EGYPT TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

Al Jazeera.com reports that Egypt under Hosni Mubarak is engaging in building several nuclear power plants.

Writes Al Jazeera:

"Egypt is to build several civilian nuclear power stations around the country. Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, said on Monday that a decree to establish a higher council for the peaceful use of nuclear energy will be issued in the next few days.

""I declare before you the decision to start a programme to build a number of nuclear power stations to generate electricity," Mubarak said."

Egypt once before initiated plans for nuclear technology development but put it aside after the nuclear disaster at Chenobyl.

"The announcement relaunches a nuclear programme that was halted more than 20 years ago.A nuclear energy programme started by Egypt in the 1970s was abandoned in 1986 after the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe.

"Mubarak said the programme will take place "within a framework of transparency and respect of commitments to the nuclear non-proliferation system".

And it appears that George Bush and the United States are putting up no objections to Mubarak's nuclear plans. Consider the difference in U.S. policy towards Iran. Egypt is a moslem nation, mostly Sunni. Iran is a moslem nation, mostly Shia. Both Egypt and Iran have unenlightened attitudes to freedom of the press and individual rights. However, Egypt is much more draconian in its penal and police systems. The U.S. has sent suspected terrorists to Egypt to be interrogated, meaning through methods of torture. Yet the U.S. has no objections to nuclear power developed by Egypt while it threatens to start a world war to keep nuclear power away from Iran.

Writes Al Jazeera:

"Amr el-Kahky, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Cairo, said while the announcement was not wholly unexpected it did come as something of a surprise after 12 months of silence on the nuclear issue.

""Egypt has spoken to the United States about it, and talked to the regional powers here, explaining exactly what they need," he said.

""They need nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes, for energy generation, especially with Egypt's energy needs growing year after year with the ever-growing population".

El-Kahky said that Egypt's population of 76-77 million needs at least 10 per cent increases in power annually.

""This is very demanding and Egypt has to live up to the challenge. The United States has never said no to that, so long as it is peaceful", el-Kahky said."