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Afghanistan/South Asia | |
Saudi money combines with Pakistani nukes | |
2004-08-06 | |
Saudi financial support has fuelled suspicions of nuclear co-operation between the two countries. A senior US official says Saudi finance helped fund Pakistan's nuclear programme, allowing it among other things to buy nuclear technology from China. Officials discount the possibility of Pakistani help to build an indigenous Saudi nuclear weapon. But they say there could be a sort of "lend-lease arrangement" that would allow weapons from Pakistan to be made available to Saudi Arabia. "The argument that they have options on Pakistan's arsenal is more likely," the US official says. Both Saudi and Pakistani officials vehemently deny the existence of any such deal. "We've never given money aimed at nuclear research and development and so we never asked or received privileges to nuclear weapons programmes," insists Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former Saudi intelligence chief. Nawaf Obeid, a Saudi security consultant close to the government, however, suggests the kingdom enjoys Pakistan's security umbrella without any formal agreement. "We gave money and they dealt with it as they saw fit," he says of the Pakistanis. "There's no documentation but there is an implicit understanding that on everything, in particular on security and military issues, Pakistan would be there for Saudi Arabia." | |
Posted by:Dan Darling |
#2 "The argument that they have options on Pakistan’s arsenal is more likely," the US official says. Both Saudi and Pakistani officials vehemently deny the existence of any such deal. "We’ve never given money aimed at nuclear research and development and so we never asked or received privileges to nuclear weapons programmes," insists Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former Saudi intelligence chief. How is it that whenever there is a really gruesome turn of events, Prince Turki al-Faisal turns up like a bad Dinar? Whether it's hob-nobbing with bin Laden or mullah Omar, possibly providing blank passports to terrorists or sending materiel to the Taleban, this putrid @sshole always floats to the surface. Whatever story Prince Turki al-Faisal denies is probably true. The House of Saud has outlived its own usefulness. They serve no further purpose in this world save to ensure their own continued farting through silk. |
Posted by: Zenster 2004-08-06 3:48:36 PM |
#1 ...Everybody here does know those wacky Al-Sauds have IRBMs... http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/theater/df-3a.htm Mike |
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-08-06 2:44:04 PM |