Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




NUKEWARS
US says conference on WMD-free Middle East cancelled
by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Nov 23, 2012


The United States said Friday a conference on a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction has been scrapped because of conditions in the region and lack of consensus among the states involved.

The conference, which was mooted in a 2010 review of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, was supposed to have been held next month in Finland.

But State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said states in the region had been unable to agree on "acceptable conditions for a conference" and she cited "present conditions in the Middle East" as standing in the way.

The announcement comes amid a flare up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza, civil war in Syria and an unsettled political situation in Egypt.

"The United States believes that a deep conceptual gap persists in the region on approaches toward regional security and arms control arrangements," Nuland said in a statement.

"These differences can only be bridged through direct engagement and agreement among the states in the region. Outside states cannot impose a process on the region any more than they can dictate an outcome.

"We would not support a conference in which any regional state would be subject to pressure or isolation," Nuland added, alluding to US ally Israel.

The issue has long set Israel, which has an undeclared nuclear stockpile, against Arab states led by Egypt, which want the United Nations to declare a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.

Israeli and western suspicions that Iran is secretly working toward a nuclear weapons capacity of its own have further complicated the task.

.


Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








NUKEWARS
Possible kingmaker calls for nuclear-armed Japan
Tokyo (AFP) Nov 20, 2012
Firebrand former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara, a potential kingmaker in next month's general election, said Tuesday Japan must acquire nuclear weapons if it wants to be taken seriously. At very least, avowedly pacifist Japan should examine what it would need to do to join the club of declared nuclear powers, the 80-year-old arch conservative told foreign journalists in Tokyo. "I thin ... read more


NUKEWARS
China's Chang'e-3 to land on moon next year

Moon crater yields impact clues

Study: Moon basin formed by giant impact

NASA's LADEE Spacecraft Gets Final Science Instrument Installed

NUKEWARS
Spacecraft Monitoring Martian Dust Storm

Meteorite samples provide definitive evidence of water and rock types on Mars

Curiosity Rover Preparing for Thanksgiving Activities

Curiosity Team May Reveal Major Discovery Soon

NUKEWARS
UK Secures Billion Pound Package For Space Investment

Europe, U.S. talk space program link

At Helsinki's Slush, start-ups 'speed date' for financing

NASA Selects Information Technology Flight Operations Support Contract

NUKEWARS
Mr Xi in Space

China plans manned space launch in 2013: state media

China to launch manned spacecraft

Tiangong 1 Parked And Waiting As Shenzhou 10 Mission Prep Continues

NUKEWARS
Three ISS crew return to Earth in Russian capsule

Station Crew Off Duty After Undocking

Space station command changes

Russia restores space contact after cable rupture

NUKEWARS
Pleiades 1B is ready for integration in the payload "stack" for Arianespace's next Soyuz mission

France, Germany compromise on Ariane launcher: minister

Mexsat Bicentenario is delivered to French Guiana for its December launch on Ariane 5

France, Germany seek Ariane compromise at ESA space meet

NUKEWARS
Rare image of Super-Jupiter sheds light on planet formation

Astronomers Directly Image Massive Star's 'Super-Jupiter'

NASA's Kepler Wraps Prime Mission, Begins Extension

Lowell astronomer, collaborators point the way for exoplanet search

NUKEWARS
Systems engineering expertise leads to increased counterfire target acquisition radar capabilities

Raytheon achieves critical firsts for US Navy dual-band radar

Thermogenerator from the Printer

University of Glasgow and Clyde Space set to put brakes on space junk problem




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement