via Korea Herald
RIYADH ― Leaders of South Korea and Saudi Arabia agreed on Tuesday to seek opportunities to build more than two small- and medium-sized nuclear reactors in the Gulf nation to forge bilateral cooperation in atomic energy ― projects that may be worth as much as $2 billion.This is the first step in Saudi Arabia developing a counter to what they believe is an Iranian nuke.
During the summit talks, President Park Geun-hye and the newly crowned King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud discussed ways to upgrade bilateral relations by strengthening cooperation in energy, creative economy, investment, medical services and information technology. Park arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, after wrapping up a three-day visit to Kuwait. Saudi Arabia is second destination of her four-nation Middle East trip, which will also include UAE and Qatar.
Israel is a sideshow for the moment.
The real fight is between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The seeds are being sown for a major regional war in the Middle East...a war with nuclear equipped nations and ineffective conventional forces.
This is going to be world changing people....and the idiots in Washington can't even see it happening right before their eyes.
Some backgrounder on SMART reactor program
ReplyDeletehttp://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/kss-n.htm
http://cns.miis.edu/other/wmdi060504c.htm
SMART is a military reactor, so it is not particularly economical. But it is capable of burning 5~90% enriched uranium, but will have to settle for 20% enriched uranium fuel under the current NPT regime. By buying SMART, Saudi Arabia gains a ready-made knowledge in handling and fueling of 20% enriched uranium fuel, and could legally stockpile 20% enriched uranium under the excuse of powering SMART reactor. Currently only one other country is able to sell this kind of reactor, France, and this maybe the reason why Saudi Arabia decided to go with SMART without a competitive bidding, so that they could reach a nuclear technology parity with Iran at 20% under the cover of a peaceful civilian power generation/desalination program fast.
Here we go.
ReplyDeleteWell they had missiles that could hit Israel ( or any other regional capital) long time ago :
ReplyDeletehttp://www.janes.com/article/37219/update-saudi-arabia-displays-ballistic-missiles-for-the-first-time
But they keep'em as a deterrent most probably. Second strike ?
North Korean foreign minister is talking about that sub-launched nuclear ballistic missile that North Korea successfully tested launching underwater some time ago.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/03/us-korea-north-ri-idUSKBN0LZ0TD20150303
North Korea warns U.S. about pre-emptive strike 'if necessary'
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong said on Tuesday that his country had the power to deter an "ever-increasing nuclear threat" by the United States with a pre-emptive strike if necessary.
"The DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) cannot but bolster its nuclear deterrent capability to cope with the ever-increasing nuclear threat of the U.S.," he told the Geneva forum. "Now the DPRK has the power of deterring the U.S. and conducting a pre-emptive strike as well, if necessary."
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/yonhap-news-agency/150220/n-korea-conducts-submarine-missile-ejection-test-sources
N. Korea conducts submarine missile ejection test: sources
SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have conducted a test of a missile ejection launcher that helps fire missiles from submarines, South Korean military sources said Friday.
The communist North "tested the ejection launcher from the seashore near the Sinpo South Shipyard on Jan. 23 for missiles that can be fired from submarines," one military source here said, requesting anonymity.
The ejection test last month from the North's northeast coast simulated the initial stage of boosting a missile out of a submarine launch tube, the source said.
Just remember that North Korea shares(sells) its nuclear technology to Iran and Syria.
ReplyDeleteOut of the Internet 4 days, came back to this and a bunch of other bad news...
ReplyDeleteReally and why does Iran need a sub that can launches ballistic missiles ?
ReplyDeleteQuote : "North Korean foreign minister is talking about that sub-launched nuclear ballistic missile that North Korea successfully tested launching underwater some time ago."
ReplyDeleteYes, technically it is possible that finally they manged to manufacture some old early 60ties commie tech like the Hotel class.
P.S. I mean they can have a conventional powered submarine with missile capability like the Hotel.
ReplyDeleteRemember that post from war is boring? Well...
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/WRWKjXXstjI
This not new. Saudi Arabia has long planned to construct 16 nuclear power reactors over the next 20 years at a cost of more than $80 billion, with the first reactor on line in 2022 as described here. Unlike Iran, which has been enriching uranium for years, SA has no current uranium enrichment plans.
