JORDANIAN THINK TANK ADVOCATES REGIONAL NUCLEAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002233

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ELA, ISN/NESS, ISN/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2019
TAGS: ENRG ECON EMIN TRGY KNNP PARM JO
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN THINK TANK ADVOCATES REGIONAL NUCLEAR
FUEL BANK

REF: A. AMMAN 1690

B. AMMAN 1570

C. AMMAN 1480

D. AMMAN 1394

E. AMMAN 1319

Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft for reasons 1.4(b) and (d
)


1. (SBU) Nuclear physicist and Director of Jordan's Arab
Institute for Security Studies, Ayman Khalil, recently
advocated to EconCouns the benefits of a regional Arab
nuclear fuel bank. Khalil's think-tank, located at the
University of Jordan, sponsored in June 2009 an international
"Nuclear Proliferation and Nuclear Energy conference," that
touched on the same theme (ref C). Khalil, whose views are
academic and do not reflect Government of Jordan (GOJ)
policy, stressed that regional Arab, academic discussions on
the nuclear energy issue converged on support for regional
nuclear energy proliferation as a long-term answer to the
region's energy needs, and particularly those of Jordan, as
one of the region's poorest in current energy resources.


2. (C) Khalil further said that regional academics working in
the Arms Control and Regional Security field saw a
distinction between the sharing of information and technology
needed to develop a nuclear fuel cycle and establish a
regional fuel bank, and nuclear weapons proliferation,
asserting that discussing and sharing technology on peaceful
nuclear energy should not be considered "proliferation."
Khalil viewed the development of a regional nuclear fuel bank
as a way to resolve the deadlock with Iran's nuclear program,
though he conceded that there was a sharp debate and no
regional consensus on Iranian participation. Options being
debated include having Iran as an integral part of the
regional fuel bank, as well as focusing on a robust Arab fuel
bank as a way to balance Iran's emerging nuclear
capabilities. He also pointed to possible fissures within
the Arab sphere, speculating that the Gulf Cooperation
Council countries might look more favorably at going it alone
and pursuing their own fuel bank. Despite these ongoing
challenges, the regional fuel bank Khalil envisions would
regulate the spread of enrichment facilities and would mirror
the European Atomic Energy Community model and be in line
with the U.S. Global Nuclear Energy Partnership statement of
principles.


3. (C) Though Khalil admitted that there was a disconnect
between academic views on nuclear energy and the actual
policies of the governments in the region, he said that Egypt
and the Arab League secretariat were active participants in
the discussion and held similar views to those he outlined.
He told EconCouns that a host for a regional fuel bank would
have to be politically stable, have a strong security
infrastructure, have domestic uranium reserves and be
seismically stable and that therefore Egypt, Saudi Arabia and
Jordan were candidates to host a regional nuclear enrichment
hub.


4. (SBU) In related developments, Jordan on September 22
signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Argentina, and
announced the first of several expected contracts awarded for
studies related to its nuclear energy project (refs A and B).
The first site-study contract, worth $12 million, went to
Belgium-based Tractebel Engineering. In another first, press
reports on October 4 highlighted the presentation to King
Abdullah of a sample of uranium yellowcake produced by the
Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, which will, according to the
reports, be manufactured for commercial purposes "soon"
(further reporting septel).

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