nuclear-news

Nuclear free Mid East meeting now doubtful

Mideast Nuclear Meeting in Doubt , WSJ, 10 May 12, By JAY SOLOMON, WASHINGTON—Plans for a United Nations-backed conference aimed at ridding the Middle East of nuclear weapons are unraveling because of political upheaval in the region and diplomatic sparring over suspected nuclear-weapons programs in Iran and Israel, said officials involved in the event’s preparations.

The conference, tentatively set for December in Helsinki, would mark
the first meeting of Mideast states solely focused on establishing a
nuclear-weapons-free zone in the region.

The gathering is seen as crucial to sustaining and strengthening the
U.N.’s Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the primary international
vehicle for reducing the threat posed by nuclear arms. Arab states
have warned in recent months that they may be unwilling to commit to
abiding by the NPT if the Mideast conference doesn’t take place to
address the threats they see from Iran’s and Israel’s suspected
programs…….
Iran, meanwhile, has expressed doubts about the utility of the
conference, growing out of its skepticism that Western governments
would seriously press Israel to disarm.

The Jewish state is believed to have a nuclear-weapons arsenal
consisting of hundreds of warheads, but has neither confirmed nor
denied their existence under a policy known as “nuclear ambiguity.”
The U.S. and the European Union charge Iran with clandestinely seeking
to build atomic weapons, a charge Tehran denies…..
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304543904577396513078474328.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

May 11, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general