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Comment by devoply | Hacker News Reader

And now the US wants to give M. Bone Saw nuclear tech. What could possibly go wrong?

It's worth noting that the Saudi's are well known to have an informal agreement to get access to the Pakistani nuclear devices if Iran develops the bomb.[1][2][3][4]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_program_of_Saudi_Arabi...: Since 1998, Western diplomats and intelligence agencies have long believed that an agreement exists in which Pakistan would sell Saudi Arabia nuclear warheads and its own nuclear technology should security in the Persian Gulf deteriorate.

[2] https://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2003/031022-pakistan...

[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/22/world/middleeast/saudi-ar...

[4] https://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/75723 Saudi Arabia probably already has a nuclear weapons capability, courtesy of Pakistan.

Just saw the author of one of those articles. Sigh.

Depends on the extent of "nuclear tech". If it's just building a nuclear reactor in SA, I don't see a problem at all. Nobody is giving them the tech needed to enrich uranium.

Depending on the reactor tech I can see two problems. First, can it be produce plutonium? Second, it can certainly be used to make some tremendously dirty bombs. Given the issues with rich Saudis funding and aiding terrorists, I’d be concerned. There is also the issue of just how stable the Saudi government is long-term, and what happens (or needs to be done) if it falls.

Probably not much, as I suspect the Israelis will keep a very close eye on the project and intervene if/as needed. They have a more realistic long-term view of the region IMO, and are capable of handling these issues effectively, if not quietly or gracefully.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/02/world/middleeast/saudi-kh...

You have to wonder if that software has flaws known to the Israelis, I certainly would if I used it.

Israelis have made friends with MBS. Color me surprised.

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/MBS-youve-been-cleared-for-lan...

Wait? What?

Are you seriously suggesting that in lieu of cutting the problem off at the source by NOT giving a dangerous man like MBS nuclear weapons, we should rely on other nations in the region to clean up the mess?

No, that isn’t at all what I’m saying, and you can tell that’s the case because it bears literally no relation to what I did say.

You say "no problem, Israelis deal with it ... probably."

In response to What could possibly go wrong?.

That has nothing to do with whether or not it’s a good idea, just that I believe very little can go wrong I’m the context of Mossad oversight. I’m certainly not endorsing the deal.

> I’m certainly not endorsing the deal.

Why not? If nothing can go wrong, then on what grounds could you possibly object?

That has nothing to do with whether or not it’s a good idea, just that I believe very little can go wrong I’m the context of Mossad oversight

This is the most eye-opening naive piece of rhetoric I've ever read on HN.

Mossad couldn't stop Iran from developing nuclear technology, only delay it. And that was with every country in the world agreeing to sanctions.

There is no chance they can stop the Saudis, especially since the Saudi's probably already have a technology transfer agreement with Pakistan.

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