Middle East nuclear weapons free zone

 In Nuclear, Nuclear Weapons

This past Saturday at its 52nd International General Conference held in Vienna, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) again called for the establishment of a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East. 82 IAEA member states, including all Arab states in the region, voted in favor of the non-binding resolution; 13 nations, including Israel and the United States, abstained.

Judging from U.S. Presidential campaign rhetoric, one would think that Iran is on the brink of acquiring nuclear weapons. Never mind that all our intelligence agencies jointly announced last year that Iran gave up its weapons program in 2003.

Never mind also that Israel is the only nation in the Middle East that possesses nuclear weapons. Or that it is the only one that has refused to sign the 1968 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). Iran and Syria, by contrast, are signatories. And as Iran has consistently pointed out, the NPT guarantees its signatories the right to seek civilian nuclear power, including uranium enrichment, in return for not seeking nuclear weapons.

U.S. foreign policy is full of blatant inconsistencies-indeed, hypocrisies-which has discredited us around the globe. But it is our gross double standard when it comes to Israel and the rest of the Middle East that most infuriates Muslims and makes some of them regard us as an enemy.

Nuclear Weapons Free Zones are an excellent idea. They are already in existence in South America and Africa, where there have been no attempts by nations to acquire nukes. And in truth nuclear weapons are good for nothing except to deter other nations from using them against yours. So they ought to be abolished entirely. An excellent place to begin abolition would be the Middle East.

Herbert Rothschild Jr.

849 Harvard St. #C

Houston, TX 77007

Recommended Posts
Comments
  • eileen fleming
    Reply

    Israel is the only Middle East state with WMD’s.

    Israel has not signed the NPT and has never allowed IAEA inspectors into the underground Dimona WMD facility.

    Israel locked up Mordechai Vanunu for 18 years for taking the photographic proof of their clandestine WMD program.

    Israel has held Vanunu under house arrest since his release from jail on April 21, 2004, forbidding him the right to speak to any foreigners and denying him the right to leave Israel.

    See and hear Vanunu speak about his Freedom of Speech Trial in
    “13 Minutes with Vanunu” and learn much more about him in
    “30 Minutes with Vanunu” freely streaming under VANUNU ARCHIVES @
    http://www.wearewideawake.org/

    Eileen Fleming, Citizen Journalist and Founder WAWA:
    http://www.wearewideawake.org/
    Author “Keep Hope Alive” and “Memoirs of a Nice Irish American ‘Girl’s’ Life in Occupied Territory”
    Producer “30 Minutes With Vanunu” and “13 Minutes with Vanunu”

Leave a Comment

Start typing and press Enter to search