Obama begins official visit to Saudi Arabia
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Obama meets with Saudi king, weighs new Syria aid
By Associated Press, Published: March 28
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The United States is considering allowing shipments of portable air defense systems to Syrian rebels, a U.S. official said Friday, as President Barack Obama sought to reassure Saudi Arabia’s king that the U.S. is not taking too soft a stance in Syria and other Mideast conflicts.
The president and King Abdullah met for more than two hours at the aging monarch’s desert oasis outside the capital city of Riyadh. Obama advisers said the two leaders spoke frankly about their differences on key issues, with the president assuring the king that he remains committed to the Gulf region’s security.
Saudi officials have grown particularly concerned about what they see as Obama’s tepid response to the Syrian civil war and have pressed the U.S. to allow them to play a direct role in sending the rebels the air defense systems commonly known as manpads. While administration officials have previously ruled out that option, a senior official said it was being considered, in part because the U.S. has been able to develop deeper relationships with the Syrian opposition over the past year.
The official said no final decision had been made and the president might ultimately decide against the proposal. One of Obama’s top concerns continues to be whether the weaponry would fall into the wrong hands, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss internal deliberations by name and commented only on condition of anonymity. The official cast the approach as less of a sudden change in position and more an indication of how the U.S. has viewed the issue for some time.
A second senior official said there had been no change in the U.S. position on manpads, but did not specifically rule out the notion that the option was under consideration.
Manpads are compact missile launchers with the range and explosive power to attack low-flying planes and helicopters. U.S. officials have estimated the Syrian government has thousands.
The decades-long alliance between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia has been a pillar of security arrangements in the Middle East. But as U.S. troops have pulled out of Iraq and Afghanistan, the kingdom’s royal family has become increasingly anxious about Obama’s positioning in the region.
Tensions reached a high point last fall after Obama decided against launching a military strike on Syria, choosing instead to back a plan to strip Syrian President Bashar Assad of his chemical weapon stockpiles. U.S. officials say the relationship has improved since then, with both sides making an effort to more closely coordinate their efforts to halt the Syrian conflict.
“We are in a better place today than we were seven months ago,” said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser.
Beyond Syria, one of the king’s biggest concerns has been the U.S.-led nuclear negotiations with Iran. The Saudis fear Iran’s nuclear program, object to Iran’s backing of the Assad government and see Tehran as having designs on oil fields in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Officials said the nuclear negotiations were a primary topic of Friday’s meeting, with Obama assuring the king that the U.S. was not glossing over Tehran’s other provocations in order to get a final deal.
The president arrived in Riyadh Friday evening, then quickly boarded the presidential helicopter for a 30-minute flight to the king’s desert camp. Obama walked through a row of military guards to an ornate room featuring a massive crystal chandelier and took a seat next to the king, who appeared to be breathing with the assistance of an oxygen tank.
Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Adviser Susan Rice joined Obama in the meeting, his third official visit with the king in six years. While Obama and the king were originally expected to hold a dinner following their meeting, officials said those plans had changed.
The Obama administration’s openness to considering supplying manpads to the Syrian rebels did not appear to be directly connected to Friday’s meetings. Officials said specific types of assistance were not discussed with the king. However, the possibility of supplying manpads has been discussed in previous meetings between U.S. and Saudi officials, including talks in Washington earlier this year.
Allowing manpads to be delivered to Syrian rebels would mark a shift in strategy for the U.S., which until this point has limited its lethal assistance to small weapons and ammunition, along with its humanitarian aid. The U.S. has been looking for ways to boost the rebels, who have lost ground in recent months, allowing Assad to regain a tighter grip on the war-weary nation.
As recently as February, the administration insisted Obama remained opposed to any shipments of manpads to the Syrian opposition.
On another topic, despite the close security ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, American officials have raised concerns about the human rights situation in the kingdom, including the treatment of women. However, a senior administration official said human rights did not come up during Friday’s meetings, citing a lack of time and a busy agenda.
Before departing for Washington on Saturday, Obama planned to meet with the Saudi winner of a State Department Women of Courage award, presented for her role in combating domestic violence and winning landmark legislation on protecting women. The winner is Maha Al Muneef, the executive director of the National Family Safety Program, which she founded in 2005 to combat domestic violence and child abuse in Saudi Arabia.
