Though this Haaretz article bears the headline “U.S. Says Israel Must Give up Nukes,” it really only reports on a call for Israel (along with India and Pakistan” to give “a verbal pledge to forswear, rather than real action,” as reporter Amir Oren put it.[1] -- The call was, in fact, quite inconspicuous in the forms it took: a quotation in the State Dept.’s Apr. 2 Electronic Journal with reference to the Non Proliferation Treaty review conference scheduled for May in New York, and in a remark made by the U.S. acting deputy assistant secretary for nonproliferation at an OAS conference on Mar. 17. -- Still, any form of official acknowledgment on the part of the U.S. government that Israel possesses nuclear weapons is rare. -- On its web site, Al Jazeera posted, unattributed, a slightly rewritten version of the identical Haaretz article, but with a more accurate headline: "U.S. Says Israel Must Renounce Nuclear Weapons."[2] -- So far no U.S. media source has picked up the report....
1.
U.S. SAYS ISRAEL MUST GIVE UP NUKES
By Amir Oren
Haaretz
April 3, 2005
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/560047.html
The State Department yesterday called on Israel to forswear nuclear weapons and accept international Atomic Energy Agency safeguards on all nuclear activities.
This is the second time in about two weeks that officials in the Bush administration are putting the nuclear weapons of Israel, India and Pakistan on a par.
The officials called on the three to act like Ukraine and South Africa, which in the last decade renounced their nuclear weapons.
The similar phrasing used by the officials refers to Israel's military nuclear capability, as distinct from "nuclear option," which is to be rolled back, although not necessarily in the "foreseeable future."
The rare use of these terms contradicts the custom of senior administration officials to avoid any possible confirming reference to Israeli nuclear weapons.
The officials, who hold middle-level and lower ranks, are Jackie Wolcott Sanders, ambassador, Conference on Disarmament and special representative of the president for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and Mark Fitzpatrick, acting deputy assistant secretary for nonproliferation.
Sanders was quoted yesterday in the State Department's Electronic Journal, published ahead of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference scheduled in New York at the beginning of May.
Fitzpatrick spoke on March 17 at a security conference of the Organization of American States (OAS).
On March 7 President George Bush called for a strengthening of the NPT regime and thwarting the efforts of rogue states and terrorists to obtain weapons of mass destruction. Bush devoted his statement to enforcing NPT clauses on treaty regime members (like North Korea and Iran) and ignored non-member states (India, Pakistan, Israel and Cuba).
In the past six years, since the Wye conference in 1998, presidents Clinton and Bush repeatedly promised then prime ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak and also Ariel Sharon that Israel's strategic capability to protect itself will not be harmed.
Israeli experts on Bush's nuclear policy say that the president is focusing on objecting to the nuclear process of North Korea and Iran, and even approves aid to India -- in nuclear energy among other things -- and to Pakistan (selling F-16 planes), while far lower ranks abound with verbal formulas to excuse the withdrawal of the NPT regime during the Bush era.
Sanders and Fitzpatrick refrained from calling on Israel, India and Pakistan explicitly to renounce their weapons. The expectation of these three states was phrased in terms of a vow -- a verbal pledge to forswear, rather than real action. Nor was this demand accompanied by a time table, conditions and sanctions.
An official known for his sympathy for Israel, Robert Joseph, has been nominated undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, and has been serving in a similar position on the staff of the National Security Council. His predecessor in the post is U.N. ambassador-designate John Bolton, also known for his sympathy for Israel.
Sanders and Fitzpatrick hold more junior ranks in the administration.
In her statement yesterday Sanders said: "The Conference should also reinforce the goal of universal NPT adherence and reaffirm that India, Israel and Pakistan may join the NPT only as non-nuclear-weapon states. Just as South Africa and Ukraine did in the early 1990s, these states should forswear nuclear weapons and accept IAEA safeguards on all nuclear activities to join the treaty. At the same time, we recognize that progress toward universal adherence is not likely in the foreseeable future. The United States continues to support the goals of the Middle East resolution adopted at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference, including the achievement of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction."
