- 6 sept 2010
Ihsanoglu calls for international control on Israeli nuclear facilities
JEDDAH, (PIC)-- The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General, Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, welcomed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General's recent invitation for Israel to consider signing the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and subject its nuclear facilities to the IAEA's safeguards system.
The Secretary-General reiterated the OIC's firm stance in support of establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, noting that the spread of nuclear weapons in the Mideast is a major threat to international peace and security.
He urged the international community to exert greater pressure on Israel to renounce possession of nuclear weapons, sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and place all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards.
Meanwhile, he called on the Pakistani people to resort to reason, in the wake of a suicide bombing that targeted a demonstration in Quetta, Baluchistan province last Friday.
Ihsanoglu said the bombing that killed and wounded dozens amid a crowd of protesters in Quetta was a blind crime, that showed no regard for the sanctity of the holy month or the suffering of millions of victims, sick and displaced in the country's recent flood disaster.
The killings, Ihsanoglu explained, fall out of line with Islamic principles, which forbid killing Muslims and uphold the spirit of brotherhood and togetherness.
http://bit.ly/aM14v9
31 mar 2012, 23:16 , Respect -
Maria 12 sept 2010
US against focus on Israel at IAEA
US Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Glyn Davies
The US has warned the Arab states against renewing efforts to focus attention on Israel at an upcoming meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
US Ambassador to the IAEA Glyn Davies on Saturday warned "Arab ambassadors not to risk what they had achieved, by attempting to pass a new resolution condemning Israel" at the IAEA Board of Governors Meeting and the 54th IAEA General Conference that is expected to begin next week.
Holding back the censure would encourage Israel's participation in an IAEA conference that is hoped to take place sometime in 2012, Davies told the international Arab-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
He was referring to a statement release following the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in New York, which urged Tel Aviv to sign the treaty and place all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards.
The statement drew fire from the United States, which has always endorsed Israel's policy of "nuclear ambiguity" under which Tel Aviv neither confirms nor denies possessing nuclear weapons.
Former US President Jimmy Carter has said Israel has between 200 and 300 nuclear warheads, referring to Tel Aviv as the sole possessor of nuclear arms in the Middle East.
Washington's support has recurrently helped Tel Aviv evade high-profile condemnation.
US President Barack Obama has voiced Washington's strong opposition to "efforts to single out Israel."
http://www.presstv.com/detail/142244.html...Read more 31 mar 2012, 23:16 , Respect -
Maria 13 sept 2010
U.S. urges Arab states to drop Israel nuclear treaty demand
U.S. envoy to IAEA says resolution calling on Israel to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty would send a negative signal to Middle East peace talks.
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, are seeking to build on a victory at an assembly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency last year when they narrowly won support for a non-binding resolution calling on Israel to join the Non-Proliferation treaty.
They are expected to propose a similar text to this year's meeting of the 151-nation assembly starting on Sept. 20, diplomats say.
The United States says that zeroing in on Israel, widely believed to be the region's only nuclear power, could jeopardize an Egyptian-proposed conference in 2012 to discuss creating a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.
Glyn Davies, the U.S. ambassador to the IAEA, said it may also have an impact on the relaunched, U.S.-backed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
"We need to send a positive impulse to that broader peace process, not a negative one," he told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation governing board, which takes place in the week before the assembly session.
Israel and the United States see Iran as the region's main nuclear proliferation threat, accusing it of seeking to develop atomic weapons. Tehran rejects the charge.
Israel has never confirmed or denied having atom bombs under a policy of ambiguity to deter its many regional foes.
It condemned last year's resolution urging it to accede to the 40-year-old nuclear NPT, saying it was backed by adversaries that question its right to exist.
Israel, which would have to forswear atomic arms and place all its nuclear facilities under the IAEA's watch if it signed the NPT, says full Middle East peace is a condition for it to join.
The United States alarmed Israel in May by backing Egypt's initiative for the 2012 conference, but the Obama administration has since pledged to keep the Jewish state from being singled out.
Davies said the priority was to make the 2012 conference possible and this would not happen by continuing to "bludgeon" one member state, referring to Israel.
"In order for 2012 to succeed all countries have to show up ... right now there is one country that has very little incentive to do that because of the way they are being made a pariah in this process," he said.
