CAIRO [MENL] -- Egypt has kept mum on its nuclear program in what Western
diplomats said reflects the policy of its Israeli neighbor.Diplomats said Egypt has maintained a policy of ambiguity and no longer
rules out the development of weapons meant to counter Israel's purported
nuclear arsenal. But the officials cite that Cairo has signed the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty that bans such weapons.President Hosni Mubarak has repeatedly warned that Israel's nuclear
arsenal could prompt similar efforts throughout the Middle East. Mubarak has
acknowledged Cairo's plans for a large-scale civilian nuclear program."The Egyptian aim appears to be that of the Japanese model," a Western
diplomat said. "Mubarak wants to build a huge civilian nuclear
infrastructure that can quickly move to nuclear weapons within months should
the circumstances warrant this."
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