On still another subject, Friday’s talks came after Saudi Arabia’s refusal to grant a visa to the Washington bureau chief of The Jerusalem Post who had sought to cover Obama’s trip. The U.S. government had reached out to Riyadh to intervene but to no avail.
___
Associated Press writers Jim Kuhnhenn in Saudi Arabia and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.
___
Follow Julie Pace at Julie Pace (jpaceDC) on Twitter
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Obama meets with Saudi king, weighs new Syria aid - The Washington Post
@Yzd Khalifa
Don't you think that king Abdullah is too old and ill to hold such an important meeting with Obama?
By Associated Press, Published: March 28
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The United States is considering allowing shipments of portable air defense systems to Syrian rebels, a U.S. official said Friday, as President Barack Obama sought to reassure Saudi Arabia’s king that the U.S. is not taking too soft a stance in Syria and other Mideast conflicts.
The president and King Abdullah met for more than two hours at the aging monarch’s desert oasis outside the capital city of Riyadh. Obama advisers said the two leaders spoke frankly about their differences on key issues, with the president assuring the king that he remains committed to the Gulf region’s security.
Saudi officials have grown particularly concerned about what they see as Obama’s tepid response to the Syrian civil war and have pressed the U.S. to allow them to play a direct role in sending the rebels the air defense systems commonly known as manpads. While administration officials have previously ruled out that option, a senior official said it was being considered, in part because the U.S. has been able to develop deeper relationships with the Syrian opposition over the past year.
The official said no final decision had been made and the president might ultimately decide against the proposal. One of Obama’s top concerns continues to be whether the weaponry would fall into the wrong hands, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss internal deliberations by name and commented only on condition of anonymity. The official cast the approach as less of a sudden change in position and more an indication of how the U.S. has viewed the issue for some time.
A second senior official said there had been no change in the U.S. position on manpads, but did not specifically rule out the notion that the option was under consideration.
Manpads are compact missile launchers with the range and explosive power to attack low-flying planes and helicopters. U.S. officials have estimated the Syrian government has thousands.
The decades-long alliance between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia has been a pillar of security arrangements in the Middle East. But as U.S. troops have pulled out of Iraq and Afghanistan, the kingdom’s royal family has become increasingly anxious about Obama’s positioning in the region.
Tensions reached a high point last fall after Obama decided against launching a military strike on Syria, choosing instead to back a plan to strip Syrian President Bashar Assad of his chemical weapon stockpiles. U.S. officials say the relationship has improved since then, with both sides making an effort to more closely coordinate their efforts to halt the Syrian conflict.
“We are in a better place today than we were seven months ago,” said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser.
Beyond Syria, one of the king’s biggest concerns has been the U.S.-led nuclear negotiations with Iran. The Saudis fear Iran’s nuclear program, object to Iran’s backing of the Assad government and see Tehran as having designs on oil fields in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Officials said the nuclear negotiations were a primary topic of Friday’s meeting, with Obama assuring the king that the U.S. was not glossing over Tehran’s other provocations in order to get a final deal.
The president arrived in Riyadh Friday evening, then quickly boarded the presidential helicopter for a 30-minute flight to the king’s desert camp. Obama walked through a row of military guards to an ornate room featuring a massive crystal chandelier and took a seat next to the king, who appeared to be breathing with the assistance of an oxygen tank.
Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Adviser Susan Rice joined Obama in the meeting, his third official visit with the king in six years. While Obama and the king were originally expected to hold a dinner following their meeting, officials said those plans had changed.
The Obama administration’s openness to considering supplying manpads to the Syrian rebels did not appear to be directly connected to Friday’s meetings. Officials said specific types of assistance were not discussed with the king. However, the possibility of supplying manpads has been discussed in previous meetings between U.S. and Saudi officials, including talks in Washington earlier this year.
Allowing manpads to be delivered to Syrian rebels would mark a shift in strategy for the U.S., which until this point has limited its lethal assistance to small weapons and ammunition, along with its humanitarian aid. The U.S. has been looking for ways to boost the rebels, who have lost ground in recent months, allowing Assad to regain a tighter grip on the war-weary nation.
