Sixty-sixth General Assembly First Committee 6^th Meeting (AM) 

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/gadis3432.doc.htm 

MOHAMMAD KHAZEE ( Iran) said that after decades of hearing a repeated call to eradicate all nuclear weapons, the threat posed to international peace and security persisted, as thousands of such weapons were still in existence.  It was regrettable that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had maintained their rationale for the use of those weapons.  A country that had used nuclear bombs was still spending millions of dollars to develop further nuclear weapons. The best way to guarantee the vertical and horizontal non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, he said, was the full and non-selective implementation of the NPT, and assuring its universality, in particular in the Middle East, where the clandestine nuclear weapons programme of the only non-NPT party in the region, which had been assisted mostly by France, seriously threatened regional and international peace and security.Iran had proposed in 1974 the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, but that was not possible, owing to the persistent refusal of the “Zionist regime” to join the NPT and place its clandestine nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.  That “regime” since its inception had repeatedly attacked and openly threatened to attack other countries in the region, and those reckless actions showed the grave threat it posed, proving how much the nuclear weapons in the hands of such a regime could endanger regional, as well as international, peace and security.  The 1995 NPT resolution on the Middle East should be implemented, and there should be international pressure on the “Zionist regime” to force it to immediately accede to the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon party and place its facilities under IAEA safeguards, in order to remove the only impediment in the way of the long-sought-after goal of establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

JORGE VALERO BRICEÑO ( Venezuela) said the current economic crisis had affected many countries in many areas, and the current stalemate in arenas for discussions of disarmament matters was regrettable.  Certain hegemonic powers had hijacked the work in that area, which should be effectively endeavouring towards a peaceful world.  International nuclear disarmament efforts must be vertically and horizontally connected to non-proliferation.  During the fifth and sixth Review Conferences of the NPT, the objectives had not been achieved, owing to the lack of political will of some nuclear-weapon Powers.  The results of those reviews, however, did open up a space for discussions.  Nevertheless, it was necessary to overcome unilateralism to move ahead.He said that NPT States parties had a sovereign right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful uses, under IAEA safeguards.  Iran should have that right, he added.  

Right of Reply

Exercising his right of reply, Syria’s delegate said that the only nuclear threat in the Middle East was Israel, which had stated that it wanted to open a dialogue that was not genuinely committed to the idea of creating a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.  He said the Netherland’s delegate had today inaccurately referred to Syria.  Other incidents should be noted.  He pointed to a 1992 air crash near Amsterdam, with a cargo of chemical and radioactive materials, saying that the incident proved the Netherlands’ “hypocrisy”.  In the Dutch delegate’s statement, he also never called on Israel to join the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon State. He said that the Norwegian delegate had repeated in this Committee the same allegations, criticizing others, when her country had contributed to helping Israel develop nuclear weapons, he said.  As she was Ambassador to Israel, Norway’s delegate knew better than anyone what the situation was.  If Norway truly wanted to ensure non-proliferation, it should help with the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone and stop providing nuclear technology and materials to Israel.  And if Norway’s intentions were good, it should help the IAEA to put an end to the Israeli nuclear weapons programme that threatened peace and security.He said France, whose delegate had also addressed the Committee, was also responsible for supplying Israel with a nuclear reactor.  He would be pleased, as would other colleagues here, to hear a courageous presentation from France and other representatives who had supplied nuclear technology and materials to Israel evince an echo of guilt when criticizing Syria.  That was a double standard, and a manner of addressing issues in a deceptive way.  Issues of a technical nature should not be politicized here in New York.  He added that, in the past, France had tested its weapons in Algeria, near to inhabited areas.  That was a crime.

[NOW For those unfamiliar with the dutch incident mentioned,see...The Dutch, Israel and Airport Security - Part 2 http://www.eurotrib.com/story/2010/1/11/52935/8421

October 4, 2009 marked the 17th anniversary of the worst air disaster in Dutch history. It also was the date of the beginning of one of the largest scandals and cover-ups in the history of the Dutch government and it involved Israel, Mossad, the US, El Al, secret and illegal chemical weapons transfers, unconfirmed allegations of weapons-grade plutonium, and as many as 2,000 local residents and firemen eventually reporting health complaints.