Posted on 05/16/2008 12:19:06 PM PDT by tedbel
U.S. President George Bush is in Saudi Arabia for talks with King Abdullah marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Washington and Riyadh. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the two leaders are expected to reach agreement on civilian nuclear technology.
They will discuss a deal to help the kingdom develop civilian nuclear power for medical and industrial uses as well as generating electricity. The agreement provides access to safe, reliable fuel sources for nuclear reactors and demonstrates what the Bush Administration calls Saudi leadership as a non-proliferation model for the region.
[I certainly hope McCain disowns this policy. It seems to me that it totally undermines Bush's stand on Iran's nuclear development. Nowhere did Bush demand the Saudi Arabia stop financing the spread of Wahhabism or make peace with Israel.] The agreement expands cooperation to better safeguard the kingdom's vast oil reserves and its pipeline distribution system, as well as borders.
As part of the deal, Saudi Arabia joins a global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism to enhance the protection of nuclear systems and improve its ability to detect and confiscate illegally held nuclear material.
The kingdom also joins an international alliance to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and related materials, including delivery systems.
President Bush says he will ask King Abdullah to boost Saudi oil production to drive down record energy prices. A similar request in January was denied as Saudi output has held steady at just over 8.5 million barrels a day.
Relations between Washington and Riyadh are strained by the war in Iraq. Unlike the first Gulf War when Saudi Arabia boosted oil production and helped pay for the liberation of Kuwait, the kingdom opposed America's 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.
(Excerpt) Read more at israpundit.com ...
Nuclear power for increase in oil production at agreed level for next 50yrs. Otherwise, why would we do this?
Yes, let’s give the Wahhabis nuclear technology...good thinking.
We need to work on our own nuclear technology so we can stop buying oil from the OPEC monopoly. The Saudis just told us to get bent. Why are we aiding them again?
Lucky Israel.
Why does a country with basically unlimited oil and limited infrastructure and no manufacturing industry to speak of need nuclear power?
Because the Saudi will acquire the technology. Better we work with them.
Excellent Question!
There’s absolutely no need (as I see it) for the Saudis to need a nuclear reactor. That’s just asking for trouble to give them one.
I’m sure the Israelis are less than impressed to hear this.
That has worked so well up until now right. They screw us every chance they get and laugh when our President comes begging.
We’re nuts.
No. You've now entered The Twilight Zone.
Saudis see no reason to raise oil production now Yahoo ^ | May 16, 2008 | Jennifer Loven
Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008 11:14:46 AM by Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabian leaders made clear Friday they see no reason to increase oil production until their customers demand it, apparently rebuffing President Bush amid soaring U.S. gasoline prices.
“The agreement provides access to safe, reliable fuel sources for nuclear reactors . . . “
and presumably for the security, e.g. cyclone fencing, etc. to guard them.
Gee, we offer to help build nuclear reactors overseas—for people screwing us everyday—and throw tax dollars at walls and fences for our ally, Iraq, and even neighbors like (oil producer) Mexico, for their border with Guatemala & Belize to fight the Global War on Drugs . . . but nuclear power and walls/fences—other than the ones surrounding the White House and gated communities—just aren’t feasible in this country, the USA, where the atom was first `split’/currently under siege by foreign invaders, or so they say.
I just don’t understand this strategery: It all must be part of the Global War on Terror.
Never mind.
Why should they, the Senate just voted to prevent our domestic exploration.
The Saudis have no competition.
In the past, every time we started to up domestic production, the Saudis dropped the price, making domestic exploration unprofitable .
I'll bet if we announced we were going to drill in ANWR and off the Coasts, Saudi would drop the price substantially.
But Congress is too stupid, or worse, to do that.
The Saudis have almost as little fresh water as the have lots of oil. Most of their fresh water comes from desalination plants, which are very energy intensive to run. Nukes would apparently be a cheaper, more efficient way to run desalination plants than oil and natural gas, which they can sell for more than the nuclear power will cost. They can also get electricity from nukes used for desalination.
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