As recently as February, the administration insisted Obama remained opposed to any shipments of manpads to the Syrian opposition.
On another topic, despite the close security ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, American officials have raised concerns about the human rights situation in the kingdom, including the treatment of women. However, a senior administration official said human rights did not come up during Friday’s meetings, citing a lack of time and a busy agenda.
Before departing for Washington on Saturday, Obama planned to meet with the Saudi winner of a State Department Women of Courage award, presented for her role in combating domestic violence and winning landmark legislation on protecting women. The winner is Maha Al Muneef, the executive director of the National Family Safety Program, which she founded in 2005 to combat domestic violence and child abuse in Saudi Arabia.
On still another subject, Friday’s talks came after Saudi Arabia’s refusal to grant a visa to the Washington bureau chief of The Jerusalem Post who had sought to cover Obama’s trip. The U.S. government had reached out to Riyadh to intervene but to no avail.
___
Associated Press writers Jim Kuhnhenn in Saudi Arabia and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.
___
Follow Julie Pace at Julie Pace (jpaceDC) on Twitter
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Obama meets with Saudi king, weighs new Syria aid - The Washington Post
@Yzd Khalifa
Don't you think that king Abdullah is too old and ill to hold such an important meeting with Obama?
Last edited:
BLACKEAGLE
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Nuclear Kingdom: Saudi Arabia's Atomic Ambitions
Although Iran's nuclear potential will likely dominate talks between President Obama and King Abdullah on March 29, Riyadh's own nuclear plans should also be part of the discussion.
A major probable consequence of Iran achieving a nuclear weapons capability is that Saudi Arabia will seek to match it. With President Obama currently rating the chances of diplomatic success as 50-50 and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei giving a "zero" probability, this weekend's U.S.-Saudi summit will be an opportunity to check whether Saudi planning can help the diplomacy rather than hinder it.
RIYADH'S NUCLEAR BLUEPRINT
In 2009, a Saudi royal decree announced that "the development of atomic energy is essential to meet the kingdom's growing requirements for energy to generate electricity, produce desalinated water and reduce reliance on depleting hydrocarbon resources." In 2011, plans were announced for the construction of sixteen nuclear power reactors over the next twenty years at a cost of more than $80 billion. These would generate about 20 percent of Saudi Arabia's electricity, while other, smaller reactors were envisaged for desalination.
As such, Saudi Arabia's civil nuclear plans are similar in scope to Iran's admitted nuclear power program. Both countries can also claim the same economic rationale -- that providing electricity produced by nuclear power for the general population allows more oil and natural gas to be exported, contributing to export revenues and government income. But, unlike Iran, Saudi Arabia lacks any nuclear infrastructure. Its sole nuclear institution is the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, which this week represented the kingdom at the Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands -- also attended by President Obama.
Since at least 2003, Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained a veiled military nuclear strategy. Reports have suggested that the kingdom is considering either acquiring its own nuclear deterrent or forming an alliance with an existing nuclear power that could offer protection, or else reaching a regional agreement on establishing a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East. It is noteworthy that discussion of these options coincided with increasing apprehension of Iran's nuclear plans, as contrasted with the posture of Israel, which is reported to have developed nuclear weapons in the late 1960s.
THE PAKISTANI OPTION
The most publicly discussed strategy for the Saudis involves acquiring nuclear weapons from Pakistan, either purchased or under some arrangement of joint control with Pakistani forces. In 1999, then Saudi defense minister Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz visited Pakistan's unsafeguarded centrifuge enrichment site at Kahuta near Islamabad and also saw mock-ups of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. During the visit, Prince Sultan met the controversial Pakistani nuclear scientist A. Q. Khan, who was blamed for proliferating centrifuges to Iran, Libya, and North Korea, as well as then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was later exiled to Saudi Arabia after a military coup and is now once again Pakistan's prime minister. As well as transferring nuclear warheads to Saudi Arabia, Islamabad could provide missiles capable of hitting Iranian targets, though Saudi Arabia already has such missiles. Earlier this year, reports indicated that the kingdom had, in 2007, updated its previous arsenal of liquid-fueled Chinese CSS-2 missiles with more advanced, solid-fueled CSS-5 missiles. Both types are designed to carry nuclear warheads, but the newer missiles have been adapted, at reported U.S. insistence, so that they can carry only nonnuclear warheads.
