Posted on 11/17/2009 12:01:28 AM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Vilified as a nuclear bomb-seeking threat to world peace before the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraq now wants access to civilian nuclear power for its economic and energy needs. Science and Technology Minister Raed Fahmi, in an interview with AFP, called for the international community to lift the Saddam-era UN resolutions which still stand in its path.
"Our nuclear strategy is for civilian application of atomic energy and we believe we have the right and that certain obstacles contained in Resolution 707 should be lifted," he said.
"We have a clear and transparent political strategy in close coordination with international bodies, and Iraq has the right to certain of its capacities," the minister said.
But Fahmi stressed no political decision had yet been taken to build a nuclear power plant.
UN Security Council Resolution 707, among the punitive measures slapped on Iraq in August 1991 for Saddam's invasion of Kuwait, bans all nuclear activity in the country until the Council certifies it respects non-proliferation treaties.
Fahmi said the process of ratifying international treaties has started.
"We are working to put into practice and respect all Iraq's commitments, and we have raised this issue with the IAEA," the International Atomic Energy Agency, the minister said.
Iraq is one of the world's top oil producers and has huge reserves but still suffers power cuts due to a rundown power supply network devastated by Saddam-era sanctions and decades of conflict.
It has launched a massive programme to build new power plants which will take several years to become operational and go online.
(Excerpt) Read more at spacewar.com ...
Death wish.
Hrm...eh wasnt the whole point of Freeing Iraq to create a lasting ally in the region?
If the program is transparant...and these are our allies...why wouldnt they be allowed to run a nuke plant?
You do understand the difference between weapons grade plutonium and low level nuke plants ...dont you?
And yeah...one of the reasons I’ve been supporting this effort for the last 8 years is to FREE IRAQ.
Surely you arent some kind of racist who thinks that an Arab man cant understand the concepts of liberty...
They are stepping up and taking control of their own destiny...to abandon them now is folly and a waste of every life spent there...
Nope...I support a free Iraq.....they will prove to be a staunch ally...unless Obama blows it...
Personally I think Iraq is well over the hump as far as Obam being able to screw it up too bad...afgansistan is another matter...it’s not to late for him to screw that badly...and he’s doing so...
I got bigger issues with the saudi’s building one than Iraq.....
Blame April Glaspie
lol
It also looks like your point about iran is moot:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388043/posts
Iraq couldnt build one before Iraq fire this up anyways....if Isreal doesnt take it out first...
Disagree, Iraq is democratic and reliable, much more than the Turks that are building relations with Hamas. Claiming a failure in Iraq is no different from the claims of dirty liberals. US and Iraq shares the same interests. Iraq views both Syria and Iran a threat. Nuclear program means Iraq to be able to bluff about countermeasures against Iranian nukes. It is also an advantage for Israel with Iraq having similar interests in the region to counter Iranian threats.
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