US-Saudi civil nuclear pact nears signing without toughest safeguards urged by Democrats

The United States is on the cusp of finalizing a civil nuclear pact with Saudi Arabia, a move intended to bolster American industry and strengthen diplomatic ties. However, the agreement, as it stands, falls short of the robust non-proliferation safeguards that many Democratic lawmakers have been advocating for. This development raises concerns among non-proliferation advocates, particularly given Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's past statements about pursuing nuclear weapons if regional rival Iran does.

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The administration of US President Donald Trump said last year that it was pursuing a civil nuclear pact with Saudi Arabia to boost US industry and strengthen diplomatic ties.

Democratic senators, including Senator Edward Markey, had urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to insist on a UN protocol that would grant the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) extensive oversight powers. This would include the authority for snap inspections at undeclared nuclear facilities. Yet, a recent letter from the State Department to Senator Markey indicates that the pact will instead mandate a less rigorous "bilateral safeguards agreement" between the US and Saudi Arabia.

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But a State Department letter dated May 18 to Democratic Senator Edward Markey, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, says the pact only requires Washington and Riyadh to forge a less onerous "bilateral safeguards agreement."

Furthermore, the agreement makes no mention of the voluntary "gold standard" non-proliferation protections that Saudi Arabia's neighbor, the UAE, agreed to in 2009. This standard prohibits uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of nuclear waste, both processes that can be utilized in the development of nuclear weapons. While the State Department maintains that the draft agreement contains all legally required terms and reflects a "firm commitment to nonproliferation," the absence of these stricter guardrails is a significant point of contention for critics concerned about the potential for nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

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The agreement "lays the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar civil nuclear partnership between our two countries that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives,"