- 10 June 2008
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- 2 Comments
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- Legislative Agenda
Congressman Ed Markey on the US double standard
10 June 2008 Posted By Emily Blout
In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today, Massachusetts Representative Edward Markey makes an important point: the US has no business championing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy program in light of the country’s vast oil wealth. But he also overlooks an equally important one: in working with Saudi Arabia and signing nuclear agreements with the Arab states and Israel, the US is helping create the very nuclearized Middle East that experts warned would come as a RESULT of a nuclear Iran. Preemption anyone?
2 Responses to “Congressman Ed Markey on the US double standard”
The double standards of US policy have sadly always existed. What is even more sad is that the majority of America, including those working in policy, are rarely aware of these double standards.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing yesterday in which Congressman Markey testified against a civilian nuclear deal with Russia on the grounds that the US should not reward Russia’s intransigence in dealing with Iran (see Farid’s article at NIAC’s website: http://www.niacouncil.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1143&Itemid=59)
An interesting point arose during the hearing. Undersecretary of State John Rood, representing the Bush administration, highlighted the nuance of the current US position on Russia’s nuclear cooperation with Iran.
Currently, Russia provides nuclear fuel to Iran’s power plant at Bushehr, but as part of that cooperation, Russia only sends low-enriched uranium to Iran, which may not be used in a nuclear weapon. Additionally, after the fuel is used in the reactor, Iran returns the spent fuel rods to Russia, thereby guaranteeing it isn’t diverted to a covert weapons program.
It should be noted the Bush administration supports this cooperation between Russia and Iran because it removes Iran’s claims to need its own uranium enrichment program.