EXAMINING THE KINGDOM'S TREATY OBLIGATIONS
The kingdom's current nonproliferation-related diplomatic undertakings allow it some flexibility in pursuing alternative strategies, particularly if Iran were to "break out" from its Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty obligations. Saudi Arabia ratified the NPT in 1988 but only concluded a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2009. In doing so, it agreed to an earlier version of the "Small Quantities Protocol (SQP)" and has yet to accept the modified SQP adopted by the IAEA Board of Governors in 2005. In addition, Saudi Arabia, like Iran, has not yet signed the Additional Protocol, which allows for stricter inspections. Nor has it signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, though it has consistently supported the establishment of a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East.
In its latest Safeguards Implementation Report, the IAEA secretariat listed Saudi Arabia among those countries where it could find no apparent diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful activities. This conclusion is based on analysis of open-source information given that Saudi Arabia does not have any declared facility and that, consequently, the IAEA has no inspections or visits to the country. According to the report, the IAEA reached this view after only limited efforts, spending just $12,000 on monitoring the kingdom. By comparison, the amount spent for IAEA activities in neighboring Jordan was $153,000.
Washington's past readiness to allow the export of advanced military aircraft and weapons systems to Saudi Arabia has been justified in part by an apparent understanding allowing the kingdom to defend itself and seek to deter Iran without recourse to nuclear weapons. Discussion of this principle could constitute one part of this weekend's meetings between President Obama and King Abdullah. However the discussion unfolds, the Saudis will, at the very least, resist any commitment to not enrich uranium as part of a prospective deal to buy U.S. nuclear technology for its projected power program. In the past, Washington has insisted on a so-called 123 agreement, named after the section of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1954, banning enrichment as a condition for cooperation. Such a condition was part of a deal with the United Arab Emirates when Abu Dhabi announced plans to buy nuclear power plants. But if Iran is allowed to enrich uranium as the current diplomacy suggests, the kingdom would probably demand the same right.
King Abdullah has already made clear to his U.S. counterparts that if Iran gets a nuclear bomb, the kingdom will do so as well, whatever its NPT obligations. Defining such a status -- whether through an actual nuclear weapon or a more loosely defined military nuclear capability -- is one difference in the respective diplomatic approaches of Washington and Riyadh toward Iran's nuclear ambitions. Despite the IAEA's apparent equanimity regarding the kingdom's nuclear activities, the 1988 initial purchase of Chinese missiles, the 1999 Kahuta visit, and the 2007 upgrade of the Chinese missile fleet suggest a long-term and well-developed strategy. The United States is already aware of desert facilities claimed by the Saudis to be oil-related even though there are no nearby pipelines. Also, North Korean personnel have previously been spotted in the kingdom.
OPTIONS FOR ENRICHMENT
If Saudi Arabia decided to build its own uranium enrichment plant, citing the need to fuel its planned nuclear power reactors, it would have two options: either establish a joint venture with a current technology holder or develop its own technology. According to the latest IAEA Nuclear Technology Review, there will be excess worldwide uranium supply for enrichment over the next decade; only Pakistan, among the technology holders, would possibly be attracted to establishing an enrichment plant in the volatile Middle East. If the kingdom opted to develop its own enrichment technology, designing a centrifuge and building a commercial-scale operation would take a decade. And even then the Saudis would not have achieved energy independence, since the country's known uranium resources are scarce, and insufficient to support such a nuclear program.
