Today in New York the 8th NPT review conference finally got underway, five years since the last failed edition. In an atmosphere that is in general much more optimistic than last time, due to a change in US administration, the great rift between the USA and Iran was dramatically underlined by the walk-out of several delegations during the address by Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Starting the day’s series of speeches was UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon who addressed delegates on behalf of the world’s population saying, “The world’s people look to you for action”. Reminding delegates of the failure of the previous review conference, also largely due to US and Iranian intransigence, he added, “This time we can… and must… do better”.
The Secretary General called for gains towards disarmament, universal ratification of the treaty, the development of nuclear energy under agreed safeguards – much to the dismay of the Green lobby –ratification of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, for negotiations for a treaty to ban the production of fissile material, a Nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East and encouraged Iran to engage “constructively” with IAEA. “The onus is on Iran to clarify the doubts and concerns about its programme”. In a reference to North Korea he called on her to return to six nation talks.
The first Nation called to speak was also the most controversial, and President Ahmedinajad, had flown in from Tehran in person in order to lay out his country’s position.
He observed that, “The production and possession of a nuclear bomb, under whatever pretext be done, is a very dangerous act which first and foremost makes the country of production and stockpiling exposed… The sole function of the nuclear weapon is to annihilate all living beings and destroy the environment… The nuclear bomb is a fire against humanity rather than a weapon for defence…”
He called the possession of nuclear weapons, “disgusting and shameful”.
He criticised Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) for seeking dominance, blamed the United States for proliferation, and condemned US deterrence policies for the more than 20,000 weapons in the world. “The Government of the United States has not only used nuclear weapons, but also continues to threaten to use such weapons… against Iran.” He pointed out the hypocrisy of NWS for preventing non-NWS from exercising their “inalienable” right to nuclear energy and accused the USA of “double standards” over its acceptance of Israeli nuclear weapons.
“The IAEA has been putting the most possible pressures on non-nuclear weapon states under the pretext of proliferation risks, whilst those having nuclear bombs continue to enjoy full immunity and exclusive rights.”
“It would be naïve and irrational to expect an effective voluntary initiative towards disarmament and non-proliferation, simply because they consider nuclear weapons an element of superiority.”
“As an Iranian saying reads: ‘A knife never cuts its own handle.’ Expecting the major arms dealers to work for the establishment of security is an illogical expectation.”
He went on to accuse the US of diverting public attention away from its own NPT non-compliance, using the alleged threat of nuclear terrorism as a cover behind which to upgrade their own arsenals.
He proposed that, “The NPT should be evolved to Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Treaty.” And then went on to call for the 1995 proposal for a Middle East Nuclear Weapon Free Zone to come into force, for the US to remove their weapons stationed in Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands, and called for the UN Security Council to be restructured.
He repeatedly referred to nuclear energy as clean energy and repeated the slogan of a recent international conference in Iran, “Nuclear energy for all, nuclear weapons for none”.
Seeking to calm fears of Iran’s intentions, the President said, “The great nation of Iran is not in need of nuclear bombs for its development and does not regard it as a source of honour and dignity”.
In response, US secretary of State, Hillary Clinton referred to recent speeches and actions by President Obama and said, “I represent a President and a country committed to a vision of a world without nuclear weapons”
And while claiming the US is moving towards disarmament, she criticised North Korea and Iran for non-compliance and “cheating”. “This morning, Iran’s president offered the same tired, false, and sometimes wild accusations against the United States and other parties at this conference.”
The Secretary of State went on, “Iran will do whatever it can to divert attention away from its own record and to attempt to evade accountability”, ignoring the raised eyebrows of those mistrustful of US intentions who see more than a little irony in the statement.
Clinton also came with gifts for the anti-nuclear lobby, “I am announcing we will submit protocols to the United States Senate to ratify our participation in the nuclear-weapon-free zones that have been established in Africa and the South Pacific.”
But finally, it is clear that President Obama is likely to see his prophesy of no nuclear-free world in his life time as Clinton told the gathered delegates, “President Obama has made clear the United States will retain a nuclear deterrent for as long as nuclear weapons exist, one that can protect our country and our allies.”
Anti-nuclear organisations gathered on the fringes of the conference had to suffer queues of up to 7 hours in order to get their accreditation from the completely understaffed UN security staff. When finally entering the buildings, many were dismayed to hear about the disrespectful treatment of Iran by Western delegates. A World without Wars spokesperson said, “There’s more than a whiff of hypocrisy in the US’s dealings with Iran. Clearly no one wants Iran to achieve nuclear weapons, but the countries who are most in ‘non-compliance’ with the NPT are the Nuclear Weapons States who year after year make no movement towards real disarmament. How can you blame countries from trying to gain nuclear technology when their very existence is threatened by the World’s biggest bully?”
In a panel group organised by UK anti-nuclear organisation, CND, many expressed sadness and anger that not once had IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, been mentioned and that the NPT conference appeared to be overrun by the IAEA promoting the idea of widespread nuclear energy proliferation.
Anti-nuclear organisations still pin their hopes on a “Nuclear Weapons Convention”, a new treaty that moves straight to the banning of nuclear weapons as has been done with land-mines and chemical weapons and are crossing their fingers that enough countries give the idea their backing so that wording to this effect makes it into the final agreements due to come out by the 28th of May when the NPT finishes being revised.
