Jane of Armies of Liberation writes the United States intends on helping Yemen build a nuclear program. After writing of Yemen’s mixed messages, ties to Tehran, support and non-support for the GWOT, etc., Jane asks:

Then the Saudis are going to want one, ect, ect. Is this the US solution to Iran’s unwillingness to suspend uranium enrichment, give everybody nukes to balance it out? How utterly retarded. And how counter-productive for the US to become even more dependent for its security on “trust-worthy” authoritiarian rulers, and ultimately, their sons.

There is only one plausible reason why I would see this as advantageous for the United States. First off, the U.S. has also said they would aid Egypt in building a nuclear energy program and there have been rumblings with Saudi Arabia too in the past, though I haven’t heard anything about Saudi Arabia’s nuclear dreams in some time now.

Without taking the Yemeni situation into account, for I am far from qualified to do so and any attempt would make me look foolish, I do believe helping two nations build peaceful nuclear programs is a direct result to Iran’s nuclear program. I don’t believe it is to help balance anything out, but actually it strikes a blow to the Iranian position that the United States does not want nuclear energy in any Middle Eastern nation. The problem all along has not been nuclear energy, but rather how hidden Iran’s program has been and how Iran has not fully complied with the IAEA. That does not even mention the Iranian government, which may or may not be comparable to the Yemeni government. I step aside to Jane’s knowledge on any such comparisons.

With U.S. assistance for a Yemeni nuclear program ensure the program is peaceful and complies with both the NPA and the IAEA? One would suspect it would, at least in theory, and it would provide direct oversight. The United States has learned through both North Korea and Iran that when there is no oversight a peaceful nuclear program can and does go military.

The only other possible reason, for which I discount entirely but it’s worth mentioning, is because Yemen’s major exports are oil and natural gas. Helping Yemen wean from oil and natural gas for use in electricity could ensure there is more of both natural resources to export, but the United States has far more natural gas reserves than Yemen does. Also, this assumes there is a shortage of oil and that this supposed shortage of oil is why gas prices are so ‘high.’ According to family members of mine who work/worked in the oil industry, this is far from the case. I fully realize that’s not what we’re told, mainly by environmental advocates, but I tend to believe blood over someone I don’t know.

As far as all of the other items which Jane brings up, she’s certainly right as near as I can tell. I just think this has more to do with trying to keep a close eye on a regime wanting nuclear energy rather than placating a government that has been a mixed bag under Saleh.