Will Jordan Go Nuclear?

From today's Jordan Times:

AMMAN - Jordan took a historic step towards becoming a nuclear energy user and technology supplier on Tuesday by signing an agreement with a South Korean consortium for the construction of a nuclear research reactor.

Jordan and a consortium comprising the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and Daewoo yesterday finalised a deal for a $130 million nuclear research reactor to be jointly funded by the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) and a $70 million soft loan extended by South Korea.

The nuclear research reactor is to be the focal point of a national technology and training centre at the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) near Irbid, which may become the epicentre of training activities in the Arab world, where several countries have expressed their nuclear ambitions.

Of course, the timing seems just perfect for the Jordanians. On the eve of a nuclear Iran, why not? After all, nobody is stopping the mullahs. 

But this is a perfect example of the danger of an illiberal state acquiring nuclear capability. Once one does it, or gets as close to doing it as Iran has been able to do, the flood gates open.