RIYADH, July 12: Prince Naef bin Ahmed Al-Saud, responsible for Saudi military planning, has dismissed the notion that Pakistan’s nuclear bomb was an Islamic bomb, saying that Saudi Arabia did not accept this conjecture.

Writing in the Joint Forces Quarterly, Prince Naif stated that nuclear proliferation should be seen in terms of “regional realities.”

“(Nuclear) Proliferation must be seen in terms of regional realities — the Israeli monopoly of nuclear weaponry, defiance of non-proliferation regimes by India and Pakistan and reported efforts by both Iran and Iraq to acquire nuclear weapons,” Prince Naef wrote.

He added, “Saudi Arabia does not accept the notion that a Pakistani bomb is an Islamic bomb. Instead, national interest is regarded as the most likely factor affecting how nuclear capabilities will be used.”

Expressing concern over the American “alliance” with India and Pakistan, Naef said “it is ironic that building an alliance to combat terrorism and beyond has brought the United States closer to two sources of nuclear proliferation in South Asia — India and Pakistan.” He emphasized, S. Arabia can influence the Arab world by expressing its readiness for peace once Israel agrees to withdraw from occupied Arab territories, thus clearing the way for a Palestinian State.