development in Arctic.
But one of the most far reaching is hiring of Russian private security firms. Chechnya has now the largest private training polygon in Russia and Chechen firms are sought after in the Gulf. Many Gulf officials visited the training site and contracted services.
Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadirov is a minor celebrity in Gulf, meating with every ruler so far, and MBS already three times. He is charismatic , speaks good English and fought against the infiltration of the same Gulf Islamic extremism in his days. Times indeed have changed. His fiery views on American globalism are not shunned in the Gulf any more.
I much prefer Khabib Nurmegamedov over Mr. R. Kadirov 🙂
They’ll just buy the material from the Pakistanis.