ABU DHABI — Kuwait's parliament has established a panel to examine the
environmental impact of Iran's first nuclear power reactor.
The Kuwaiti National Assembly's Environment Committee has formed an
expert panel to examine Iran's nuclear reactor at Bushehr. Parliamentarians
said the Kuwaiti panel would monitor radiation that stemmed from the 1,000
megawatt light water reactor at Bushehr, Middle East Newsline reported.
"The Iranian nuclear program is a cause for concern for fear of
polluting the Gulf waters, the main source of drinking water for Kuwait,"
Environment Committee chairman Ali Al Deqbasi said. "We urge the Islamic
republic to be transparent in dealing with this issue and to comply with
international standards."
Parliamentarians said the panel has examined the prospect of an
earthquake that would strike Bushehr. Parliamentarians urged the Kuwaiti
government to prepare for such an emergency.
This was the first panel announced in a Gulf Cooperation Council state
meant to monitor Iran's nuclear program. Kuwait is more than 200 kilometers
away from Bushehr. The GCC plans to discuss Iran in its May 6 summit in
Riyad.
Deqbasi called on Kuwait to train specialists to respond to a nuclear
disaster. He said the sheikdom must also coordinate with the other five GCC
states.
The parliamentary panel met on April 19 to discuss financing the Kuwaiti
monitoring effort of Bushehr. The Iranian nuclear reactor, built by Russia,
was meant to begin full operations by November 2006.
The announcement of the panel was issued after former Iranian President
Hashemi Rafsanjani concluded a three-day visit to Kuwait. Rafsanjani sought
to assuage Kuwait that Iran's nuclear program did not threaten any of its
neighbors.
On April 21, Kuwaiti Defense Minister Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah said the
Health Ministry has taken measures to detect the Iranian nuclear danger.
Mubarak said the Kuwaiti government has discussed Iran's nuclear program,
which he termed as having a significant influence on the stability and
security of the sheikdom.
