Israeli general says Saudis seek to buy Pakistan nukes
By David R. Sands
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
A top Israeli intelligence official has charged that Saudi Arabia is
pressing forward with a secret program to acquire nuclear-weapons technology
from Pakistan, even as senior U.S. officials said yesterday they had seen "no
information to substantiate" reports that a deal was in the works.
The Washington Times, citing a senior Pakistani source, reported yesterday
that Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the country's de facto ruler,
concluded a long-rumored deal to obtain a nuclear deterrent in exchange for
discounted Saudi oil during a visit to Islamabad over the weekend.
Such a deal would profoundly alter the balance of power in the Middle East,
violate Saudi obligations under the nuclear NonProliferation Treaty, and break
promises made to Washington by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf about
controlling his country's nuclear arsenal.
Both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have strenuously denied the reports, with a
Saudi Embassy spokesman dismissing the story yesterday as "not even worth a
denial."
Talat Waseem, press counselor to the Pakistani Embassy, said in a letter to
The Times there was "not a shred of truth" to the "wildly speculative story."
He denied the issue had been raised by President Bush or senior U.S.
diplomats in their recent meetings with Pakistani leaders.
"While U.S.-Pakistan discussions cover a whole range of issues, including
nonproliferation issues, nonproliferation is not an issue of current concern in
our relations," Mr. Waseem wrote.
"Pakistan's commitment to nonproliferation of [weapons of mass
destruction], including nuclear weapons, technology, materials, etc., is beyond
question."
But Israeli radio and the New York Post reported yesterday that Maj. Gen.
Aharon Zeevi, the Israel Defense Force's senior intelligence officer, told a
parliamentary committee Tuesday that the Saudis had in fact gone to Islamabad
with the intention of buying Pakistani warheads, to be placed on Saudi
land-based missiles.
Gen. Zeevi said the Saudi drive for atomic weapons was motivated by the
advanced nuclear program under way in Iran, its strategic and religious rival
in the region. Saudi Arabia is predominantly Sunni Muslim while Iran has a
Shi'ite Muslim majority.
Israeli officials have warned of an "Arab arms race" fueled by Iran's
nuclear programs, which could have serious strategic consequences for the
Jewish state.
U.S. officials played down the revelations yesterday, saying stories of a
Pakistani-Saudi nuclear alliance were more than a decade old.
"We've seen the allegation, but we have not seen any information to
substantiate what would seem to us to be rather bald assertions" of a nuclear
pact, said State Department spokesman Adam Ereli.
"We are confident that Pakistan clearly understands our concerns regarding
proliferation of nuclear technology. And we would also note that Saudi Arabia
is a party to the nuclear NonProliferation Treaty, under which it has agreed
not to obtain nuclear weapons," he said.
A second U.S. government official with access to intelligence information
discounted the Saudi-Pakistani nuclear link as well.
"There have been rumors along these lines for years," the official said,
adding it is possible that the two governments have discussed nuclear
cooperation.
"But we don't have information to suggest that there is an agreement to
that effect," the official said.
But Mr. Ereli also said the administration has not yet confronted either
country directly in light of the new revelations, saying U.S. officials
regularly raise proliferation concerns in their frequent talks with Pakistani
counterparts.
Analysts said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have much to gain and much to lose
from a nuclear cooperation pact.
Past stories of a deal have been fueled by extensive ties between the two
Muslim countries, in particular as Pakistan has tested and built its nuclear
arsenal. Many suspect the oil-rich Saudis of helping finance Pakistan's
purchases of nuclear technology from China and other sources.
The Saudi defense minister was given a rare tour of Pakistan's highly
restricted Kahuta uranium-enrichment and missile factory in 1999.
In addition to fears of a nuclear Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have
watched with growing unease the increasingly close military ties between Israel
and India.
Saudi defense officials in England this summer discussed the outlines of a
strategic policy paper being considered at the most senior levels in Riyadh.
Among the options put forward in the paper: developing or purchasing a
nuclear deterrent; allying with an existing nuclear power such as Pakistan; or
pursuing the diplomatic route by pressing for a regional nuclear-free pact.
Bangladeshi military analyst M. Abdul Hafiz, writing in the Bangladesh
Daily Star this week, said intense regional instability is the driving factor.
"There's obviously a lot of restlessness in the Middle East today prompting
and pushing the nations like Saudi Arabia to produce a nuclear deterrence," he
wrote.
But David Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector and president of the
Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, said he
remained skeptical that an actual deal had been signed because of the immense
repercussions for both countries.
"We know that senior Saudi officials are studying their options and sending
signals, but to actually go through with this will bring down the wrath of the
Americans on the Pakistanis and have huge negative implications for Saudi
security as well," he said.
•Bill Gertz contributed to this report.
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Saudi's seek Pakistani Nukes |
24 Oct 2003 05:51:48 PM |
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In article <20031024044202.14077.00000044@mb-m29.aol.com>, (TonyZ2001) wrote:
Israeli general says Saudis seek to buy Pakistan nukes
Gee, must be their deal with North Korea isn't looking too promising.
