NPEC Executive Director Comments on US-UAE Nuclear Deal on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight

LOU DOBBS TONIGHT (loudobbs.tv.cnn.com)

Blagojevich Ready To Talk About Charges; Controversy Over Nuclear Tech Sales to Gulf State; Pro Amnesty Lobby Pushes For Open Borders

Aired December 17, 2008 - 19:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT [EXCERPT]. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LOU DOBBS: ...the United Arab Emirates wants to build a nuclear reactor that can be used to build nuclear material that can be exported overseas, and the Bush administration has decided to help. That's right. The Bush administration wants to send American nuclear technology to the United Arab Emirates to help them build a nuclear reactor even though the UAE has close ties with Iran. Some members of congress are furious. Kitty Pilgrim has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KITTY PILGRIM (voice-over): In his final days in office, President Bush is pushing a new nuclear deal with the United Arab Emirates. It would allow the sale of U.S. nuclear reactors and technology to the UAE. The UAE and the port of Dubai are just across the gulf from Iran. Some members of Congress say that's a problem. The UAE has been a transshipping hub for technology with military uses to Iran.

REP. BRAD SHERMAN, (D) FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: The United Arab Emirates including Dubai have had a rather poor record of controlling the exports, both of technology that can be used in the IEDs that are killing our service people in Iraq, and even more importantly, controlling items that can be used in the centrifuges turning in Iran.

PILGRIM: Some in Congress want this deal blocked the same way they blocked the sale and operation of six U.S. ports to a Dubai company two years ago saying Dubai's export controls were weak.

President Bush argued there was no security risk in the Dubai ports deal, and the State Department made that argument again in talking about the nuclear deal with the UAE.

SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: The UAE is a good friend that we have worked very closely with the amount of number of different issues. And they have demonstrated they're a very responsible partner.

PILGRIM: The UAE has promised safeguards. Still, top nuclear policy experts say it makes no sense to give nuclear technology to the UAE while trying to prevent Iran from developing it.

Henry Sokolski of the Non-Proliferation Policy Education Center today said, "Once this thing gets signed it's a loaded gun. You can't renegotiate it."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PILGRIM (on camera): Now, President Bush can pass this deal unless Congress prevents him. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Brad Sherman have introduced legislation to stop this deal and also require congressional approval for all future nuclear cooperation agreements -- Lou?

DOBBS: It seems to me that the Constitution of the United States would prevent exactly this kind of thing from happening. It's a failure of the Congress to enforce that Constitution and our courts. It would seem to me in addition to -- My compliments to the congressmen in doing this, in stopping it, but somebody ought to file suit here, because this should be decided once and for all. This is no way that this should be in the purview of the executive branch ever.

PILGRIM: Right. The way it works now, he submits it, the heads of state sign it and he submits it. Unless Congress acts in 90 days, it goes into effect.
DOBBS: It's time for Congress to regain its constitutional power because amongst the many challenges we have in the country is the failure to preserve our fundamental system of checks and balances. This imperial presidency, well, it's completely disturbing when seeing what this lame duck president apparently thinks he can do against the will of the people and against the interest of the United States in the final days of his administration. Very troubling. Thank you very much, Kitty Pilgrim.

Time for our poll tonight: Should Congress stop the Bush administration's nuclear proliferation with the United Arab Emirates? We'd like to hear from you on this. Yes or no. Cast your votes at loudobbs.com. We'll have those results in the broadcast later. (the poll, with over 2,200 votes, ran 94 percent yes; 6 percent no)