"We have been working with the Arab League but also other partners to urge them to withdraw the Israeli nuclear capabilities resolution to spare the (IAEA assembly meeting) another fight," Davies added.
http://bit.ly/a49k31 -
Maria 14 sept 2010
'Israel center of heated IAEA debates'
The head of the Arab League's mission to the IAEA Board of Governor's meetings, Dr. Mikhail Wehbe
The Arab League (AL) says Israel's nuclear activities are to form the center of "heated" debates during the UN nuclear watchdog's meetings.
The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors began to meet in Vienna on Monday.
The Arab group and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) -- which refuses to ally itself with the major superpowers -- were determined to broach Israel's nuclear program during the gatherings, the head of the AL's delegation, Dr. Mikhail Wehbe had told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) ahead of the meetings, independent news outlet the Eurasia Review reported.
The groups resolved to push Israel into the spotlight following a recent "disappointing" report by the IAEA Director General, Yukiya Amano.
Amano had said in his report that Tel Aviv was restricting the agency in examining its nuclear potentials. He had also called on Tel Aviv to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and "place all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards" -- the obligations it has been invariably evading.
Since 1958, when Israel began building its Dimona plutonium and uranium processing facility, it has secretly manufactured scores of nuclear warheads, earning reputation as the sole owner of such weapons in the Middle East.
Former US President Jimmy Carter has attested to the existence of the arsenal, which he said includes between 200 to 300 warheads.
Israel, however, has neither confirmed nor denied possessing nuclear arms under a policy of "nuclear ambiguity."
The United States support for Israel has, meanwhile, recurrently helped Tel Aviv evade high-profile condemnation.
Wehbe underscored that the Arab group refuses the West's approach of shifting focus from Israel to Syria and Iran.
The Islamic Republic insists that it has always fully cooperated with the IAEA, reiterating that it has answered all questions regarding its nuclear work.
The IAEA chief has also reported to the agency's Board of Governors about Tehran's nuclear program, confirming that it "continues to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran."
The West, however, continues to allege military ambitions behind Iran's nuclear activities and build up focus on the country during the nuclear watchdog's meetings.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/142548.html 31 mar 2012, 23:16 , Respect -
Maria 15 sept 2010
NAM urges full report on Israeli nukes
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano.
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to provide a comprehensive report on Israel's nuclear activities.
The Egyptian government, on behalf of NAM member states, demanded on Tuesday that IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano issue an exhaustive report on Israel's nuclear arsenals, IRNA reported.
The development came after Amano submitted a report to the IAEA Board of Governors on Friday concerning Tel Aviv's controversial nuclear program.
The report acknowledged that the agency cannot monitor and assess Israel's undisclosed nuclear sites due to measures by the Tel Aviv regime restricting the agency from examining its nuclear facilities and potentials.
It also expressed "concern about the Israeli nuclear capabilities" and linked it to "concern about the threat posed by the proliferation of nuclear weapons for the security and stability of the Middle East."
In his visit to Israel last month, Amano called on Tel Aviv to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, also known as the NPT.
Israel has been refusing to confirm or deny its possession of nuclear warheads. Widely considered to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East, the Israeli regime is widely believed to have over 250 atomic warheads.
Having endorsed Israel's policy of "nuclear ambiguity" over the past 40 years, the United States warned Arab states on Saturday against renewing efforts to focus attention on Israel at an upcoming IAEA meeting.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/142579.html 31 mar 2012, 23:17 , Respect -
Maria 15 sept 2010
IAEA to meet on Iran, Syria, Israel
The IAEA Board of Governors is to hold its regular meeting on Iran, Syria and Israel's nuclear programs on September 15.
The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to hold a meeting at the agency's headquarters to review Iran, Syria and Israel's nuclear programs.
The IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano's latest report on Iran's nuclear program is due to be discussed in the regular meeting of the agency on Wednesday.
Amano's report, released early September, has reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to the agency's rules and confirmed the non-diversion of Iran's nuclear activities towards military or banned objectives.
Although the technical details of the report continue to evade most readers, it underscores the Islamic Republic's successful achievements in technical and scientific activities, particularly enrichment, Iran's Ambassador to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh told Fars news agency after the release of the report.
Earlier, the Iranian envoy said that he would provide the Board of Governors with a technical analysis of the IAEA report.
The Non-Aligned Movement's statement in support of Iran's nuclear program, released three days after Amano's report, will be read out by the Egyptian ambassador to the IAEA during the meeting.
