I don't claim any in-depth knowledge of the UAE. I have never been there. But I am deeply disturbed by what is happening in the region. This is not an isolated case. Over the past three years, a dozen Middle East countries have declared their intent to pursue civilian nuclear programs, including Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey. Sixty years after the nuclear age began, these states have suddenly become interested in nuclear power. I have a hard time believing that Middle East leaders got together to watch Al Gore's movie and decided to reduce their carbon footprint. This is not about energy. It is about Iran.
Well there you go, Joe. It is about Iran. Fear of Iran. Not fear that Iran will have cheap and clean nuclear energy, but fear that Iran will have nuclear weapons.
When all those people go on about how we can live with and deter a nuclear Iran, ponder a future with a nuclear-armed Middle East. Perhaps you can organize the facts to blame America, as Mr. Cirincione has, but the cause is a nuclear-armed nutball regime in Tehran.
The solution isn't to abandon the nuclear deal with the UAE, but to destroy the Iranian mullah regime. I bet the UAE loses its enthusiasm for nuclear energy real fast, if the mullahs are overthrown.
