Chilling news from Riyadh
One thing leads to another, as is being proven in a most unpleasant and frightening manner in Asia today. In East Asia, the development of nuclear weapons by North Korea is creating much concern. If efforts fail to convince Pyongyang to take steps back, Japan and other nations are already considering their options. In the Middle East, things are even more tense. The new man in charge in Saudi Arabia promised last week that if Iran develops nuclear weapons, Riyadh will follow “as soon as possible”.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was promoted last year, has earned a well-deserved reputation as a reformer. His changes to the kingdom have been as rapid as they are positive. Arguably the best part is that reform has been popular and aroused no religious opposition. Women are driving, and working in offices and labs with men. Saudi Arabia is getting cinemas. And in the theatre, women are now allowed to be actors.
Watching Saudi Arabia begin its necessary process of catching up in terms of gender equality is positive. A massive crackdown on corruption last year started at the very top. Prince Mohammed detained dozens of unusually rich men. It was a luxurious jail but there was only one way out — a pledge to stop graft, and turn over illicit profits to the state. All the detainees are out, but possibly wiser and more respectful of corruption laws.
The Middle East is still a rather unhappy region, however. First and foremost is Saudi Arabia’s extremely cruel and bloody war in Yemen. That country has almost ceased to exist. While Saudi Arabia is not the only participant in the thoroughly nasty proxy war, it is by far the most catalytic. Word last week indicated that Riyadh has opened secret peace talks with the main opponent, Iran-backed Houthi. Peace is badly needed.
But it was the crown prince’s words last week that roused interest and fears. Prince Mohammed has embarked on something of a world tour, and he is to arrive in Washington this week. He will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House tomorrow. In preparation, he granted an interview last week with a US TV network, where he discussed peaceful and non-peaceful nuclear developments.
Saudi Arabia plans to build two nuclear stations now, in a programme that will see 16 electricity-generating reactors over 20 to 25 years. While in Washington he’s shopping for reactors. He wants the kind that will enrich uranium. This is what the experts call a “dual use” technology. That means that enriched uranium from a nuclear power plant can be used as fuel for such plants, or to build nuclear weapons.
Prince Mohammed has made no effort to mitigate the kingdom’s hostility to Iran. Last November, he raised eyebrows by calling Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “the new Hitler of the Middle East”. He said the Iranian leader, “very much like Hitler” wants to expand Iran’s territory and influence. That led to a vow to build nuclear weapons, making it known for certain that Iran is developing nuclear bombs.
The “Iran deal” brokered by ex-president Barack Obama and European leaders gave up a lot to Tehran. But in return, they got promises from Iran to permanently refrain from weapons development. It’s a tricky deal, because Iran is openly developing nuclear technology, albeit officially for peaceful purposes.
Prince Mohammed’s bleak threat of a Middle East nuclear arms race is chilling. Given their animosity, it is not a confrontation the two nations will solve by themselves. Cooler heads must ensure that Iran keeps its promise, even if that requires more inspections of Tehran’s nuclear programmes.
Prince Mohammed has made no effort to mitigate the kingdom’s hostility to Iran...[calling] the Iranian leader ‘very much like Hitler’.