14 December 2008: Gulf Daily News
By GEOFFREY BEW
MANAMA - PREVENTING terrorists from exploiting the nuclear power industry is the biggest challenge facing the Middle East, a top British official said yesterday. Defence Secretary John Hutton said effective international inspection and regulation of the developing sector would be crucial to maintain security and prevent almost certain disaster.
"Energy insecurity is driving an expansion of civil nuclear power right across the world," he said during a session on global security at the Manama Dialogue.
"Nuclear power has a critical role in combating energy security and dealing with climate change.
"But the expansion of civil nuclear power also increases the risk of sensitive technologies falling into the wrong hands or being applied for military purposes.
"Nuclear weapons proliferation in the Middle East would be a disaster for regional and global security."
Mr Hutton also expressed concern about Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme.
"I am concerned by states which might want to exploit their energy resources as a tool of foreign and security policy," he said.
"As my country and many others transitioned from being net exporters of energy to net importers access to reliable, affordable energy becomes more and more of a security challenge.
"Nuclear weapons proliferation is a first order security threat that must be dealt with now and not be brushed under the carpet."
Later, during a Press conference on the sidelines of the event, Mr Hutton called for "a proper joined up approach" to tackle growing number of attacks by pirates.
"The piracy mission is very important and we need a comprehensive mission to tackle the problem because it comes from a failed state with
no effective government and law and order," he said.
"Although we have to deal with the immediate manifestation of the piracy problem, which is a threat to shipping, we have got to sustain that with a comprehensive solution to the issue itself."
Mr Hutton declined to comment on whether Britain would send troops into Somali to weed out the perpetrators.
"What we do need is a proper international approach to the problem because it is first the responsibility of the regional nations and then the international community will do what it can with its resources to support that," he said.
"Somalia is a good example of the danger of a failed state for the international community, which is a harbour for criminals terrorising the high seas. "But it could become a harbour for terrorists and we cannot allow that to happen."
