Jordan's king says he seeks 'peaceful' nuclear program

Now What, India has it, Pakistan has it, Jordan wants it, and their going to tell Iran that they cannot have it. The Hypocracy is ludicrous

JERUSALEM— Jordan's King Abdullah II told an Israeli newspaper his country wants its own atomic program, a development he said came in response to desires expressed by other countries in the region to become nuclear powers.

In an interview with the daily Haaretz published Friday, Abdullah said his desert kingdom, which borders Israel and has a peace agreement with it, wanted nuclear power "for peaceful purposes'' and was already discussing its plans with Western countries.

"The rules governing the nuclear issue have changed in the entire region,'' the Jordanian leader told Haaretz, noting that Egypt and several Gulf states have declared their desires for nuclear programs for peaceful purposes. Though Jordan would prefer for the Middle East to remain nuclear-free, he said "every desire we had on this issue has changed.''

The king's remarks came as Iran is moving ahead with its nuclear program despite international protests and U.N.-imposed sanctions. The region's Arab nations have expressed concern over the disputed nuclear program, which Iran insists is for peaceful purposes.

Shlomo Brom, a researcher at the Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Strategic Studies, said the Jordanian king was probably trying to make the point that if Iran is allowed to become a nuclear power, a regional nuclear race will be unavoidable.

"Abdullah might be saying that if the Iranians aren't prevented from getting a nuclear program, Jordan and everyone else will want one of their own,'' said Brom, who is also the former head of strategic planning for the Israeli military.

LinkHere