Iraq invites France to build nuclear plant

A.V.

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
6,503
Likes
1,157
BAGHDAD: Electricity Minister Karim Wahid on Sunday invited France to help Iraq build a nuclear power plant, three decades after Paris
constructed a reactor near Baghdad that was bombed by Israeli warplanes.

"We have had very good relationships with French companies," the minister said. "I am willing to enter into contacts with the French nuclear agency and to start to build a nuclear power plant, because the future is nuclear," he said. "This is my perspective."

Under former dictator Saddam Hussein, Iraq sealed a 1976 deal with France to build the Osirak nuclear reactor, where construction started in 1979. But in June 1981, during the Iran-Iraq war, Israel sent warplanes to bomb the unfinished reactor south of the Iraqi capital, charging that Saddam's aim was to build nuclear weapons.

Then French premier Jacques Chirac cultivated a special relationship with Iraq during the 1970s. As French president two decades later, he opposed the US-led invasion which toppled Saddam over alleged weapons of mass destruction.

"France has not shown up yet (in post-Saddam Iraq). They will come hopefully," said Wahid, adding that France, whose President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Baghdad on February 10, had "been a good friend to Iraq."

"My coming here is to tell French companies: the time has come, come and invest," Sarkozy told a joint news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on the first ever visit to Iraq by a French president.

Sarkozy said a large French business delegation would follow him to Baghdad by the end of the summer. Defence, energy and water were all key sectors for cooperation with Iraq, he said.

"We are ready to listen to the requests of the Iraqis."

Wahid also invited French companies to invest. "We have many projects to be announced for investments," he said, singling out "power generation investment called IPP," or independent power producers.

Sweeping away the Saddam era, the government last year sold and transported its uranium concentrate -- or "yellow cake," which is partially processed uranium ore -- to Cameco of Canada.

"We no longer need this material accumulated by the former regime," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said. Oil-rich Iraq, which has the world's third largest known reserves but whose budget has been hit by the slump in world prices, still has to clean up the last radioactive waste at the former plant.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...e-to-build-nuke-plant/articleshow/4169492.cms
 

ahmedsid

Top Gun
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2009
Messages
2,960
Likes
252
Will the US sit by while the french build a reactor? I mean the USA badly needs work for its nuke companies. lol America Conquers Iraq, the French build reactors and earn money! But I dont think it will Materialize anytime soon because a Nuke Reactor in a very unstable place like Iraq will be a huge security challenge.
 

A.V.

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
6,503
Likes
1,157
why not,just look at indias nuke deal its US who fought for it all the while just after that india signs nuclear agreement with FRANCE and then in dec with RUSSIA .
the french are one of the best in nuclear technology,they are very good diplomatically too.
 

ahmedsid

Top Gun
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2009
Messages
2,960
Likes
252
Yes the Americans are worried about India delaying the Nuke deal with them, they feel left out especially after the French and Russians getting their part of the pie! But then India has an Independent Foreign policy, but Iraq doesnt have much of a Foreign policy, the French may have good relations with Iraq but If Uncle Sam draws a Line, then Iraqi Govt will stay behind it. Lets see what happens.
 

A.V.

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
6,503
Likes
1,157
here is why the americans might agree with the french building the plant.

Buy Cheap, Buy American

February 24, 2009: Iraq is spending $8 billion on security and defense this year. The major source of military equipment and services remains the United States. Currently, the two nations have an agreement whereby Iraq is purchasing $5 billion worth of equipment (weapons, munitions and other gear) and services (mostly training). About 30 percent of the $5 billion has already been delivered. One reason the Iraqis are spending so much on American goods and services, is because, overall, the American goods are inexpensive. A lot of American equipment and bases are being left behind as U.S. troops levels decline, and these are being sold to the Iraqis at bargain prices.
Meanwhile, the declining price of oil has forced the Iraqi national budget to be cut from $80 billion to $62 billion in the past few months. But defense has not been cut, because there are still a lot of terrorists and criminals running around loose. While most of the country has been at peace since 2003, those areas in central Iraq that have not, are keen on calming things down so that they can catch up economically with the rest of the country, particularly the Kurdish north. There has been peace up there for over fifteen years, and the prosperity of the Kurds is the envy of the rest of the country
:angry:
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
29,799
Likes
48,278
Country flag
why does an oil rich country need nuclear energy? or is USA trying to build up Iraqi nukes against Iranian nukes?
 

Triton

Founding Member
Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
342
Likes
9
Ain't a double post; but was a shot at wrong end.

Sorry
 

pyromaniac

Founding Member
Regular Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Messages
535
Likes
16
why does an oil rich country need nuclear energy? or is USA trying to build up Iraqi nukes against Iranian nukes?
I don't think the idea of Iraq acquiring nukes will make anyone happy; especially Israel. For all we know, Iraq might go the same way as Vietnam or it could go the way of Iran. I don't think America is confident enough to give Iraq such a "responsibility" especially given the fact that the middle east is notorious for radical Islam and short lived democratic governments.
 

rock45

Founding Member/ RIP our friend
Regular Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Messages
152
Likes
4
France

I don't follow issues like this much but I recall Iraq owning France a few billion dollars before the start of the first Gulf War, reclaiming any of that is a good enough reason to under cut the US. I learn that Iraq was going to be a Mirage 2000 customer but it fell through mainly because of the war and Russia offering goodies as well. It would be interesting to really know how close they were to buying advance French fighters at the time. France join in the war to and bomb them too so what do I know.

I assume US weapons cost less then French they seem to have a rep for being costly. Having the weapons already in country and using the same types being trained on makes sense.

Nuclear reactors aren't as clean as most people think I'm pretty sure we haven't built in new ones in the US for a reason.

For the same reason I don't want Iran to have access to nuclear anything I feel the same way toward Iraq. They can't even stop killing each other never mind being trusted with nukes.
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top