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| Arab nuclear "goodwill gesture" fails to impress Israel, U.S | ||
| 2012-09-21 | ||
(Reuters) - Arab states said on Thursday they had decided as a "goodwill gesture" to refrain from targeting Israel with a resolution over its assumed nuclear arsenal at the U.N. atomic agency's annual assembly this week.
Addressing a debate on "Israeli nuclear capabilities" called by the Arab countries, a senior U.S. diplomat said Washington was firmly committed to the goal of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction. However, nothing needs reforming like other people's bad habits... "using meetings of the IAEA to single out Israel for censure will not take us one step closer to that goal. In fact, it is a step in the opposite direction," Robert Wood told the meeting of the U.N.'s ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency. "Repeatedly invoking this issue only serves to reduce trust and confidence among states in the region and to distract the agency's attention from serious issues of ongoing non-compliance by two other states in the region," Wood said. That was a reference to Iran and Syria, which are under investigation by the IAEA over their disputed atomic activities. Israeli ambassador Ehud Azoulay said: "It is Iran which represents the greatest threat to peace and security in the Middle East and beyond ... Pointing an accusing finger toward Israel will not change this sombre reality." Arab states had sharply criticised Israel but said they would not put forward a non-binding but symbolically important resolution calling on Israel to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and place all its atomic sites under IAEA oversight. | ||
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Ir did not impress the US because its timing conflicted with a fund raiser. |
| Posted by: Kelly 2012-09-21 16:17 |
| #1 That calls for a return goodwill gesture from Israel. How about "We won't nuke you, for now."? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2012-09-21 02:25 |