(Really, is anyone surprised that Saudi Arabia is looking for nukes?!?)
Woods
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Saudi's seek Pakistani Nukes |
25 Oct 2003 07:40:46 AM |
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On Fri, 24 Oct 2003 22:51:48 GMT, (Woodswun)
wrote:
In article <20031024044202.14077.00000044@mb-m29.aol.com>, (TonyZ2001) wrote:
Israeli general says Saudis seek to buy Pakistan nukes
Gee, must be their deal with North Korea isn't looking too promising.
(Really, is anyone surprised that Saudi Arabia is looking for nukes?!?)
Woods
Hahahaha time to go after the Saudis eh? Hahahaha may take less than
6 months to get them on the "list"
"life is like a mushroom, they feed you ***** and keep you in the dark"
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Saudi's seek Pakistani Nukes |
25 Oct 2003 08:48:57 AM |
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In article <uorkpvcs3ar2415p6oeiljregtvh39uati@4ax.com>, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Oct 2003 22:51:48 GMT, (Woodswun)
wrote:
In article <20031024044202.14077.00000044@mb-m29.aol.com>,
(TonyZ2001) wrote:
Israeli general says Saudis seek to buy Pakistan nukes
Gee, must be their deal with North Korea isn't looking too promising.
(Really, is anyone surprised that Saudi Arabia is looking for nukes?!?)
Woods
Hahahaha time to go after the Saudis eh? Hahahaha may take less than
6 months to get them on the "list"
You keep referring to a "list" - what list?
Woods
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Saudi's seek Pakistani Nukes |
25 Oct 2003 09:13:04 AM |
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On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 13:48:57 GMT, (Woodswun)
wrote:
In article <uorkpvcs3ar2415p6oeiljregtvh39uati@4ax.com>, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Oct 2003 22:51:48 GMT, (Woodswun)
wrote:
In article <20031024044202.14077.00000044@mb-m29.aol.com>,
(TonyZ2001) wrote:
Israeli general says Saudis seek to buy Pakistan nukes
Gee, must be their deal with North Korea isn't looking too promising.
(Really, is anyone surprised that Saudi Arabia is looking for nukes?!?)
Woods
Hahahaha time to go after the Saudis eh? Hahahaha may take less than
6 months to get them on the "list"
You keep referring to a "list" - what list?
Woods
Supposed terrorist countries. Afghanistan,Iraq,Iran,N.Korea........
"life is like a mushroom, they feed you ***** and keep you in the dark"
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Saudi's seek Pakistani Nukes |
25 Oct 2003 12:41:08 PM |
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In article <161lpvgel3vkt8g8c96a9o561k2u87iff3@4ax.com>, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 13:48:57 GMT, (Woodswun)
wrote:
In article <uorkpvcs3ar2415p6oeiljregtvh39uati@4ax.com>,
wrote:
On Fri, 24 Oct 2003 22:51:48 GMT, (Woodswun)
wrote:
In article <20031024044202.14077.00000044@mb-m29.aol.com>,
(TonyZ2001) wrote:
Israeli general says Saudis seek to buy Pakistan nukes
Gee, must be their deal with North Korea isn't looking too promising.
(Really, is anyone surprised that Saudi Arabia is looking for nukes?!?)
Woods
Hahahaha time to go after the Saudis eh? Hahahaha may take less than
6 months to get them on the "list"
You keep referring to a "list" - what list?
Woods
Supposed terrorist countries. Afghanistan,Iraq,Iran,N.Korea........
Ah. They belonged in Iraq's slot. I don't have enough info on N. Korea (I'm
sure not gonna believe anything Bush says anymore - without hard evidence!)
Woods
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Saudi's seek Pakistani Nukes |
25 Oct 2003 02:29:59 PM |
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On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 17:41:08 GMT, (Woodswun)
wrote:
Supposed terrorist countries. Afghanistan,Iraq,Iran,N.Korea........
Ah. They belonged in Iraq's slot. I don't have enough info on N. Korea (I'm
sure not gonna believe anything Bush says anymore - without hard evidence!)
Woods
So 1 smart person finally comes around....although slightly. The whole
list as far as i'm concerned is Butcher Bush's way of starting the
third world war. You watch, he is pissing off the Muslims so much that
I have a feeling that Americans are in for a rough haul from here on
in.
"life is like a mushroom, they feed you ***** and keep you in the dark"
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Saudi's seek Pakistani Nukes |
24 Oct 2003 07:01:47 AM |
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On 24 Oct 2003 08:42:02 GMT, (TonyZ2001) wrote:
Israeli general says Saudis seek to buy Pakistan nukes
And hopefully thay get them. Somebody has to keep you fucking
Americans in check.
"life is like a mushroom, they feed you ***** and keep you in the dark"
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