Technical and Political Assessment of Peaceful Nuclear Power Program Prospects in North Africa and the Middle East

Developing a custom Anthropomorphic Test Device for measuring blast effects on occupants inside armored vehicles

“…In Iraq and Afghanistan, IEDs were responsible for the deaths and injuries of many coalition troops [1] . It was estimated that IEDs resulted in more than half of the US army vehicle losses from 2003 to 2009 [2] . Moreover, approximately 20% of all combat troops suffered from some degree of traumatic brain injury (TBI) [3] .…”

Nuclear Alibi: the nuclear revival and proliferation

“…Egypt is one of the more challenging states to assess. Despite having what appear to be legitimate motivations for nuclear energy as well as the technical capacity to implement it successfully 318 , Egypt's nuclear weapons history and inconsistent nonproliferation disposition raise some concern. Egypt was caught in minor non-compliance with its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, refuses to sign an Additional Protocol and has not ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).…”

“…Current Egyptian President Mohamed Mubarak took power in 1981 and continued his predecessor's plans for acquiring nuclear power plants to supply electricity and for water desalination. 320 Egypt's plans for a large nuclear power reactor were put on hold, along with plans in most of the rest of the world, after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. 321 Egypt has since reinvigorated its efforts with Mubarak's announcement in October 2007 that the country would once again try for a nuclear reactor to meet its energy needs.…”