(Washington Times) Bill Gertz - U.S. intelligence agencies are closely watching Saudi Arabia for signs that the kingdom will seek to develop nuclear weapons. One key warning sign was the cooperation agreement signed Sunday in Riyadh by China and Saudi Arabia to seek joint development of "atomic energy for peaceful purposes, which will help to meet the kingdom's rising demand for energy." The administration's argument against Iran's reason for developing nuclear energy - that Tehran has enough oil to produce electrical power for a century - also would apply to Saudi Arabia, which holds some of the largest oil reserves in the world. China has been an arms proliferator in the past, supplying Pakistan with nuclear-weapon design information during the 1980s. China has supplied Saudi Arabia with 36 DF-3 medium-range ballistic missiles that are considered nuclear-capable systems.
2012-01-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive