Egypt goes Nuclear

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I bring this article up because there isn't as much being said about it in our media as there was and is on Iran. Egypt has the same message about their nuclear program as Iran has said they do about their nuclear program yet Iran is being seen as "evil" for their pursuits. Is it because Egypt is an allie with the US and Iran isn't? Should Egypt be allowed a nuclear program and not Iran? Why?

Egypt names site of first nuclear reactor

5 hours ago

CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt's first nuclear reactor will be built at Dabba on the Mediterranean coast west of the main port of Alexandria, Electricity and Power Minister Hassan Younis said on Thursday.

The site, 160 kilometres (100 miles) west of Alexandria, "meets all the safety conditions and the requirements of operating an electricity generating nuclear plant," Younis said in a statement.

Egypt's nuclear stations authority "started measures and studies on Dabba which was chosen as a site for constructing the first nuclear station for peaceful purposes," it said.

Younis said that his ministry had worked out a draft bill to be put to parliament in March that sets a legal framework for cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency "until 2030."

"The Egyptian programme is transparent and certified by the international community and the IAEA," said Younis.

Last October, President Hosni Mubarak announced the beginning of a national plan for setting up nuclear plants for peaceful usage.

Egypt initiated a nuclear energy programme in the 1970s but abandoned it in 1986 after the Chernobyl disaster.

source

[doodlebugg 10]

* ahem *

I think you have some papers to write missy!!!!

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

In fact it is subject matter in two of my POLS classes this semester: Political Violence & Revolution, World Politics & War.

It should be hot stuff this semester and this prof gets great reviews for being super smart and engaging. In my World Politics and War class there are about 8 Navy men and last semester we have 4 in one of my POLS classes and they were highly opinionated and loud about International Law.

* ahem *

I think you have some papers to write missy!!!!

Edited January 11, 2008 by OlivianWaleed

[jpaula 20]

I bring this article up because there isn't as much being said about it in our media as there was and is on Iran. Egypt has the same message about their nuclear program as Iran has said they do about their nuclear program yet Iran is being seen as "evil" for their pursuits. Is it because Egypt is an allie with the US and Iran isn't? Should Egypt be allowed a nuclear program and not Iran? Why?

Egypt names site of first nuclear reactor

5 hours ago

CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt's first nuclear reactor will be built at Dabba on the Mediterranean coast west of the main port of Alexandria, Electricity and Power Minister Hassan Younis said on Thursday.

The site, 160 kilometres (100 miles) west of Alexandria, "meets all the safety conditions and the requirements of operating an electricity generating nuclear plant," Younis said in a statement.

Egypt's nuclear stations authority "started measures and studies on Dabba which was chosen as a site for constructing the first nuclear station for peaceful purposes," it said.

Younis said that his ministry had worked out a draft bill to be put to parliament in March that sets a legal framework for cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency "until 2030."

"The Egyptian programme is transparent and certified by the international community and the IAEA," said Younis.

Last October, President Hosni Mubarak announced the beginning of a national plan for setting up nuclear plants for peaceful usage.

Egypt initiated a nuclear energy programme in the 1970s but abandoned it in 1986 after the Chernobyl disaster.

source

Under the relevant international law--the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty--both countries are "allowed" a civilan nuclear program. The key is 1) that they must be civilian programs i.e. for energy not weapons and 2) that they are transparent and monitored to be sure that they are civilian rather than weapon. US policies and preferences aside, the problem with Iran in this case is that they have not been cooperative with the IAEA which is the group assigned this monitoring task. Again, this is the international law stance, not the US policy stance. Also important to note that international law is only binding on states that voluntarily sign these treaties and that Egypt has not only signed the NPT but agreed to adhere to its Articles where as Iran has recently threatened to pull out of the Treaty should they continue to have their program threatened. Among those states with nuclear weapons that have not signed the treaty? Israel, India and Pakistan.

So, the word "allowed" is kind of strange in this context. As is the word "evil." The US (or rather the Bush administration) did not label Iran evil because of its nuclear program; it is insistant on stopping Iran from having nuclear weapons because of the "evil" assumption. The real problem with this stance, as made clear in the latest NIE, is that we cannot actually verify that Iran has a nuke weapons program. But, it is clear the IF they did, it would be both a violation of the NPT and against US interest. I would also argue that any proliferation is a threat to international peace.