According to the Israeli experts, the American administration does not want to expand nuclear proliferation to additional states in the region and agrees that in time it would be preferable to have the Middle East nuclear free, but disagrees with the immediate adoption of a policy which would prevent American forces like the Sixth Fleet ships and airplanes from carrying nuclear warheads in bombs and missiles as well.
This is the seventh time that the Review Conference is convening, to mark the 35th year of the NPT's establishment. The conference, held every five years, will end at the end of May, shortly before the IAEA governing council meets in Vienna in June to elect a director general. The U.S. has not decided yet whether to support incumbent IAEA Director General, Mohammed ElBaradei for another term.
2.
U.S. SAYS ISRAEL MUST RENOUNCE NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Al Jazeera
April 3, 2005
http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=7729
[PHOTO CAPTION: Israel is thought to have about 200 nuclear warheads at Dimona]
U.S. State Department has called on Israel to forswear nuclear weapons and accept (IAEA) international Atomic Energy Agency safeguards on all nuclear activities.
Officials at the Bush administration have called on India, Pakistan and Israel to act like Ukraine and South Africa, which in the last decade renounced their nuclear weapons.
The officials refer to Israel's military nuclear capability, as distinct from "nuclear option," which must be rolled back, although not necessarily in the "foreseeable future."
Those remarks contradict the custom of senior administration officials who always avoid any possible confirming reference to Israel’s nuclear weapons.
The officials, who hold middle-level and lower ranks, are Jackie Wolcott Sanders, ambassador, Conference on Disarmament and special representative of the president for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and Mark Fitzpatrick, acting deputy assistant secretary for nonproliferation.
Sanders was quoted on Friday in the State Department's Electronic Journal, published ahead of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference due to be held next Month in New York.
"The Conference should also reinforce the goal of universal NPT adherence and reaffirm that India, Israel and Pakistan may join the NPT only as non-nuclear-weapon states. Just as South Africa and Ukraine did in the early 1990s, these states should forswear nuclear weapons and accept IAEA safeguards on all nuclear activities to join the treaty. At the same time, we recognize that progress toward universal adherence is not likely in the foreseeable future. The United States continues to support the goals of the Middle East resolution adopted at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference, including the achievement of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction," Sanders said in her statement yesterday.
Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, spoke on March 17 during a security conference of the Organization of American States (OAS).
Last month, the U.S. President George W. Bush called for a strengthening of the NPT regime and foiling any attempts of rogue countries to obtain nuclear weapons. But he devoted his statement to enforcing NPT clauses on treaty regime members (like North Korea and Iran) and ignored non-member states (India, Pakistan, Israel).
Since 1998, when the Wye conference was launched, U.S. Presidents Clinton and Bush repeatedly promised then prime ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak and also Ariel Sharon that Israel's strategic capability to protect itself will never be harmed.
Sanders and Fitzpatrick refrained from explicitly calling on Israel, India and Pakistan to forswear nuclear weapons. The expectation of these three states was phrased in terms of a vow -- a verbal pledge to forswear, rather than real action. Also the demand wasn’t accompanied by a deadline, conditions or sanctions.
Robert Joseph, an official known for his sympathy for Israel, has been nominated undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, and has been serving in a similar position on the staff of the National Security Council. His predecessor in the post is UN ambassador-designate John Bolton, also known for his sympathy for Israel.
Israeli experts say that Washington does not want to expand nuclear proliferation to more states in the region, yet refuses the immediate adoption of a policy that would prevent U.S. forces like the Sixth Fleet ships and airplanes from carrying nuclear warheads in bombs and missiles as well.
U.N. FINALIZES TREATY TO HALT ‘NUCLEAR TERRORISM’
After seven years of negotiations, the United Nations has completed a treaty to halt nuclear terrorism on Friday.
The Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism criminalizes individuals’ possession of radioactive material or devices, requires nations to prosecute people who possess such material, and calls for the exchange of information and assistance between governments.
However, the treaty does not prohibit nations from using nuclear weapons militarily.
"Nuclear terrorism is one of the most urgent threats of our time," said the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
"Even one such attack could inflict mass casualties and change our world forever. That prospect should compel all of us to do our part to strengthen our common defenses."
The General Assembly is expected to endorse the convention during a summit of world leaders in September.
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