Worryingly, even for a small research and development facility, the Saudis -- under their SQP obligations -- can build the installation in secret and must only tell the IAEA 180 days before introducing nuclear material. The R&D, mechanical testing of centrifuges, and testing with surrogate materials need not be revealed.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR U.S. POLICY
Experience suggests that military nuclear programs are best stopped at their earlier stages. Inaction, as the world has seen with Pakistan and North Korea and, more recently, Iran and Syria, leads to wicked problems. Saudi Arabia should thus be encouraged to sign the Additional Protocol to its NPT Safeguards Agreement and implement it provisionally until ratified. The Saudis should also be urged to rescind their SQP and conclude up-to-date subsidiary arrangements to the Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA. These gestures would oblige the kingdom to give the IAEA design information about nuclear installations as soon as the decision is made to build them. The IAEA would likewise have access to all nuclear-fuel-cycle-related installations, even if they did not use nuclear material. Such provisions should be included in any U.S.-Saudi 123 agreement and are initial steps toward a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East.
Olli Heinonen is a senior fellow with the Belfer Center at Harvard University and a former deputy director-general for safeguards at the IAEA. Simon Henderson is the Baker Fellow and director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute. Previously, they coauthored Nuclear Iran: A Glossary of Terms, a joint publication of The Washington Institute and the Belfer Center.
Nuclear Kingdom: Saudi Arabia's Atomic Ambitions - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Although Iran's nuclear potential will likely dominate talks between President Obama and King Abdullah on March 29, Riyadh's own nuclear plans should also be part of the discussion.
A major probable consequence of Iran achieving a nuclear weapons capability is that Saudi Arabia will seek to match it. With President Obama currently rating the chances of diplomatic success as 50-50 and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei giving a "zero" probability, this weekend's U.S.-Saudi summit will be an opportunity to check whether Saudi planning can help the diplomacy rather than hinder it.
RIYADH'S NUCLEAR BLUEPRINT
In 2009, a Saudi royal decree announced that "the development of atomic energy is essential to meet the kingdom's growing requirements for energy to generate electricity, produce desalinated water and reduce reliance on depleting hydrocarbon resources." In 2011, plans were announced for the construction of sixteen nuclear power reactors over the next twenty years at a cost of more than $80 billion. These would generate about 20 percent of Saudi Arabia's electricity, while other, smaller reactors were envisaged for desalination.
As such, Saudi Arabia's civil nuclear plans are similar in scope to Iran's admitted nuclear power program. Both countries can also claim the same economic rationale -- that providing electricity produced by nuclear power for the general population allows more oil and natural gas to be exported, contributing to export revenues and government income. But, unlike Iran, Saudi Arabia lacks any nuclear infrastructure. Its sole nuclear institution is the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, which this week represented the kingdom at the Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands -- also attended by President Obama.
Since at least 2003, Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained a veiled military nuclear strategy. Reports have suggested that the kingdom is considering either acquiring its own nuclear deterrent or forming an alliance with an existing nuclear power that could offer protection, or else reaching a regional agreement on establishing a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East. It is noteworthy that discussion of these options coincided with increasing apprehension of Iran's nuclear plans, as contrasted with the posture of Israel, which is reported to have developed nuclear weapons in the late 1960s.
THE PAKISTANI OPTION
The most publicly discussed strategy for the Saudis involves acquiring nuclear weapons from Pakistan, either purchased or under some arrangement of joint control with Pakistani forces. In 1999, then Saudi defense minister Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz visited Pakistan's unsafeguarded centrifuge enrichment site at Kahuta near Islamabad and also saw mock-ups of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. During the visit, Prince Sultan met the controversial Pakistani nuclear scientist A. Q. Khan, who was blamed for proliferating centrifuges to Iran, Libya, and North Korea, as well as then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was later exiled to Saudi Arabia after a military coup and is now once again Pakistan's prime minister. As well as transferring nuclear warheads to Saudi Arabia, Islamabad could provide missiles capable of hitting Iranian targets, though Saudi Arabia already has such missiles. Earlier this year, reports indicated that the kingdom had, in 2007, updated its previous arsenal of liquid-fueled Chinese CSS-2 missiles with more advanced, solid-fueled CSS-5 missiles. Both types are designed to carry nuclear warheads, but the newer missiles have been adapted, at reported U.S. insistence, so that they can carry only nonnuclear warheads.
EXAMINING THE KINGDOM'S TREATY OBLIGATIONS
The kingdom's current nonproliferation-related diplomatic undertakings allow it some flexibility in pursuing alternative strategies, particularly if Iran were to "break out" from its Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty obligations. Saudi Arabia ratified the NPT in 1988 but only concluded a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2009. In doing so, it agreed to an earlier version of the "Small Quantities Protocol (SQP)" and has yet to accept the modified SQP adopted by the IAEA Board of Governors in 2005. In addition, Saudi Arabia, like Iran, has not yet signed the Additional Protocol, which allows for stricter inspections. Nor has it signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, though it has consistently supported the establishment of a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East.
In its latest Safeguards Implementation Report, the IAEA secretariat listed Saudi Arabia among those countries where it could find no apparent diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful activities. This conclusion is based on analysis of open-source information given that Saudi Arabia does not have any declared facility and that, consequently, the IAEA has no inspections or visits to the country. According to the report, the IAEA reached this view after only limited efforts, spending just $12,000 on monitoring the kingdom. By comparison, the amount spent for IAEA activities in neighboring Jordan was $153,000.
Washington's past readiness to allow the export of advanced military aircraft and weapons systems to Saudi Arabia has been justified in part by an apparent understanding allowing the kingdom to defend itself and seek to deter Iran without recourse to nuclear weapons. Discussion of this principle could constitute one part of this weekend's meetings between President Obama and King Abdullah. However the discussion unfolds, the Saudis will, at the very least, resist any commitment to not enrich uranium as part of a prospective deal to buy U.S. nuclear technology for its projected power program. In the past, Washington has insisted on a so-called 123 agreement, named after the section of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1954, banning enrichment as a condition for cooperation. Such a condition was part of a deal with the United Arab Emirates when Abu Dhabi announced plans to buy nuclear power plants. But if Iran is allowed to enrich uranium as the current diplomacy suggests, the kingdom would probably demand the same right.
King Abdullah has already made clear to his U.S. counterparts that if Iran gets a nuclear bomb, the kingdom will do so as well, whatever its NPT obligations. Defining such a status -- whether through an actual nuclear weapon or a more loosely defined military nuclear capability -- is one difference in the respective diplomatic approaches of Washington and Riyadh toward Iran's nuclear ambitions. Despite the IAEA's apparent equanimity regarding the kingdom's nuclear activities, the 1988 initial purchase of Chinese missiles, the 1999 Kahuta visit, and the 2007 upgrade of the Chinese missile fleet suggest a long-term and well-developed strategy. The United States is already aware of desert facilities claimed by the Saudis to be oil-related even though there are no nearby pipelines. Also, North Korean personnel have previously been spotted in the kingdom.
OPTIONS FOR ENRICHMENT
If Saudi Arabia decided to build its own uranium enrichment plant, citing the need to fuel its planned nuclear power reactors, it would have two options: either establish a joint venture with a current technology holder or develop its own technology. According to the latest IAEA Nuclear Technology Review, there will be excess worldwide uranium supply for enrichment over the next decade; only Pakistan, among the technology holders, would possibly be attracted to establishing an enrichment plant in the volatile Middle East. If the kingdom opted to develop its own enrichment technology, designing a centrifuge and building a commercial-scale operation would take a decade. And even then the Saudis would not have achieved energy independence, since the country's known uranium resources are scarce, and insufficient to support such a nuclear program.
Worryingly, even for a small research and development facility, the Saudis -- under their SQP obligations -- can build the installation in secret and must only tell the IAEA 180 days before introducing nuclear material. The R&D, mechanical testing of centrifuges, and testing with surrogate materials need not be revealed.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR U.S. POLICY
Experience suggests that military nuclear programs are best stopped at their earlier stages. Inaction, as the world has seen with Pakistan and North Korea and, more recently, Iran and Syria, leads to wicked problems. Saudi Arabia should thus be encouraged to sign the Additional Protocol to its NPT Safeguards Agreement and implement it provisionally until ratified. The Saudis should also be urged to rescind their SQP and conclude up-to-date subsidiary arrangements to the Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA. These gestures would oblige the kingdom to give the IAEA design information about nuclear installations as soon as the decision is made to build them. The IAEA would likewise have access to all nuclear-fuel-cycle-related installations, even if they did not use nuclear material. Such provisions should be included in any U.S.-Saudi 123 agreement and are initial steps toward a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East.
