(Ha'aretz) Aluf Benn - Israel announced Monday that it would not join a new International Code of Conduct aimed at blocking proliferation of ballistic missile technology. The ICOC calls on member countries to behave transparently in matters of missiles and satellite launches, but Israel argues that transparency would harm its national security. In the political reality of the Middle East, reporting on missile launches would only escalate the arms race instead of reducing proliferation. "The code does not include practical steps for halting proliferation, and the member states do not provide guarantees in the form of arrangements for oversight regarding the export of missiles to problematic users," said the Foreign Ministry.
2002-11-28 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive