Islamists support Jordan's possession of nuclear technology

Jan 20, 2007, 17:50 GMT

Amman - Jordan's largest political party, the Islamic Action Front, on Saturday backed King Abdullah's vision for Jordan's possession of a nuclear programme for peaceful purposes, according to an IAF official.

'The IAF highly appreciates King Abdullah's call for having a nuclear programme because this issue is a question of national consensus,' IAF official spokesman Rahil Gharaibeh said in a statement.

'All Arab countries should be interested in the possession of this technology because the foe number one of the Arab and Islamic world already owns this technology, including its military branch which it uses to threaten our security and stability,' he added.

Gharaibeh was alluding to Israel, which is widely believed in and outside the Arab world to have developed nuclear arms over the past few decades.

The idea of Jordan's possession of a nuclear programme for peaceful ends came to the limelight for the first time on Friday in an interview King Abdullah granted to Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper.

'The rules of the game have changed on the nuclear subject throughout the whole region. Where I think Jordan was saying, 'We'd like to have a nuclear-free zone in the area,' after this summer, everybody is going for nuclear programmes,' the monarch said.

'The Egyptians are looking for a nuclear programme. The Gulf Cooperation Council (countries) are looking at one and we are actually looking at nuclear power for peaceful and energy purposes,' he added.

The IAF spokesman said, 'We encourage all Arab countries, individually or collectively, to get nuclear technology, because it will be the reliable source of energy in future in the light of the foreseeable depletion of hydrocarbon resources and the soaring crude prices.'