Olli Heinonen is a senior fellow with the Belfer Center at Harvard University and a former deputy director-general for safeguards at the IAEA. Simon Henderson is the Baker Fellow and director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute. Previously, they coauthored Nuclear Iran: A Glossary of Terms, a joint publication of The Washington Institute and the Belfer Center.
Nuclear Kingdom: Saudi Arabia's Atomic Ambitions - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
BLACKEAGLE
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BLACKEAGLE
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Ceylal
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Toz!
Obama came to shake things up!..All the rest is a total BS!
After the forced destitution of the Qatari bullfrog, King Abdullah nominates his half brother to replace him before Obama's landing.. The remodeling of KSA has just began...
Full Moon
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It is not against Iran per say. It is against the Iranian intervention that crossed all red lines. Plus, Iran is also relying on the Russian military and political support in respect of Syria. Why don't they do it themselves? Haven't they already manufactured the mighty Qaher 313?
Falcon29
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@BLACKEAGLE
ي رجل من وقتيش أمريكية يعني صارت اخدم المسلمين بكفيك هبل هما دمرو العلام العربي الاسلامي و هما أعداء العرب رلمسلمينة
أمريكا بتكره دينك وعروبتك ي بغل اعملو حاجة ضد الهمجية الامريكية الصهيونية مرة في حياتكو.
Saudi Arabia can't protect Muslims all on its own, we all need to work together on this.
ي رجل من وقتيش أمريكية يعني صارت اخدم المسلمين بكفيك هبل هما دمرو العلام العربي الاسلامي و هما أعداء العرب رلمسلمينة
أمريكا بتكره دينك وعروبتك ي بغل اعملو حاجة ضد الهمجية الامريكية الصهيونية مرة في حياتكو.
Saudi Arabia can't protect Muslims all on its own, we all need to work together on this.
BLACKEAGLE
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اخرس
Hasbara Buster
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Partners in crime.
Falcon29
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اخرس انت و جسوس امريكا ضد الاسلام والمسلمين دمرو بلادنا وحقدين عا رسولنا ي حيوان أعداء الله هدول عملهم كنهن الخلافة الاسلامية لعنت الله عا أعداء الله ولجواسيس
انت متخلف، زي شعبك المفسد بتعرفوش الله ان شاء الله المجاهدين حا يهزمو الاردن و يحطوك تحت حكم الله بلكن نخلص منك ي حمار
Yzd Khalifa
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He met with the President of France, and the Emir of Kuwait earlier.
His health is good, the only issue he has is the Sciatica.
His health is good, the only issue he has is the Sciatica.
Obama meets with Saudi king, weighs new Syria aid
By Associated Press, Published: March 28
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The United States is considering allowing shipments of portable air defense systems to Syrian rebels, a U.S. official said Friday, as President Barack Obama sought to reassure Saudi Arabia’s king that the U.S. is not taking too soft a stance in Syria and other Mideast conflicts.
The president and King Abdullah met for more than two hours at the aging monarch’s desert oasis outside the capital city of Riyadh. Obama advisers said the two leaders spoke frankly about their differences on key issues, with the president assuring the king that he remains committed to the Gulf region’s security.
Saudi officials have grown particularly concerned about what they see as Obama’s tepid response to the Syrian civil war and have pressed the U.S. to allow them to play a direct role in sending the rebels the air defense systems commonly known as manpads. While administration officials have previously ruled out that option, a senior official said it was being considered, in part because the U.S. has been able to develop deeper relationships with the Syrian opposition over the past year.
The official said no final decision had been made and the president might ultimately decide against the proposal. One of Obama’s top concerns continues to be whether the weaponry would fall into the wrong hands, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss internal deliberations by name and commented only on condition of anonymity. The official cast the approach as less of a sudden change in position and more an indication of how the U.S. has viewed the issue for some time.
A second senior official said there had been no change in the U.S. position on manpads, but did not specifically rule out the notion that the option was under consideration.
Manpads are compact missile launchers with the range and explosive power to attack low-flying planes and helicopters. U.S. officials have estimated the Syrian government has thousands.
