Will the Nuclear Disarmament Summit Amount to Anything?

UNITED NATIONS, Apr 12, 2010 (IPS) - Against the backdrop of a major summit meeting of world leaders on nuclear non-proliferation hosted by the United States, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed strong doubts about the longstanding proposal to create a nuclear-free zone in the militarily-volatile Middle East.

The proposal has not achieved any progress until now for various reasons, including the political situation on the Middle East peace process, he admitted Monday. 

"We have achieved [progress] in many areas including in Central Asia, where they have agreed and established a nuclear weapons-free zone," but the Middle East nuke-free zone remains stalled, Ban told reporters. 

Speaking off the record, an Arab diplomat told IPS that "Israel is a rogue nation that not only has nuclear weapons but has also refused to sign the nuclear non-proliferation (NPT) treaty." 

But the power it exercises over U.S. foreign policy has protected Israel from condemnation and reprisals for going nuclear, he added. 

And the hypocrisy of it all is when the Security Council penalizes North Korea and Iran, it uses a different yardstick, the diplomat said. 

The secretary-general said if the world is to achieve its eventual goal of a nuclear-free world -- advocated by U.S. President Barack Obama -- "it is absolutely necessary to have all areas with nuclear-weapons-free-zones."

"I am sure the leaders (meeting in Washington this week) will discuss this matter, but I am not quite sure how much progress they will be able to make during this summit meeting," he added. 

The nuclear security summit, convened by Obama, is being attended by some 47 countries, including the five declared nuclear powers, the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia, and the three undeclared nuclear powers, India, Pakistan and Israel. 

The last three have refused to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. 

Last week, there were published reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pulled back from the summit at the eleventh hour, primarily because Egypt and Turkey were expected to raise the Israeli nuclear issue at the summit. 

Asked about the Security Council's obsession with Iran's nuclear program, Ali Abdussalam Treki of Libya, president of the General Assembly, told reporters last year his country had voluntarily given up its nuclear weapons program and was totally opposed to any country possessing such weapons. 

Over the years, the General Assembly, the U.N.'s highest policy-making body, has called for a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East, he added. 

"Where should we start?" asked Treki, striking a note of sarcasm. "Should we start with the country which has nuclear weapons in the Middle East (read: Israel) or the country accused of attempting to have nuclear weapons (read: Iran)?" 

"We don't want Israel to have nuclear weapons and we don't want Iran to have nuclear weapons," he added. 

By extension, he said, Libya does not want even the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China, to have what he called "the world's most destructive and indiscriminate weapon". 

Asked about the countries which have opted out of the NPT, Ban told reporters: "All member states who have not done so should participate in the NPT Treaty. That is an obligation of all member states of the United Nations." 

Likewise, he said, "I am going to urge in Washington that all the countries who have not signed and ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) - should also do so without further delay".