Hans Blix Says Israel and Iran Should Both End Fuel Cycles

Tweet WMD Commission head says Israel and Iran 'should both end fuel-cycles'
Yaakov Lappin

LUXEMBOURG - Israel should comply with the same demand being made of Iran, to cease its nuclear fuel-cycle and stop enriching uranium, Hans Blix, Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC), told Ynetnews Thursday. Blix had earlier delivered a speech at the International Conference on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe being held in Luxembourg, where he warned that the "world is sleep-walking into nuclear rearmament."

Formally a top UN weapons inspector, Blix now heads the Sweden-based WMDC, which says it aims to "forge realistic and constructive ideas and proposals aimed at the greatest possible reduction of the dangers of weapons of mass destruction."

In a report recently released by the WMDC, seen by Ynetnews, the Committee stated: "While Israel, feeling under threat from Iran and others, is not likely to discard its nuclear-weapon capability except as part f a peace settlement, it could help to reduce tension, as is now asked of Iran, by joining Iran and all other states in the region in a commitment to suspend and renounce any fuel-cycle activities," the report said.

"We assume Israel has 200 nuclear warheads. Stop the work in Dimona," Blix said.

'End reprocessing of uranium'

He outlined the Commission's vision for a nuclear free Middle East, and called on Israel to consider a "cessation of reprocessing of uranium" as a step to "contribute to the collective security of the Middle East."

"In the Middle East, Iran looked at Iraq and decided to go nuclear. Israel looked at the Arab states. And now Jordan, Egypt, and the Gulf states are talking about initiating a nuclear fuel cycle, which would bring them closer to having the capability for nuclear weapons," Blix said.

"What would cause them to feel safe? The guarantee of a non-attack," he added. Blix dismissed military strikes, or the pressure created by the threat of such action, as failed means to end nuclear programs.

"The best way to guarantee security is a WMD free zone," Blix said. He said the Middle East should go down the road of the Korean peninsula, where both North and South Korea committed themselves to ridding the region of WMDs.

"If all countries in the Middle East commit themselves not to have a nuclear fuel cycle, that would create such a zone," Blix said. He added that he was not asking Israel to destroy its alleged nuclear arsenal, but to "end the reprocessing of uranium."