Word on the streets is that King Geordi La Forge – or err uh Abdullah – recently told an Israeli newspaper (Ha’aretz) that Jordan is seeking to develop a national nuclear program – for peaceful purposes of course.
But, the rules have changed on the nuclear subject throughout the whole region. Where I think Jordan was saying, 'we'd like to have a nuclear-free zone in the area,' after this summer, everybody's going for nuclear programs.
The Egyptians are looking for a nuclear program. The GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] are looking at one, and we are actually looking at nuclear power for peaceful and energy purposes.
I wonder how this is gonna sit with American and Israeli officials who have been so desperately trying (and failing) to coax Iran into abandoning its uranium enrichment / Holocaust denial program. Actually wait, no – I take that back. What I meant to say is, I wonder how this is gonna sit with those ridiculously whiney Israeli hawks and lobbyists in DC that everyone knows – but are just too afraid to admit – indirectly set the agenda for US foreign policy in the Middle East.
In Jordan’s defense (and I use that term loosely), it – along with Egypt – has enjoyed a peaceful and cooperative relationship with Israel for a significant number of years. In fact, using nuclear power to intimidate Israel couldn't be any further from King Abdullah’s mind (and ginormous head).
I personally believe that any country that has a nuclear program should conform to international regulations and should have international regulatory bodies that check to make sure that any nuclear program moves in the right direction.
Ooh, great opportunity to badmouth the ethno-exclusive apartheid state: Israel doesn’t "conform" to any such "international regulations" on nuclear energy!But still – will the West play ball? Does it really have a choice? Will King Abdullah make another
cameo appearance on
Star Trek: Voyager? These are the types of burning questions that keep me up at night!
Personally – I think that Jordan has been kissing American and Israeli ass for far too long to be denied the opportunity to develop (or be punished for creating) a national nuclear energy program. Seriously, how would it look to the Arab masses if even Jordan and Egypt’s sell-out governments are treated like Iran when it comes to such matters? Doing so would only create (or help solidify) the impression that whether Arab states cooperate with Zio-American imperialism or not, they'll still always be side-swiped by American-Israeli relations.
But in a region where contempt for unjust American and Israeli policies runs rampant among a very young populace that is becoming increasingly frustrated with its corrupt leadership… can the West really afford to give its blessing for such a project – or at the very least – turn a blind eye?
It appears that what Iran has done is help spark the beginning of a Mid-East arms race. Politically speaking, this may or may not prove to be a bad thing - as
mutually assured destruction can once again even out the playing field for regional contenders (not that there are many).
But what about Israel? Here's one possible scenario: King Abdullah's hot Palestinian wife,
Queen Rania, withholds access to her royal hiney-ness until her husband promises to use his new found nuclear power to intimidate Israel into ending its repression of Palestinian human rights.
Hmmm, but that's not very likely because everyone knows that nuclear-ly wiping Israel off the face of the planet would pretty much obliterate Jordan (and Palestine, and Lebanon, and Syria) too. Damn. Maybe all King Abdullah really does want is better electricity... to power his very own custom built high-performance
Starship Enterprise!!!
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While Al-Jazeera English fights for its right to remain on Vermont as Will and Hanaan highlight, and fend off spear attacks by neocons and zionuts, it fights another battle to protect its rights and staff in Morocco.