The 35 members of the Board of Governors will also address Israeli and Syrian nuclear capabilities and IAEA technical cooperation programs as well.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/142562.html 31 mar 2012, 23:17 , Respect -
Maria 16 sept 2010
IAEA resolution looms large on Israel
Arab states remain adamant about bringing Israel to account for its nuclear activities by proposing a relevant draft resolution to UN's nuclear watchdog for its upcoming annual conference.
As the 54th annual general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is set to convene next week, there is great international anticipation for a major focus on Tel Aviv's nuclear activities, after so many years of ignoring the issue.
"The Arab Group urges to keep the item 'Israeli nuclear capabilities' on the agenda of the general conference and ... will submit a draft resolution," said the Sudanese envoy to the organization, Mahmound El-Amin on behalf of 22 Arab states, AFP reported.
"The Arab Group requests the IAEA member states to support the draft resolution and vote in favor of it," he added.
The Israeli regime is widely believed to have manufactured numerous nuclear warheads since 1958, a year after IAEA's inception.
The agency, however, has so far refused to ratify any resolutions on Israel's nuclear activities.
Former US President Jimmy Carter has attested to the existence of the Israeli nuclear arsenal, confirming that it includes between 200 to 300 warheads. Decades of recurrent reporting and aerial footage have also established the Israeli possession of atomic arms.
The IAEA Director General, Yukiya Amano recently reported to the agency's Board of Governors about the nuclear program, saying that Tel Aviv was restricting the agency from examining its nuclear potentials.
The report, however, merely calls on Tel Aviv to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and "place all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards," with no enforcement or follow-up measures behind it.
El-Amin called the report "weak and disappointing" and said that the organization uses "double standards" when it comes to Israel.
Efforts by Arab states and other countries caused an NPT review conference in May to issue a statement, highlighting the importance of Tel Aviv's acceding to the treaty and its allowing the IAEA to fully inspect its nuclear sites.
The United States, Israel's strongest ally, has served its Arab allies with a warning against supporting the draft resolution on Israel's nuclear activities, arguing that it poses risks to the renewed direct talks between the Tel Aviv regime and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Many Palestinian groups have already abandoned hope in the process, citing the White House's partiality in favor of the Israelis and arguing that the acting PA Chief, Mahmoud Abbas, does not represent most Palestinians.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/142772.html 31 mar 2012, 23:17 , Respect -
Maria 16 sept 2010
NAM: IAEA could die saving Israel
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) warns that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should not protect nuclear-armed Israel at the organization's own cost.
The movement, which dissociates itself from major superpowers, used the final day of an IAEA meeting in Vienna to highlight Israel's possession of nuclear weapons, a Press TV's correspondent reported on Thursday.
The 118-member movement expressed its "grave concern over the selective approach of the IAEA towards the issue of the Israeli nuclear capabilities."
This attitude "puts at stake the viability of the IAEA as an independent technical body," NAM said.
Tel Aviv is believed to have manufactured scores of nuclear warheads since 1958, a year after IAEA's inception.
The organization, however, has so far refused to ratify a resolution against Israel's nuclear activities and has simply sufficed to call on Tel Aviv to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and to "place all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards."
Former US President Jimmy Carter has attested to the existence of the Israeli nuclear arsenal, which he said includes between 200 to 300 warheads. Decades of recurrent reporting and aerial footage have also confirmed the possession.
NAM also underlined that "stability and security cannot be achieved in a region, where a massive imbalance of military capabilities is maintained systematically."
The disproportionate distribution of armed power "allows one party in the region to threaten" others, it added, referring to Israel.
Nam referred to the situation as "unacceptable" and urged that it be addressed "very seriously" so an end can be put to it.
Israel maintains a policy of "nuclear ambiguity," in line with which it neither confirms nor denies having nuclear armaments.
Israel, backed by the US, has also so far evaded punitive measures.
A notable push by the Arab states in an NPT review conference in May resulted in a resolution, addressing Israel's nuclear issue.
In the closing chapters of the IAEA meeting, the European Union staged support for Washington's stance and asked the Arab countries not to table any further such resolutions.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/142756.html 31 mar 2012, 23:17 , Respect -
Maria 16 sept 2010
U.S. urges Arab countries to leave Israel off the agenda at IAEA conference
Resolution against Israel could threaten peace process, say U.S. officials.
