Iraq Urges 'Denuclearization' of Israel

Iraqi Minister of Science and Technology Abdel Karim al-Samarrai underlined dismantlement of Israel's nuclear arsenals as a key step towards the materialization of a nuclear-free Middle-East.The issue was raised by Samarrai at a meeting with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York. Samarrai who represented Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in meeting with UN chief, said Iraq has realized that creating a nuclear free Middle-East "will strengthen security of the governments and will be followed by world security and peace. "But establishment of a zone free from nuclear weapons in the Middle-East requires several steps, including denuclearizing Israel and forcing it to sign the NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) and subjecting its nuclear facilities to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection as well as adopting preventative measures to safeguard nuclear facilities all across the region," the Iraqi minister stated. Israel is believed to be the sole possessor of nuclear arms in the Middle East with over 200 ready-to-launch warheads in its stockpile. Signing up to the NPT would oblige Israel to open up its nuclear facilities to the IAEA.