The Cost of Peddling Arms in the Middle East
Patricia Morris | Apr 27, 2011 |
0 If the U.S. ties to the Egyptian military made you uneasy, brace yourself for more anxiety.
It's no surprise that the U.S. sells weapons abroad and that it's not always a great idea, but recent protests and revolts in the Middle East have (again) raised questions (and rightfully so) about the consequences of our arms sales abroad.
Check out the article here.
Security Matters, Arms Control, Arms Sales, Middle East (all tags)
The NPT Review Conference's Focus on a Nuclear Free Middle East
Sarah | May 27, 2010 | 1 As the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (NPT RevCon) comes to a close in New York, the call for a ban on nuclear weapons and other WMD in the Middle East has come back into the fore as a top issue. Nuclear Weapons Free Zones (NWFZs), which exist in Latin America, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central Asia, are zones in which countries commit themselves to not acquire, manufacture, test, or possess nuclear weapons. Article VII of the NPT affirms the rights of countries to establish such zones. A NWFZ in the Middle East has been on the NPT agenda since the treaty’s entry into force in 1970. Since the 1995 NPT RevCon, the goal has been more adamantly pursued by Egypt, but still to no visible avail.
Nevertheless, the start of this year’s NPT RevCon saw the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China all voice unequivocal support for the initiative— with ample support from states in the region too. The Arab Group has stated that failing to achieve it would be a failure of the NPT as a whole. While some view a NWFZ in the Middle East as a lofty, far-off, or even impossible goal, there is no denying the worth it would have.
The implications of the initiative are clear. Israel, not just Iran, would have to foreswear nuclear weapons.
Israel’s program is controversial for numerous reasons. First, Israel is deliberately ambiguous about its nuclear weapons capability, officially maintaining that it will not be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons into the region. Second, as one of the only countries in the world to have ever carried out preemptive attacks on nascent nuclear programs (for example in Iraq and Syria), Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons is often viewed as particularly hypocritical. Finally, in defiance of numerous requests and resolutions issued by the General Assembly of the UN which call on Israel to join the NPT, Israel nevertheless continues to refuse. This places it in the not so select company of Pakistan, North Korea, and India.
Israel and the Nuclear Security Summit
Tad | Apr 14, 2010 | 0 
Last week Israel’s Prime Minister announced his decision to cancel abruptly his appearance at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington D.C. Israeli officials suggested that Netanyahu scuttled the trip due to fears that a group of Arab states might have used the conference to demand Israel sign up to the Non Proliferation Treaty. At a time when Israel continues to lobby allies to punish Iran over its suspected nuclear weapons program, such focus on its own program would have made it a target for criticism. And in the context of nuclear terrorism, this criticism seems increasingly valid.
Netanyahu's attendance at the summit would have been unprecedented. He would have been the first Israeli premier ever to participate in discussions on nuclear issues. It’s also a subject he is knowledgeable about, having written specifically about it in his book, ‘Fighting Terrorism’. And it’s a subject that is particularly relevant for Israel, since historically it has been a frequent victim of terrorist attacks.
Israel, nuclear, nuclear security summity, middle east, WMD (all tags)
