[NYTr] It's the USA's Nuke Arsenal That Worries the World: Iran's UN Amb.

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

IRNA - Oct 18, 2007
http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-20/0710182245011828.htm

Iran's Ambassador to UN says US nuclear arsenal worries world

United Nations, New York, Oct 18, IRNA

Iran's Permanent Representative to UN Mohammad Khazaie said here
Wednesday Iran, the only victim of chemical weapons in contemporary era
is highly motivated for efforts aimed at a world without WMD, adding,
thousands of nuclear warheads at US arsenal worry world nations.

Khazaie made the comment at a meeting of the UN General Assembly's 1st
Committee, allocated to surveying disarmament and international
security.

The IRI Ambassador expounded on Iran's basic policies in that respect,
Iran's stands regarding usage of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,
and the assault of Saddam's armed forces against Iran and brutal vast
usage of chemical weapons during the eight years of imposed war.

Khazaie added, "Nearly two decades after the end of the Iraqi imposed
war, still thousands of Iranians are suffering from the effects of the
chemical weapons, whose raw materials were provided by some permanent
members of the UN Security Council."

Referring to the existence of thousands of chemical weapons at the
arsenal of the US Army, he said, "Today, the world is worried about
those fatal weapons more than ever."
The Iranian envoy pointed out the contradictions in declared US policies
regarding global disarmament, while Washington simultaneously threatens
other nations of atomic bombardments.

He added, "Although the United States claims to be the standard bearer
of the international campaign against weapons of mass destruction (WMD),
Washington takes full advantage of the stockpiled nukes at its arsenals
as an effective tool at the service of materializing its security and
foreign policy objectives.

Khazaie said, "The United States is today threatening the non-nuclear
countries that are members of the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of US nuclear attacks.

Iran's Ambassador at UN also denounced the revived US missile shield
defense, which he said is the reminder of the Cold War era, questioned
Washington's intentions in bringing up the issue again, adding, "By
allocating fifty billion dollars to that suspicious project, the US is
after establishment of absolute security for itself."

He said, "Yet, such a project has long term negative aftermaths for
entire world nations, and materializing such an objective is basically
impossible in our closely inter-related world today." Elsewhere in his
address, Khazaie criticized the Zionist regime's persistent refusal
from signing the nuclear NPT, while pursuing its military nuclear
programs secretly, arguing, "Israel is the only obstacle in the way of
declaring the Middle East a nuclear weapons free zone."

He added, "The international community, and particularly the regional
countries, must act unanimously to counter the threat posed by he
nuclear weapons of that expansionist, usurper regime." Khazaie in his
address also referred to the work plan agreed upon by Iran and the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) aimed at solving the entire
remaining ambiguities, calling the initiative a long stride taken by
Iran, that has led to creation of a positive atmosphere for returning
Iran's nuclear dossier to the agency." Iran's permanent representative
at UN reiterated, "The IAEA's technical framework and holding
negotiations are the only appropriate ways for solving Iran's nuclear
problems appropriately." He emphasized, "The Iranian nation and
Government are resolutely determined to materialize their absolute
right to take advantage of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes."

Khazaie further stressed, "We are also determined to conquer the peaks
of nuclear sciences, while Iran respects its entire international
commitments, including those stated in the NPT, and asking for nothing
beyond his rights."