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Putin: 'Israel's nuclear weapons just make it a target'
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Israel's alleged nuclear weapons stockpile only serves to make the Jewish state "a target" and creates "foreign policy problems."Putin's comments, reported by AFP, came in response to questions from reporters on the US and Russia-brokered deal to put Syria's chemical weapons arsenal under international supervision. According to AFP, Putin said that Syria had developed chemical weapons "as an alternative to the nuclear weapons of Israel." The Russian president claimed that "the technical advantage of Israel -- we need to say this directly -- is such that it doesn't need nuclear weapons. Israel is already in a technical military sense several heads above the countries in the region." Putin added that "nuclear weapons just make it a target. They just create foreign policy problems." Maybe they just want enough deterrence to be a living target instead of a dead one? The chemical weapons deal with Syria has increased pressure on Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. How so? It's not as if any of the people who hate Israel now are going to like it if it signs it. Some 190 states have joined the NPT, whose goal is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology. Of the world's nuclear powers, only four have not joined the treaty. Of these, India, Pakistan and North Korea have all openly tested nuclear weapons. Israel continues with its policy of nuclear ambiguity. Israel has refused to sign the NPT despite pressure from the international community. However, when it comes to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the country might be more flexible. Or would, if the Haterz didn't accuse it of chemical warfare every time it used an illumination round. "Israel has an interest in a chemical free zone as opposed to a nuclear-free zone," Eitan Barak, a professor of international relations from Hebrew University said. And they've gotten to the self-professed experts, which means it's time to snip Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2013-09-20 |
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