Global Security Newswire

The son of Egypt's president yesterday called for the nation to consider building nuclear power plants to meet future energy needs (see GSN, Sept. 13).  The move could raise Middle Eastern tensions as the Iranian nuclear crisis simmers nearby, the New York Times reported.

"Many developing countries have proposed and started to execute the issue of alternative energy," said Gamal Mubarak, son of President Hosni Mubarak and an assistant secretary general of the governing National Democratic Party.

"It is time for Egypt to put forth, and the party will put forth, this proposal for discussion about its future energy policies, the issue of alternative energy, including nuclear energy, as one of the alternatives," he said.

Observers said the announcement could be a precursor to the younger Mubarak seeking to succeed his 79-year-old father when his term expires in 2011, the Times reported.  A nuclear ambition could help gain support in the military and statements critical of U.S. foreign policy could help win backing of the public.

Mubarak included poorly veiled criticism of the United States in his statement.

"We do not accept visions from abroad that they try to dissolve the Arab identity and the joint Arab efforts within the framework of the so-called Greater Middle East Initiative," he said.

Egypt currently has two nuclear research reactors and was chided last year by the International Atomic Energy Agency for failing to meet all of its reporting requirements (see GSN, Mar. 2, 2005).