September 27, 2007 (LPAC)--On September 18 Lyndon LaRouche issue a statement supporting a call by Israeli President Shimon Peres for opening peace negotiations with Israel. LaRouche was right on the mark in his statement of support for Peres when he recommended that one substantive issue that could be addressed is the need for fresh water development, and the prospects of nuclear-powered desalination as a means of expanding the overall amount of water. "Isn't it time," LaRouche asked, "for a war-proof design for nuclear desalination? Isn't Syria a likely partner to Israel for such an agreement?"

Over the past year all the countries in the region have initiated moves to acquire nuclear power reactors for electricity and desalination. Last August Israeli Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer announced Israel's intention to build a nuclear power reactor to generate electricity and water desalination and that Israeli would consider a joint project with a neighboring country. The major obstacle for Israel is that it is not a member of the Non Proliferation treaty and it is a non declared nuclear power with allegedly 200 weapons. Israel is reportedly approached the Nuclear Suppliers Group of the International Atomic Energy Agency about a possible exemption from NSG technology controls, like that sought by Washington for an accord with India, this could only be possible in the context of regional peace talks that could lead to concrete cooperation among the countries of the region.

Also in August, Jordan, which has a peace agreement with Israel, announced through its Committee for Nuclear Strategy, its intention to build a nuclear power station by 2015 and have 30 % of Jordan's power needs provided by nuclear energy by 2030. Jordan also has uranium resources that could be exploited.

Another country with a peace agreement with Israel is Egypt which in 2006 announced the completion of a feasibility study to establish a nuclear power stations for electricity and desalination at El Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast. By 2015 it hopes to have completed the construction of a 1,000 megawatt reactor.

Syria, which has a chronic electricity shortage, has been considering a nuclear power reactor for the last decade. In 2003 it was in serious discussions with Russia for a $2 billion dollar reactor for power generation and desalination. These plans have been put on the back burner by Russia because of the Bush administration aggressive policy against Iran, and U.S. pressure on Russia for its ongoing construction of a Iranian nuclear power station at Bushehr.

All these projects could be integrated into a regional program as proposed in LaRouche's Oasis Plan for Regional Development through projects in the fields of transport infrastructure, and nuclear power generation for electricity and desalination. It has been three decades since LaRouche made this proposal, the time is more ripe then ever. It only requires the U.S. Congress to heed LaRouche call to force the impeachment of Cheney and remove one of the biggest blocks to peace in the region.