U.S. "regrets" that Israel singled out in treaty text

[subsuelo]

Source: Reuters

The United States said on Friday it "deeply regrets" that the final declaration agreed by the 189 signatories of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty singles out Israel for not signing the pact.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher told a treaty review conference that Washington would work with countries in region to organize a successful conference on creating a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.

But she said the U.S. ability to do that "has been seriously jeopardized because the final document (approved by treaty signatories) singles out Israel in the Middle East section, a fact that the United States deeply regrets."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64R5RO20100528?type=politicsNews

[Xipe Totec]

1. Deeply regrets what?

That Israel is the only Middle East country that refused to sign?

or that Israel is the only Middle East country that has nuclear weapons?

[No Elephants]

13. Deeply regrets that someone pointed out that Israel refused tto sign.

No one should comment.

[Arctic Dave]

2. I don't regret it at all.

Sign on or face the fallout.

[Tesha]

3. We will never be able to create a "nuclear-free zone" in the Middle East...

...because the principal holders of nuclear weapons:

1) Don't admit they have them, even though they probably have hundreds, and

2) They're not at all likely to give them up.

Tesha

[Poll_Blind]

4. One of the best things to happen to Israel in recent memory. It's time they...

...move forward from their archaic way of thinking into the future. Part of that move is admitting they have nuclear weapons (which everyone already knows), signing the NPT and becoming a responsible member of the Middle East.

Set a good example, Israel. I'm tired of your governments wallowing in shit and using the excuse that the other governments in the Middle East wallow in more shit.

PB

[Violet_Crumble]

5. That's sterner wording than ever gets used by the US about Israeli settlements...

I do find the US formula amusing - criticism of Israel regardless of how factual it is equals 'singling Israel out', US Congress treating Israel differently and preferentially to any other country and putting out resolutions saying how awesome Israel is equals not singling Israel out, and criticism of the Palestinians equals criticism...

[MilesColtrane]

6. Not only has Israel not signed the treaty, they've sold nukes to at least one country.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/7757687/Israel-offered-to-sell-South-Africa-nuclear-weapons.html

[boppers]

7. That's about selling delivery systems, not warheads.

South Africa and Israel co-developed warheads, South Africa has since decided to divest themselves of nukes.

[MilesColtrane]

9. Sure....could be.

Or, not.

The documents on the Israeli side are coy, talking about "sizes" of a missile.

But, a SA government memo written by someone who attended the negotiations cuts to the chase.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0524/Did-Israel-offer-to-sell-South-Africa-nuclear-weapons

Critical to the interpretation of the documents is one South African memo labeled “Top Secret” that was declassified years ago, in which a Lt. Gen. – who had attended a meeting by Peres and Botha earlier in the day – analyzed the Jericho missiles offered by Israel.

The merits of the deal meant that “certain assumptions have been made,” among them “that the missiles will be armed with nuclear warheads manufactured in the RSA or acquired elsewhere.” The document goes on to describe the “need for a nuclear deterrent.”

[Warren Stupidity]

8. It's the hypocrisy, stupid.

[defendandprotect]

10. k

[ShortnFiery]

11. Unbelievable. eom

[Behind the Aegis]

12. What a shocker.