The United States urged Arab nations on Thursday to withdraw a planned resolution to focus on Israel's nuclear capabilities at next week's International Atomic Energy Agency conference. U.S. officials claim that singling out Israel now could jeopardize the progress of the ongoing Middle East peace talks and could harm wider steps toward a Middle East free of such weapons.
Arab IAEA member countries plan to advocate at the upcoming meeting in Vienna for a resolution voicing concern over Israel's nuclear weapons and promising to step up pressure to get it to join the anti-atomic arms pact.
Earlier on Thursday, the Arab nations accused IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano of producing a "weak and disappointing" report on his efforts to get Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Despite U.S. efforts, Arab nations said in a statement to the IAEA's governing board that they would urge member states to vote in favor of the non-binding resolution which also calls on Israel to open up all its nuclear sites to agency inspections.
They won narrow backing for a similar resolution at last year's assembly meeting of the 151-nation IAEA, but the United States has lobbied hard to avoid a repeat of what it calls a divisive measure this year.
The 2009 resolution called on IAEA chief Amano to prepare a report on how to implement its objectives.
In a statement made available to reporters, Arab countries said Amano's report last month inviting Israel to consider joining the nuclear NPT was "weak and disappointing, devoid of any substance and not up to the typical level of the Agency's reporting..."
"The report neither contained an assessment [of] the Israeli nuclear capabilities, nor did the Agency try to obtain any information about these capabilities, especially concerning a military dimension...," it continued.
The United States says that zeroing in on Israel - widely believed to be the region's only nuclear power, could jeopardize an Egyptian-proposed conference in 2012 to discuss creating a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.
It also says it would send a negative signal to re-launched, U.S.-backed peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
http://bit.ly/b8KNrM 31 mar 2012, 23:17 , Respect -
Maria 16 sept 2010
'US diverting attention from Israel'
The US move to slam an IAEA debate over Israel's nuclear program aims to divert attention from Tel Aviv's clandestine nuclear weapons, a journalist has told Press TV.
(4:50) [Press TV News] Update 2 on Iran's Nuclear Energy Program. NAM Backs Iran's Program
The US here is just trying to push the issue of Israel's weapons back into obscurity, San Francisco-based journalists Henry Norr said in a Thursday interview with Press TV.
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano traveled to al-Quds (Jerusalem) in August to call on Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
In his report to the IAEA board of governors on Friday, Amano said he had conveyed to Tel Aviv the agency's "concern about the Israeli nuclear capabilities and invited Israel to consider acceding to the NPT and placing all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards."
The United States protested the report, with State Department spokesman Philip Crowley saying the IAEA is not the place where Israel's accession to the NPT can be discussed.
The real objection [by the US] is not to the particular time or to the particular place where this [Israel's nuclear program] has come up, but to the very fact that it is being discussed, Norr further said.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied possessing nuclear weapons while it is widely believed that Tel Aviv has over 200 nuclear warheads.
Having endorsed Israel's policy of "nuclear ambiguity" over the past 40 years, the US warned the Arab states on Saturday against renewing efforts to focus attention on Israel at the IAEA meeting.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/142743.html 31 mar 2012, 23:17 , Respect -
Maria 16 sept 2010
US: IAEA conference no place to discuss Israel nukes
US State Department Spokesman Phillip Crowley said Israel's nuclear program should not be discussed during next week's International Atomic Energy Agency conference.
Crowley said such a debate may hurt the direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3955012,00.html 31 mar 2012, 23:17 , Respect -
Maria 16 sept 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBHen8wgIzA -
Maria 17 sept 2010
EU urges resumption of talks with Iran
EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton
European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, has expressed hope for the resumption of negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, a report says.
Ashton made a reference to her correspondence with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, and said, "Our communications continue and there's hope for the resumption of talks," Fars news agency reported on Friday.
She further stressed the need for "going back to the negotiating table at the first opportunity."
Since June, the UN Security Council, the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions against Iran, amid US and Israeli-led allegations that Tehran is pursuing a military nuclear program.
The Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied the charge, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it has the right to civilian nuclear energy.
Tehran says any talks on its nuclear program must focus on a May 17 nuclear fuel swap declaration it signed with Turkey and Brazil amid efforts to resolve the standoff with the West through diplomacy.
The declaration outlines Iran's readiness to swap 1,200 kg of its low-enriched uranium on Turkish soil for nuclear fuel.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/142815.html