Posted by
Cary Wesberry on Friday, July 11, 2008 8:41:49 PM
[Amman] – In stark contrast to regional player Iran, there was no international outcry when Jordan announced, then started the first stage of its nuclear plans.
Any problems that might arise will be purely internal and have to do with the Jordanian official apparatus' perceived inefficiency. Some say that the agencies in charge of implementation might render the peaceful nuclear program – which is supposed to be the answer to the kingdom's most serious problem – just another initiative that fades away before it bears any fruit.
According to Yassar Qatarneh, director of the Amman-based Regional Center on Conflict Prevention (RCCP), Jordan picked the right time to ride two waves: the hubbub caused by Iran's suspected nuclear program and the soaring prices of energy.
Qatarneh says those world powers that shoulder the burden of standing up to Tehran's nuclear ambitions need to prove to the rest of the world that they have no problem extending a helping hand to "benign" countries in the region such as Jordan, the Gulf states, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, and others that have declared plans to build their own reactors.
"The other factor is the rising oil prices. Jordan has no choice but to tap into its potential and no one can blame such a resource-strapped country for looking for alternatives to conventional fuel," he adds.
Under the national energy strategy, Jordan plans to have its first nuclear reactor up and running by 2015, with more plants to follow in the years leading up to 2030. The kingdom hopes that by that time, 30 percent of its electricity needs will be met by nuclear power stations, with prospects of exporting the vital commodity.
The program, according to MP Atef Tarawneh, who heads the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in Jordan’s lower house, is two-fold: the nuclear reactor planned to be installed in Aqaba, 360 km from the capital Amman on the Red Sea, and the utilization of the vast uranium deposits, standing at 80,000 tons of proven reserves, in addition to 100,000 tons contained in phosphate deposits, according to an official estimate.
Asked why, unlike with Iran, no fuss has been made about Jordan's nuclear ambitions, MP Tarawneh said Jordan had, from the very beginning, made it clear it sought a peaceful program and embarked immediately on contacts with international players, particularly the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
During an April 2007 visit to Amman to listen to Jordanian officials about the plan, IAEA director-general Muhammad Al-Barade'i gave his blessings to Jordan's nuclear aspirations.
"Jordan, which adopts a moderate policy, will provide an example in the region for the exploitation of nuclear know-how for peaceful uses," Tarawneh says.
Apparently, says Qatarneh from the RCCP, these early disclosures and the transparency Amman showed satisfied its former foe and suspicious neighbor, Israel.
"The conventional wisdom in the West is that nuclear energy is only risky when in the hands of rogue countries such as Iran and Syria. They understand that for Jordan it is merely a matter of business. Besides, the many partners that will be helping Jordan implement the program will ensure the scheme is under tight control. There is no risk whatsoever that it would ever be developed into a weapons-building program," he says.
Jordan has already signed memoranda of understanding with the U.S., Canada, France and the UK. Officials say contacts are underway with other countries to carry out the two-track strategy.
"We are currently talking with the big five nuclear countries, and keeping all our options open to get the best technical, economic, safe, secure, sustainable reactor deal," says Ned Xoubi, Nuclear Fuel Cycle commissioner at the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), the agency set up last year to handle the nuclear program.
Hopefully this nuclear program will indeed be peaceful and used for energy purposes. On the other hand, Jordan is the country who just charged Geert Wilders and Dutch cartoonists with "blasphemy" and "hate crimes". There is a distinct possibility nuclear weapons in the hands of a government so obviously mentally unstable could become troublesome in time. While Jordan using nuclear energy doesn't necessarily set-off alarm bells, it would be appropriate to keep a close eye on developments such as these throughout the Middle-East. A few people in the streets screaming for the Fitna creator's head on a chopping-block is one thing, the country's government joining-in is another matter. A government like that with nuclear weapons is a bit disturbing when you give it some thought.