ReplyDeleteDon Bacon
ReplyDeleteIf Saudi Arabia was going strictly for power generation, they would have gone for Korean commercial nuclear power plants like its neighbor UAE, which is building four and is expected to sign four more.
But the fact that Saudi Arabia opted to buy the SMART reactor, which can burn 90% enriched uranium fuel and cost twice as much per kw as dedicated commercial nuclear reactors, would suggest Saudi Arabia has other ideas. The SMART reactor was totally unexpected.
A ballistic missile launch platform from the Red Sea.
ReplyDeleteSaudi Arabia signed the NPT in 1988. Facilities at the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy will be under IAEA surveillance. Saudi Arabia has been a member of IAEA since 1962 and has had a safeguards agreement in force with the IAEA since 2005.
ReplyDeleteDon Bacon
ReplyDeleteWith the SMART reactors, Saudi Arabia now has an excuse to stockpile 20% enriched uranium fuel, same as what Iran has right now. Trade of 20% enriched uranium is permitted.
Oh, and last thing.
ReplyDeleteYou said that Gaddafi was a dictator and you defeated him - what happened to Libya?
You said Asad is a dictator - and IS is born, country in permanent civil war.
You said Mubarak is a dictator - than a democrat Mursi came out, he-he.
Now you tell Russians that their president is a dictator. Do you tnink they didnt know, what will happen next? Yes, they know - our TV likes to show Syria, Libya, Iraq and IS. So people know well, what does "democratizaions" means. And no, thank you, we are just fine with our weak and soft "dictator". We got a bunch of Islamist in Caucasus and in Asia(near Asfganistan) so no, we dont wont then to be set free, he-he.
So there is no need in propaganda. Facts about modern Libya, Iraq, Syria and IS will be just fine for Russians to understand, what does western Democraty means. he-he
We were all expecting Saudi Arabia to get "Nuclear" from a while back. But it was always a Will they? Wont They? type discussion. With this news....that question has been answered for good. The silver lining here is that now we know exactly what will happen next and can plan ahead. The earlier ambiguity is now gone. Also gone now is the ambiguity of what Iranian Intentions are with their Nuke Program.
ReplyDeleteAnd now for what is not being discussed but what will happen 100% due to the "nuclearization" of the gulf. Expect the Iranians to harden and reinforce their "proxies" in the region but with more emphasis on the "Sunni Evil" rather than the Israeli front. The Iranians know for a fact that they will not win a Bidding War with the Saudi's. They cannot match US supported Saudi in conventional arms terms as well as the now emerging nuclear terms. Nor can they compete with the Saudi influenced GCC. They are going to re-double their efforts on their Proxy way of fighting. Expect the "Pakistani Doctrine" to be copy pasted here.
The Chinese have a double edged saying "May you live in Interesting times". Then you see the US strategic position in the gulf and damn that line rings very very true for the US.
Iran signed it too...
ReplyDeleteWhere did I say all that?
ReplyDeleteNot that I had actually said it before, but In essence Putin is a dictator, he is a semi-democratically chosen one, but by his actions still qualifies.
Nowhere did I talk about Libia or Assad.. I actually know reality is not this easy. Getting rid of dictators inherently is a good thing, but can be disastrous in reality, the same thing goes for Russia, if you, the Russian people ever decide to get rid of him it might very well plunge you in to an even more disastrous situation. If that happens the Russians should hope for a viable politician/ group to replace him and run the nation.
Lets also be real.. no nation on the planet will come and forcibly remove Putin.. that is a ridiculous notion. The only way he goes away is if he either dies or gets overthrown by RUSSIANS.
Which gets me to why I think he actually does these reckless things like invading Ukraine and creating artificial enemies out of former allies: Putin is scared of his own population and needs to brain wash them , so he stays in power.
Isn't it funny how you were the first to call Putin a dictator in this discussion btw? Be careful your managers in your St Petersburg cubicle don't see it..
"The real fight is between Saudi Arabia and Iran."
ReplyDeleteBINGO!!