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Nuclear weapons are the most destructive and horrific of all weapons ever invented in the history of humanity. They were created in early 1940s and used against the civilian population of Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. Since then millions of people around the world have called for a total ban and the elimination of these weapons. During the 1970s and 1980s, in a step towards complete nuclear disarmament, the idea of nuclear weapon free zones were circulated by certain organizations and governments. It was also introduced in the United Nations. There were proposals for a nuclear weapon-free Europe, Pacific region, and Middle East. With so much bloodshed, violence, and tension, now more than ever, the idea of a nuclear free zone in the Middle East is important.
How would it work? All countries in the region, without any exception, should join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). They should renounce the use of nuclear weapons, especially as first strike weapons and eliminate any existing stockpiles of these weapons. They should sign bilateral and multi-lateral agreements to ensure all parties that these weapons will never be produced and used. If any country in the Middle East has nuclear facilities they should be completely open to international and third party inspections, both announced and surprise inspections. These facilities should only be used for peaceful purposes. No outside power should introduce any nuclear weapons into the region. Lastly, any disputes should be resolved through the United Nations.
Now, implementing this idea is extremely difficult given the current situation in the Middle East. The continuation of war and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan have increased tensions tremendously. US naval maneuvers in the Persian Gulf in addition to threats and counter threats, increase the possibility of military confrontation between Iran and the US. Some in the US government have made statements that in a military confrontation with Iran nothing is off the table. That means the unthinkable: the use of nuclear weapons against Iran. No matter how small or tactical these weapons are, their use against Iran opens a Pandora’s box and could lead to a global catastrophe, not to mention the horrors that it can bring upon the people of Iran and the rest of the region. Therefore, the idea of a nuclear-free zone is ever more imperative.
For this idea to be implemented, all countries in the region must be treated equally. This brings forth the question of Israeli nuclear weapons. For years the international community had suspected that Israel may posses nuclear weapon capability, but there was no evidence to prove it. Then in mid-1980s, Mordechai Venunu, an Israeli physicist and a nuclear technician, passed crucial information to the Sunday Times of London. Venunu revealed that not only does Israel have nuclear capability, but also it has a stockpile of more than 150 nuclear bombs. Additionally, it was found that Israel had helped the racist Apartheid regime in South Africa with the development of its nuclear weapon program (after the fall of Apartheid, the new South African government voluntarily abandoned its nuclear ambitions.). Later Venunu was kidnapped by Israeli agents in Italy and is now serving an 18 years sentence in Israel. Israel is not a signatory to NPT (Iran is). But, there is no pressure on Israel to open up its nuclear facilities to inspections, there are no threats of imposing sanctions on Israel (although it rarely respects international law), no pressure to urge the Israeli government to sign the NPT, or to ask it to renounce the use of nuclear weapons. Because of this double standard, other countries in the region can claim to have the right to possess nuclear weapons, where no one should have that right.
If there is to be a more peaceful world then the Middle East must become a nuclear free zone. In order to achieve this the following steps must be taken:
1. The occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan must end.
2. The US and other non-Middle Eastern countries should not introduce any nuclear weapons into the area, whether by planes, ships or submarines, or stationed on the ground.
3. Nuclear facilities of all countries in the region, without any exceptions, must be open to international inspections without any preconditions so that it is confirmed that these facilities are only used for peaceful purposes. (Although nuclear power can have its dangers as the world witnessed in Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. The Middle East can rely on solar, wind, hydrogen, and other clean renewable energy sources without resorting to nuclear power.)
4. Israel’s nuclear arsenal must be eliminated and it must sign the NPT.
5. The UN must be the sole arbiter of disputes and conflicts among the countries of the region.
6. Negotiations and dialogue must replace threats and confrontations.
7. All countries in the region must sign a treaty of mutual respect and recognition.
The use of nuclear weapons in the Middle East is unthinkable. If our goal is to have a peaceful region and a peaceful world, the Middle East must become a nuclear weapon free zone. This is imperative for all of humanity.
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