Saudi Arabia may be seeking nuclear weapons

Israel is not the only nation sad over the recent deal worked out between six nations and Iran over the Persian country’s nuclear program but Saudi Arabia also seems to be upset.

Saudi Arabia has not specifically condemned the deal but has remained quiet, no doubt thinking that is a more pragmatic policy. However before the deal was reached the Saudis warned about the dangers of rapprochement with Iran and worried about US actions. There are not indications that Saudi Arabia may be trying to develop nuclear weapons.

A number of sources told BBC Newsnight that Saudi Arabia had invested in nuclear weapons projects in Pakistan and believes that it could obtain atomic bombs. It is quite possible that the Saudis could deploy weapons very quickly. Earlier in 2013, Mark Urban of the BBC claims he was told by a senior NATO decision maker that he had seen an intelligence report that nuclear weapons made in Pakistan for Saudi Arabia were sitting ready for delivery. A former head of Israeli military intelligence, Amos Yadlin, told a conference in Sweden that if Iran got a bomb: ” … the Saudis will not wait one month. They already paid for the bomb, they will go to Pakistan and bring what they need to bring.” Saudi King Abdullah, in 2009, warned US Special Envoy to the Middle East Dennis Ross that if Iran crossed the threshold Saudi Arabia would get nuclear weapons.

Gary Samore, who until March, was President Barack Obama’s “WMD” tsar said: “I do think that the Saudis believe that they have some understanding with Pakistan that, in extremis, they would have claim to acquire nuclear weapons from Pakistan.” A senior Pakistani official said that the Saudis were not giving them money for their nuclear program as a form of charity. The Saudi defense minister Prince Sultan al Saud made visits to the Pakistani nuclear research center in 1999 and 2002 to stress Saudi support.

The Saudis project to be ready to go nuclear, stretches back decades but nothing is said of it in the West since, like Israel that already has nuclear weapons, it is a good ally. Besides, the West buys oil from the Saudis. This is one of the reasons the Saudis would like Iran to stay isolated. It helps retain a good price for oil. If Iranian oil again is exported in large quantities it may depress oil prices. Already on the announcement of the Iran deal oil prices fell.

In the late 1980s, the Saudis bought dozens of CSS-2 ballistic missiles from China, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. They have been deployed for decades but last summer experts at IHS Janes report the completion of a new Saudi CSS-2 base with missile launch rails aligned with Israel and Iran. The Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Kahn is alleged to have passed on details of Chinese nuclear weapon design to Libya and North Korea. This blueprint was for a device engineered to fit on the CSS-2 missile, i.e the same type sold to Saudi Arabia.

Recently, Israeli personnel are reported to have been in Saudi Arabia to inspect bases that could be used to launch attacks into Iran according to “informed” Egyptian intelligence officials. The officials say Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other Arab and Persian Gulf states have been discussing possible strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. They also noted that the US had passed strong messages both to Israel and the Saudis that the US controls radar capabilities over the skies near Iran and any strike would require US approval.

One should always be skeptical about anonymous sources but at the very least it does seem that Saudi Arabia is prepared to quickly obtain nuclear weapons if it decides it needs them and is also anxious to keep Iran isolated even to the point of cooperating and sharing positions with its arch enemy, Israel.

Source: All Voices