Jordan's king says he seeks ‘peaceful' nuclear program - by MATTI FRIEDMAN at AP

[applegrove]

Jordan's king says he seeks ‘peaceful' nuclear program
MATTI FRIEDMAN

Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Jordan's King Abdullah II told an Israeli newspaper Friday that his country wants its own nuclear program.

In an interview with the daily Haaretz, King 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 desire for a nuclear program. Though Jordan would rather see a Middle East free of nuclear weapons, he said, “every desire we had on this issue has changed.”

Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, would not comment.

.............SNIP"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070119.wjordan0119/BNStory/International/?cid=al_gam_nletter_newsUp

[BayCityProgressive]

1. well

I guess we can expect Jordan being wiped off the map then..

[applegrove]

2. I think it is a veiled threat to get the Palestinian Peace Process going again.

Seems many nations in the Middle East have watched Bush mind games and are starting to play a few of their own.

[damntexdem]

3. Will that be like the U.S.'s peaceful nuclear program:

all of those peaceful thermonuclear weapons -- and an expensive, dangerous nuclear-power industry formed in order to justify the production of the weapons?