Mubarak gets US support for nuclear plans

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States would not object to Egypt's program as long as Cairo adhered to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines. Link

db: How are 'we' to prevent them from acquiring the knowledge to build a nuclear weapon, which is Bush's [newest] stated aim regarding Iran? Oh, but Egypt is on our side, you say. Problem: Egypt has been ruled by Hosni Mubarak under 'state of emergency' conditions since 1961; and it's quite likely that after him, for a while at least, will be ruled by Gamal Mubarak - the younger of two sons. Democracy does not exist in Egypt, and since Hamas won a "fair and democratic mandate" from Palestinians the US has backed off from pressuring Mubarak for reform, preferring 'stability' over risky elections that might see considerable success for the Muslim Brotherhood. Unfortunately the kind of stability we currently see in Egypt is similar to that which existed in Iran under the Shah, who was overthrown by Khomeini in 1979 [and, ironically is buried in Egypt]. It was also the Shah's dream to go nuclear.