Egypt's program, being both civilian and open, seems to me a threat to noone.

Check out the IAEA website. Lots of good stuff there.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

So that's the key. Egypt didn't sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and Iran has.

Thx for the facts! That's going to help so much!

[jpaula 20]

So that's the key. Egypt didn't sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and Iran has.

Thx for the facts! That's going to help so much!

Oops. Maybe I was not clear. Both have signed the NPT. But, whereas Egypt both instists its nuclear program is only for energy use and allows inspection of it to verify, Iran has not been so willing to let the inspectors in. They have also threatened to withdraw from the NPT if pushed. So, it is a bit of a diplomatic tightrope (and we, for our part, are not so diplomatic).

Read the NPT and skim the IAEA website.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Nuclear Egypt? Quite possible

By: Kanchan Gupta

Egypt's ruling elite loves to see itself at the centre of West Asian politics; for the Presidential Palace and its retinue of loyalists, Cairo is the most important place, the gateway to what Americans refer to as 'Middle East', stretching across the Maghreb and the Mashreq. Ever since Anwar Sadat decided to part company with the Russians (in those days it was the USSR) after his predecessor, Gamal Abdel Nasser's disastrous 'United Arab Republic' political and military campaign, the US has been particularly charitable towards Egypt. Sadat's historic visit to Jerusalem and the equally historic peace agreement he signed with Israel paved the path for greater American assistance, amounting to $ 2 billion every year. Egypt became the bulwark against Arab radicalism, the launching pad for America's West Asia policy. There was no change in this arrangement after Sadat's assassination by Islamists on October 6, 1981. Indeed, American support for the palace increased: President Hosni Mubarak was -- and remains -- the best choice to keep the Ikhwan-ul Muslimeen (Muslim Brotherhood) at bay.

But with new players emerging in West Asia and Saudi Arabia, under the tutelage of King Abdullah, who is desperate to rid his country of its 'extremist', if not Wahaabi, tag so that it is not seen as an exporter of fanatical Islam, Egypt has been suffering an erosion of its exalted stature as the key player. This is also because Egypt is now being increasingly seen as a spoiler, instead of facilitator, in the Israel-Palestine peace process. Cairo does have a tendency to scowl if others are able to achieve something which it has failed to secure -- King Abdullah's initiative to break the deadlock over Israel-Palestine peace negotiations at the Arab League's Riyadh summit last year left quite a few Egyptians smarting; many of them are still sulking.

What has added perceived 'insult' to Cairo's imaginary 'injury' is the increasing realisation in Washington that the wider Arab-Israeli conflict has now mutated into an Israeli-Palestinian issue. Hence, any peace deal has to be essentially a bilateral agreement between Tel Aviv/Jerusalem and Ramallah, or else it is doomed to fail, just like the 'Road Map' crafted by the US State Department turned out to be a miserable failure. A third factor that has contributed to what Egyptians see as their country's "diminishing" role is Iran's attempt to emerge as the sole leader of 'Greater Middle East'. While Tehran has been cautious not to overtly flaunt its Shia credentials in Sunni Arab-dominated West Asia and reached out in equal measure to both Shia Hizbullah and Sunni Hamas, the Shia-Sunni fault-line cannot be ignored. Strangely, the Arab street, which should have witnessed the manifestation of this fault-line, is supportive of Iran since it is perceived as more daring than the Arab palace in challenging the Americans.

The US knows the implications of allowing Shia Iran to gain in stature in West Asia. It also knows that Saudi Arabia can play the Sunni card with greater finesse than Egypt. Hence, Riyadh now dominates America's West Asia strategy, not Cairo. And Americans being Americans, they have not been particularly careful about Egyptian toes while shifting strategy -- diplomacy, contrary to popular opinion, is not the US's strength. This was on display during President George W Bush's visit to the region last week. Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian journalist, is scathing in her comments on the visit: "The most recent reminder of Egypt's diminished role in regional politics came when President George W Bush ended his Middle East trip by pausing in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. He thanked President Hosni Mubarak six times and used the word 'appreciate' 10 times. But sweet words don't hide simple maths: Mr Bush spent just three hours in Egypt -- an afterthought compared to the two days he had just spent in Saudi Arabia, where he delivered a major arms sale, and sword-danced with the relatives of Saudi King Abdullah."

Pharaohnic anger, which Mr Mubarak can summon with amazing ease, is not to be trifled with; an enraged Egypt is not good news -- for the US, the region and the extended neighbourhood which is skirted by India's western border. Early indications of the storm blowing through Cairo's corridors of power are already available. Iran's Alalam news network has put out an interesting story from Beirut: "Former Egyptian Ambassador in Tehran says Egypt strongly defends Iran's right to possess peaceful nuclear programme. In an exclusive interview, Mr Mahmoud Faraj said during Mr Bush's visit to the region Egypt strongly defended Iran's right to own atomic technology for civilian purposes... stressing Mr Bush failed in his attempt to win the Arab countries' support against Iran." According to this report, Mr Faraj spoke of the "need for restoration of Egyptian-Iranian relations (which broke down after Tehran provided shelter to Sadat's assassin, Khaled Al-Islambuli, and named a street after him) as soon as possible".

A second, more interesting report, has emanated from Cairo, disclosing that Egypt's "first nuclear reactor will be built at Dabba on the Mediterranean coast west of the main port of Alexandria". The report adds that the site "meets all the safety conditions and the requirements of operating an electricity generating nuclear plant". Egypt's nuclear energy programme dates back to the days of unrestricted Russian military aid. But unsure of the safety standards, Egypt abandoned its nuclear programme, at least officially, in 1986 after the Chernobyl disaster. There are reasons to believe that Egypt has been working towards reviving its nuclear programme, under the cover of civilian use of nuclear technology, for the last few years. In October 2007, Mr Mubarak gave rumours some legitimacy by announcing the "beginning of a national plan for setting up nuclear plants for peaceful use".

Of late the IAEA has been discomfited by reports of Egypt kick-starting its nuclear programme, not least because Cairo, which had an active nuclear weapons programme during 1954-67 but later opted for the NPT, has failed to disclose details of experiments at its revived nuclear facilities. Egypt is believed to have two nuclear reactors and signed an agreement with Russia in 2001 for "scientific and technical cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy according to Egypt's national nuclear needs and priorities". Are the Russians, eager to take on the Americans, behind Egypt's revived nuclear programme? After all, Moscow has been more than supportive of Tehran's bomb-in-the-basement programme. Worse, it could be Iran holding out a nuclear olive branch to its foe while all American eyes are trained on Saudi Arabia. This could mark a new chapter in that region's tempestuous history.

Source

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Egypt to launch tender for nuclear reactor in February

9 hours ago

CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt said on Saturday it would launch a tender for offers in February to build its first nuclear reactor, the official MENA news agency reported.

"The nuclear energy agency will in February launch an international tender for offers to build Egypt's first nuclear reactor worth 1.5 to 1.8 billion dollars," MENA said.

"The type of reactor and its constructor will be chosen according to international safety standards and reputation as well as costs," MENA said. "The offer is open to all countries."

On January 10, Egypt said the first nuclear reactor will be built at Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast, west of the port of Alexandria.

Last October, President Hosni Mubarak announced the beginning of a national plan for setting up nuclear plants for peaceful uses.

France has offered to share its nuclear expertise with Egypt, which initiated a nuclear energy programme in the 1970s but abandoned it in 1986 after the Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine.

Source

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Jan 27, 2008 0:17

Egypt announces it will take bids in Feb to build nuclear reactor

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

CAIRO, Egypt

Egypt will begin taking bids in February to build the country's first nuclear reactor, the state-run news agency reported Saturday.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced plans for the nuclear power project last year, saying it would diversify Egypt's energy resources and preserve the country's oil and gas. He said the reactor would be for peaceful, power-generating purposes only and that Egypt would not seek a nuclear bomb.

The project is expected to cost between US$1.5 and 1.8 billion dollars.

"The type of reactor and its constructor will be chosen according to international safety standards and reputation as well as costs," MENA quoted Abdel Mohsen Morsi Metwalli, director of nuclear engineering at Alexandria University, as saying Saturday. "The offer is open to all countries."

The Jerusalem Post