(AP-Washington Post) George Jahn - International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano sent a letter soliciting proposals from the agency's 151 member states on how to persuade Israel to sign the Nonproliferation Treaty, in a move that adds to pressure on the Jewish state to disclose its unacknowledged nuclear arsenal. Israel, in turn, is suggesting efforts should focus instead on giving teeth to the nuclear treaty to prevent signatories like Iran from acquiring such weapons. In his letter, Amano asked foreign ministers to share views on how to implement a resolution demanding that Israel "accede" to the Nonproliferation Treaty and throw its nuclear facilities open to IAEA oversight. In response Thursday, an Israeli government official noted that the treaty obligating nations to stop the spread of nuclear weapons didn't stop countries like Saddam Hussein's Iraq and now Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons programs.
2010-05-07 08:09:42Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive