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Last update - 23:12 05/03/2008
Arab League vows to drop out of NPT if Israel admits it has nuclear weapons
By The Associated Press
Tags: UN, Israel 

Arab countries will walk away from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty if Israel ever officially acknowledges it has nuclear weapons, the Arab League announced in a statement Wednesday.

As Arab foreign ministers met at the Cairo headquarters of the Arab League to prepare for their annual summit at the end of the month, they also issued a series of statements on regional issues, including extremely sensitive matter of Israel's refusal to join the NPT.

As soon as Israel announces it has nuclear weapons, the Arabs will announce their withdrawal from the Nonproliferation Treaty, the statement said.
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Israel is widely believed to be the only country in the Middle East to have nuclear weapons, though it maintains a policy of ambiguity, insisting it will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the region, without confirming or denying their existence.

That policy was shaken late last year when Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared to acknowledge Israel's possession of nuclear weapons in an interview with German television. He later maintained he was misunderstood.

Arab countries, all of which are signatories to the treaty, have long called for a nuclear-free Middle East and expressed their concern over Israel's apparent possession of nuclear weapons.

They said that if Israel admitted to having the weapons, they would call on the UN Security Council to pressure Israel to destroy its nuclear arsenal and bring its other atomic installation under international inspection.

If this did not happen, Arab countries would leave the treaty and not sign any new one until Israel itself joined.

While no Arab country is known to be actively seeking nuclear weapons, several countries in the region have expressed interest in starting civilian nuclear programs with foreign cooperation.


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      1.   Again Olmert`s big mouth gets Israel into trouble 21:28  |  Shepherd 05/03/08
      2.   He He he, Funny Arab leaders!!! 22:23  |  Moise 05/03/08
      3.   Look East 22:32  |  p 05/03/08
      4.   what is the root cause. 22:45  |  Shalom 05/03/08
      5.   THE HALT LEADING THE BLIND 23:16  |  Brant 05/03/08
      6.   Since 1974 the US has known about israel`s nuclear capabilities! 23:18  |  lakshmi 05/03/08
      7.   Bad Joke 23:32  |  Mary 05/03/08
      8.   How about Arab League signing peace agreement with Israel? 23:37  |  David 05/03/08
      9.   # 6 lakshmi - you may not know but muslims are 23:40  |  17 05/03/08
      10.   lakshmi - Do you have anything else better to do pig? I`m sure 23:40  |  x 05/03/08
      11.   LAKSHMI AND NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES 23:49  |  Brant 05/03/08
      12.   Lakshmi # 6 the US knows 23:50  |  Bill H. 05/03/08
      13.   were spin is not a lie? 23:52  |  billy jack 05/03/08
      14.   #6 Lakshmi - Read the constitution 23:54  |  steve 05/03/08
      15.   ANOTHER PUBLIC EXCUSE 00:19  |  TOBI 06/03/08
      16.   So... 00:25  |  bbl 06/03/08
      17.   This Should Be Israels Response 00:26  |  Ben S 06/03/08
      18.   #8 00:40  |  T.T 06/03/08
      19.   With Pakistan`s "Islamic Bomb" test, Israel can do as she pleases 00:44  |  Dr. L. Brnd 06/03/08
      20.   we have nukes we have nukes we have nukes hahahahahahahahahahahah 00:56  |  happy harold 06/03/08
      21.   stop bashing 00:58  |  Sam 06/03/08
      22.   what if we call it someone other than a nuclear weapon? 01:08  |  vik 06/03/08
      23.   ARAB LEAGUES POLITE REQUEST 01:19  |  Ian 06/03/08
      24.   Absolutely silly 01:27  |  Mark Lincoln 06/03/08
      25.   The Arab League is rewarding Israel 01:46  |  Conroy 06/03/08
      26.   Israel allowed nuclear weapons, but Arabs are not - God said so! 02:02  |  Isaac Hassen 06/03/08
      27.   They should drop out now 02:04  |  Rustam 06/03/08
      28.   Arab Leaders 02:38  |  Atoo 06/03/08
      29.   Israel has no nukes... 02:48  |  Stephen. 06/03/08
      30.   Spineless American stooges 03:01  |  Truth 06/03/08
      31.   Arab League crap 03:36  |  Brod 06/03/08
      32.   no nukes for gentiles. who invented them get to keep them 04:08  |  mitch 06/03/08
      33.   to Atoo 04:21  |  Ibrahim 06/03/08
      34.   A Nation of Lies 04:44  |  Bernie 06/03/08
      35.   Lakshmi The Habitual Indian Liar About US Constitution 04:47  |  Eli 06/03/08
      36.   Silly Arabs babble again 13:49  |  David Teich 06/03/08
      37.   Israel-Nukes /Arab League and the NPT 18:27  |  Ricardo Kolbe 06/03/08
      38.   to #29 Stephen,so if Israel has no nukes, why not to allow 18:40  |  Zaki 06/03/08
      39.   to #19 Dr.L.Brnd, well said,show us your real face 18:48  |  Zaki 06/03/08
      40.   What? 18:48  |  Edward H 06/03/08
      41.   Israel-Nuclear Weapons /Arab L. -NPT 19:06  |  Ricardo Kolbe 06/03/08
      42.   Poor helpless Israel 19:36  |  Sharon 06/03/08
      43.   40: Edward, study harder 20:00  |  David Teich 06/03/08
      44.   Its not a big mouth it is scum israeli war crimes 20:50  |  the truth 06/03/08
      45.   39Zaki,Burned is a dangerous lunatic;he`s also quite uninformed 02:12  |  lakshmi 07/03/08
      46.   45: Lakshmi, to bad you can`t be as honest as 15:25  |  David Teich 07/03/08
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