UAE nuclear deal may stall as U.S. condemns torture

The United States said on Wednesday it was very concerned by video of a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi allegedly torturing an Afghan man, footage that could stall a civilian nuclear deal with the United Arab Emirates.

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the department was consulting with Congress about the agreement, which could be blocked if an outcry over the video grows. The deal could be worth billions of dollars to U.S. energy companies that build and operate nuclear power plants.

"We, of course, are very concerned by this video," Kelly told reporters when asked whether the 2004 torture video was holding up implementation of the agreement, which was signed in the final days of the former Bush administration and has to be sent to Congress for review by President Barack Obama.