The decades-long alliance between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia has been a pillar of security arrangements in the Middle East. But as U.S. troops have pulled out of Iraq and Afghanistan, the kingdom’s royal family has become increasingly anxious about Obama’s positioning in the region.
Tensions reached a high point last fall after Obama decided against launching a military strike on Syria, choosing instead to back a plan to strip Syrian President Bashar Assad of his chemical weapon stockpiles. U.S. officials say the relationship has improved since then, with both sides making an effort to more closely coordinate their efforts to halt the Syrian conflict.
“We are in a better place today than we were seven months ago,” said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser.
Beyond Syria, one of the king’s biggest concerns has been the U.S.-led nuclear negotiations with Iran. The Saudis fear Iran’s nuclear program, object to Iran’s backing of the Assad government and see Tehran as having designs on oil fields in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Officials said the nuclear negotiations were a primary topic of Friday’s meeting, with Obama assuring the king that the U.S. was not glossing over Tehran’s other provocations in order to get a final deal.
The president arrived in Riyadh Friday evening, then quickly boarded the presidential helicopter for a 30-minute flight to the king’s desert camp. Obama walked through a row of military guards to an ornate room featuring a massive crystal chandelier and took a seat next to the king, who appeared to be breathing with the assistance of an oxygen tank.
Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Adviser Susan Rice joined Obama in the meeting, his third official visit with the king in six years. While Obama and the king were originally expected to hold a dinner following their meeting, officials said those plans had changed.
The Obama administration’s openness to considering supplying manpads to the Syrian rebels did not appear to be directly connected to Friday’s meetings. Officials said specific types of assistance were not discussed with the king. However, the possibility of supplying manpads has been discussed in previous meetings between U.S. and Saudi officials, including talks in Washington earlier this year.
Allowing manpads to be delivered to Syrian rebels would mark a shift in strategy for the U.S., which until this point has limited its lethal assistance to small weapons and ammunition, along with its humanitarian aid. The U.S. has been looking for ways to boost the rebels, who have lost ground in recent months, allowing Assad to regain a tighter grip on the war-weary nation.
As recently as February, the administration insisted Obama remained opposed to any shipments of manpads to the Syrian opposition.
On another topic, despite the close security ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, American officials have raised concerns about the human rights situation in the kingdom, including the treatment of women. However, a senior administration official said human rights did not come up during Friday’s meetings, citing a lack of time and a busy agenda.
Before departing for Washington on Saturday, Obama planned to meet with the Saudi winner of a State Department Women of Courage award, presented for her role in combating domestic violence and winning landmark legislation on protecting women. The winner is Maha Al Muneef, the executive director of the National Family Safety Program, which she founded in 2005 to combat domestic violence and child abuse in Saudi Arabia.
On still another subject, Friday’s talks came after Saudi Arabia’s refusal to grant a visa to the Washington bureau chief of The Jerusalem Post who had sought to cover Obama’s trip. The U.S. government had reached out to Riyadh to intervene but to no avail.
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Associated Press writers Jim Kuhnhenn in Saudi Arabia and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.
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Follow Julie Pace at Julie Pace (jpaceDC) on Twitter
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Obama meets with Saudi king, weighs new Syria aid - The Washington Post
@Yzd Khalifa
Don't you think that king Abdullah is too old and ill to hold such an important meeting with Obama?
Falcon29
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I want to know what crazy drugs have caused a chemical balance in your brain to make you believe Saudi Arabia can influence the US which is partly responsible for the mess in our region to this day.
BLACKEAGLE
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Saudi Arabia is not your terror enclave called Gaza which everybody spanks left and right.
Yzd Khalifa
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In the 1980s, We slaughtered 400 Iranian terrorists on our own. Yet Iran never managed to put a toe out of line with us. Not to mention taken your aircrafts down.
Even recently history had shown that Iranians talk big, do nothing:
Iran and Saudi Arabia tensions threaten to erupt after Saudi authorities execute four Iranians for drug trafficking - Middle East - World - The Independent
18 Iranians are been beheaded by the Saudi Arabian Government | Iranian.com
Let's see if Iran can get out of the Russian cloak. Iran can never stop begging the West for a few spare of money
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