(Reuters) Fredrik Dahl - The U.S. envoy to the UN atomic watchdog urged Arab states on Monday to withdraw a resolution calling on Israel to sign an anti-nuclear arms treaty, warning it would send a negative signal to Middle East peace talks. Arab countries, backed by Iran, narrowly won support at an assembly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency last year for a non-binding resolution calling on Israel to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and are expected to propose a similar text at this year's meeting which starts on Sept. 20. Israel condemned last year's resolution, saying it was backed by adversaries that question its right to exist. Israel says full Middle East peace is a condition for it to join the NPT. Glyn Davies, the U.S. ambassador to the IAEA, said, "We have been working with the Arab League but also other partners to urge them to withdraw the Israeli nuclear capabilities resolution."
2010-09-14 07:19:47Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive