Posted on 05/18/2015 11:54:46 AM PDT by drewh
Saudi Arabia has reached out to its ally Pakistan to acquire off-the-shelf atomic weapons as a nuclear arms race begins to shape up with Shiite rival Iran, US sources said.
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For the Saudis the moment has come, a former US defense official told the UKs Sunday Times. There has been a longstanding agreement in place with the Pakistanis and the House of Saud has now made the strategic decision to move forward.
The anonymous former official said the US did not believe that any actual weaponry has been transferred yet, but declared that the Saudis mean what they say and they will do what they say.
Tensions between Tehran and the kingdom have grown in the past few months as Saudi Arabia stepped up its air campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. King Salman of Saudi Arabia refused an invitation to attend a landmark summit hosted by US President Barack Obama last week, amid ongoing angst over US-led nuclear talks with Iran.
Former Saudi intelligence head Prince Turki bin Faisal expressed the kingdoms desire for a nuclear weapon last month at the Asan Plenum, a conference held by the South Korean-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Whatever the Iranians have, we will have, too, he said, according to The New York Times.
Faisal also warned that the Iranian nuclear deal opens the door to nuclear proliferation, not closes it, as was the initial intention.
According to the Sunday Times report, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship for decades. Saudi Arabia has given Pakistan billions of dollars in subsidized oil, while the latter has unofficially agreed to supply the Gulf state with nuclear warheads.
Nuclear weapons programs are extremely expensive and theres no question that a lot of the funding of Pakistans nuclear weapons program was provided by Saudi Arabia, Lord David Owen, who served as Englands foreign secretary from 1977-1979, told the weekly publication.
Given their close relations and close military links, its long been assumed that if the Saudis wanted, they would call in a commitment, moral or otherwise, for Pakistan to supply them immediately with nuclear warheads, he added.
However, the report added, Lt.Gen. Khalid Kidwai, who helped pioneer Pakistans nuclear program, denied that Pakistan had ever granted Saudi Arabia access to its nuclear technology.
The main concern shared by US and European officials was that if Saudi Arabia were to acquire an atomic weapon, it could spur other Sunni nations to follow suit.
An anonymous British military official also told The Sunday Times that Western military leaders all assume the Saudis have made the decision to go nuclear.
The official added, The fear is that other Middle Eastern powers Turkey and Egypt may feel compelled to do the same and we will see a new, even more dangerous, arms race.
This position was also mirrored by other, non-Saudi Gulf states at a summit last week between the US and several Arab countries. One unnamed Gulf state leader attending the Camp David summit told The New York Times, We cant sit back and be nowhere as Iran is allowed to retain much of its capability and amass its research.
Nuts with Nukes.
What could possibly go wrong?
Thanks, 0bama!
If this is true, our Muslim, bisexual, excuse for a President just opened up Pandora’s Box of nuclear prolifration in the Middle East.
Way to go, you community orghanizer P.O.S.
Millions will end up dead for this.
Obama 100% to blame for whatever happens.
Let’s see... I’ll have two falafels and... ah... three 100 kiloton atomic bombs, please. Insh’a Allah!
Obama creates a Nuclear race in the Middle East he will go down as the worst President ever in history.
I doubt it. They'll blame it on Republicans, or some other made-up boogieman.
Ah, yes.... Mullah’s Glowing Falafal platter.
“Obama creates a Nuclear race in the Middle East he will go down as the worst President ever in history.”
And if not he will go down as...the worst president in the history of the United States of America.
"Yes Sir!
Would you like Snickers Bar or Slurpee with that Nuke?
Lotto ticket?"
Daddy always says, “Money doesn’t spend itself”.
....if it’s anything like the way they maintain their taxis.....be afraid......very afraid.
I know I’d trust the Paki’s (It’s a real working bomb, honest!).
I read a book back in the 1970’s about how the mideast would be the source of ww3. Something called Armageddon and that a son of Satan would be behind it.
Speaking of obama. He made all the moves one would if you wanted to start a massive nuclear war.
Well, India gets the bomb............Pakis get the bomb.
Now, Iran gets the bomb..............the Saudis get the bomb.
Whaadidja expect????
Well, Barry and Barry’s boys are happy at least.
They will blow themselves up. Qatar will blame the Israelis. Then see what happens
If youd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
More than one.
You mean, they don’t believe Iran or Obama or even...drum roll...the great Vietnam war hero John Kerry?
We’ll meet again...
don’t know where...don’t know when
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