Clinton warns of Mideast nuclear arms race

[February 16, 2010]  JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told Saudi college students Tuesday that if Iran gets a nuclear weapon it could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

That could in turn create "quite dangerous" problems, she said.

Clinton spoke at a college in Jeddah called Dar al-Hekma, which translates in English to "House of Wisdom." Her appearance at the all-woman college was highly unusual in a conservative Muslim nation.

Saudi law bars women from voting, except for chamber of commerce elections in two cities in recent years, and no woman can sit in the kingdom's Cabinet. Women also cannot drive or travel without permission from a male guardian.

Clinton ticked off a list of Iranian actions that she said violated its obligation not to pursue nuclear weapons, including construction of the Qom enrichment facility that came to light last fall.

"You have to ask yourself, 'Why are they doing this?'" Clinton said.

Noting that Iran insists it is not pursuing the bomb, she said, "The evidence doesn't support that."

Clinton was winding up a three-day Persian Gulf visit that began Sunday in Qatar and continued in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Monday. She was returning to Washington later Tuesday.

[Associated Press]

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