Iraq and Libya were a few years away from becoming nuclear powers. We (as in Arabs) could have developed nuclear weapons just right Pakistan or at the same time if not for our geographic location (close to Europe), outside meddling and wrong actions (in this regard) of past leaders.
Of course Israel (USrael) would have done everything in their power to prevent such a thing (as they did jointly with the US).
If there was a real push for such a project among Arab leaders it could be accomplished jointly.
There is already a push for civilian nuclear power in most major Arab countries.
Can I ask what the
Arab Atomic Energy Agency is doing exactly of late?
http://www.aaea.org.tn
Should they not be at the forefront of such a project?
Money is not lacking, resources (uranium) neither nor talent.
FFS, North Korea of all countries has achieved it and nobody is going to tell me that they are somehow lightyears ahead technologically. What is lacking here is political will and nothing more. The rest could be accomplished with hard work. Nuclear engineers are present in many Arab countries, KSA included. Many more will arrive due to the promising nuclear energy (civilian) projects that countries such as KSA, Iraq, Egypt, UAE and others are working on while we speak or will work on.
Israel should not be allowed to be the sole nuclear state in the region. A nuclear armed Middle East might actually become safer and prevent major wars from erupting.
This disparity won't go on forever as it is contrary to the ground realities (geographic size, population size, economic size, military power, history etc.). Nuclear technology is old technology anyway.
Think about it, should the Arab League jointly agree (all member states) to pursue nuclear weapons as a consequence of Israel's nuclear weapons, outside invasions/interference (Iraq and Libya) and as a defense mechanism, what would USrael and the West (US) really do? Would they go to war against the entire Arab world? Bomb and nuke all military establishments, universities, try to assassinate all nuclear scientists etc.? FFS they struggle to deal with Iran with all due respect to them! Let alone the madman's starving North Korean fiefdom.
Shukri's statement is a correct one but there must be actions behind those words otherwise it is empty air, I am afraid. At least if the goal is to have nuclear weapons.
KSA has been a quite good ally of Pakistan and vice versa, I would claim.