US Intelligence Says Saudi Arabia Has Kept Nuclear Option Open

A classified U.S. intelligence assessment provided to Congress says Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing nuclear weapons, according to U.S. officials familiar with the material. The officials stressed that the assessment does not mean the kingdom has decided to pursue a weapon. The finding has sharpened scrutiny of a U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement now under congressional review. The agreement would support Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear program and initially cap uranium enrichment below 5 percent. Raising the ceiling to as much as 20 percent would require a further study and a written agreement between the two governments, according to descriptions of its terms. The agreement calls for a two-year joint study of the commercial feasibility of enrichment. Any subsequent transfer of enrichment technology would require a separate executive-branch decision, according to nonproliferation experts who reviewed the arrangement. Enrichment to 20 percent is below weapons-grade levels, but can be further enriched. The assessment itself does not say Saudi Arabia has begun a weapons program or made a decision to build a bomb.