U.S. forges agreement on nukes with UAE

BEIRUT, Lebanon — The United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have hammered out a nuclear-cooperation deal that would bring U.S. atomic technology and know-how to a site less than 100 miles off Iran's shores, said an envoy from the Persian Gulf monarchy to state media Monday.

The deal, if implemented, would be the first of its kind involving the United States and an Arab country, experts said.

The agreement, in part, could placate Arab countries that are pining for nuclear technology to balance Iran's controversial uranium-enrichment program while dissuading them from developing dual-use technologies on their own that could be reconfigured for weapons production.

"We are confident that the agreement highlights the transparency of the civilian nuclear-energy program the UAE is embarking on and should be lauded as the gold standard of nuclear-cooperation agreements," said Yousef Otaiba, the Emirates' ambassador to the United States, to the official Emirates News Agency.

He said the agreement "sets a new standard in ensuring the highest standards of safety, security and nonproliferation."

But others are skeptical. Critics worry about Iran's cozy ties with the UAE, which acts as a transit point for billions of dollars in goods that make their way from the West and Asia to Iran.

The UAE has been accused in the past of serving as a money-laundering station. Pakistani nuclear-weapons scientist A.Q. Khan used a Dubai company to secretly sell sensitive atomic components to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

Arms-control expert David Albright, of the Institute for International Science and International Security, likened the UAE to a "nuclear smugglers' hub."

"I think it's a little premature for cooperation unless the UAE makes certain steps," which include adjusting trade policies with Iran, setting up a stringent regulatory system and signing on to additional intrusive inspections, said Albright, whose Washington think tank issued a report Nov. 12 through its Web site, www.isis-online.org, warning of a coming boom in Middle East nuclear technology.

Some Washington lawmakers also have eyed the deal with suspicion. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., introduced legislation in December that would require the White House to verify that the Emirates have stopped serving as a conduit for banned goods and services to Iran for at least a year before providing it any nuclear technology.

UAE officials have acknowledged the potential congressional snag and said the government is "working closely" with lawmakers.

The nuclear deal is about economics as much as security. With limited oil reserves and burgeoning energy needs, the UAE has been considering nuclear-energy technology for years.

The federation of kingdoms, led by the royal family in Abu Dhabi, funded a $100-million nuclear commission in line with International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines in March. Some countries see a possible "nuclear gold rush" in the Gulf region.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy signed a potentially lucrative nuclear-cooperation deal with the UAE during a January visit. And U.S. companies stand to earn millions if the nuclear-cooperation deal bears fruit.