Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused offers to buy nuclear weapons on the black market following the dismantling of the Soviet Union, a US diplomatic cable leaked to the
Guardian by WikiLeaks revealed.
The revelation was made by Maged Abdelaziz, Egypt's UN ambassador, to US nuclear arms control negotiator, Rose Gottemoeller, in May of 2009 on the sidelines of a Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty conference in New York.
RELATED:WikiLeaks: Iran recruiting Beduin to smuggle Gaza armsWikiLeaks: Iran's influence spreads like cancerIn the leaked cable, Gottemoeller's associates wrote that "in an
apparent attempt to portray Egypt as a responsible member of the
international community, Abdelaziz claimed that Egypt had been offered
nuclear scientists, materials and even weapons following the collapse of
the Soviet Union, but Egypt had refused all such offers."
"Gottemoeller asked him how he knew this to be true, to which Abdelaziz
replied he was in Moscow at that time and had direct personal
knowledge."
Abdelaziz also told Gottemoeller that "Iran cannot be allowed to accquire nuclear weapons."
He expressed concern about Israel's purported nuclear arsenal,
saying that "statements from Israeli's prime minister that his state
possesses nuclear weapons do not contribute to security or stability."
