Saudis in market to buy nuclear power plants....and make nuclear weapons?

Caroline Lucas, Britain’s only Green Party member of parliament, decried this weekend’s meeting with Saudia Arabia in London. “Today the British Government is rolling out the red carpet to a leader of a murderous regime, accused of committing war crimes. No doubt we'll be trying to flog them weapons while they're here. Our cosy relationship with Saudi Arabia is a complete disgrace,” she tweeted. 

The Saudi shopping spree includes talks with U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who is in London hoping to sell the Saudis AP1000 commercial nuclear reactors made by the bankrupt US company Westinghouse. Perry will meet with Minister of Energy and Industry Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih (pictured at an earlier encounter.)

 As Energy Voice reported, “With domestic demand for new nuclear technology in the doldrums, U.S. nuclear companies like the bankrupt Westinghouse Electric Co. have been seeking new markets abroad for their nuclear technology.” The Saudis have vast nuclear ambitions — -- 17,600 megawattws from 16 reactors and with $80 billion to spend.  

The Kingdom is after a deal tantamount to that afforded their enemy, Iran, and expect to enrich their own uranium. But unlike Iran, Saudia Arabia refuses to guarantee they will not progress to enriching uranium to weapons-grade. Since Saudi Arabia is generously endowed with ample sun and wind, it is turning to nuclear to replace its oil use (which it can export instead at vast profit) for reasons clearly connected to nuclear weapons development and not electricity need. More