Israel And Syria To
Develop Nuclear Energy.
Israel
and Syria have announced ambitious plans to develop nuclear
energy.
The two Middle East rival countries laid out their hopes at an
international conference on civilian nuclear energy at the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Civilian nuclear energy contributes far less to global warming
than burning of fossil fuels but worries many because of the
risks of long-term waste storage and the possibility of
proliferation.
Israel’s Infrastructure Minister, Uzi Landau said the country
needed this energy source because it was environmentally clean.
He called Israel's need for nuclear energy "imminent" but
gave no timeline for an atomic power plant.
Landau said his country would open up any nuclear plants to
international inspections, but said he saw no reason for his
country to allow inspectors into what are believed to be nuclear
weapons sites, or to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, Faysal Mekdad said his country
called for the need to consider alternative energy sources,
including nuclear energy" to meet its growing demands.
Although Mekdad did not elaborate on specifit nuclear plans he
said the peaceful application of nuclear energy should not be
monopolized by the few that own this technology but should be
available equally for all.
AP/WILLIAMS/YINKA
