[ RadSafe ] UN rejects new antiproliferation rules

[James Salsman]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/unnuclearreforms

World leaders shake heads as reforms to check nuclear arms spread dumped

Thu Sep 15, 4:23 AM ET

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Kofi Annan has called it a disgrace and
Australian Prime Minister John Howard termed it a major disappointment.

After months of wrangling, world leaders were shaking their heads
over the dumping of proposed UN reforms to check nuclear weapons
proliferation and disarmament.

Despite increasing concerns over illicit nuclear weapon networks
and terrorists seeking weapons of mass destruction, negotiators
working for months on a reform package to beef up the United Nations
failed to agree on how to revamp global non-proliferation rules.

They adopted a watered-down package of reforms to be endorsed by
the leaders of the world attending the 60th anniversary meeting of
the global body.

Proposed new rules on nuclear weapons proliferation and disarmament
were completely disregarded.

"It's a real disgrace," said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan,
lamenting the omission, which reportedly came after Washington gave
only lukewarm support for the reforms.

He blamed "posturing" for the failure to find a common approach to
the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

Annan called nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament "our biggest
challenge, and our biggest failing," citing a similar failed effort
at a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) conference earlier this
year.

Diplomats said the United States had vehemently objected to focusing
on disarmament by major powers rather than on the spread of nuclear
weapons among rogue states and terrorists.

Norway crafted the proposals and submitted them to the United Nations
in July, with Annan backing the initiative as a basis "for a
wide-ranging consensus."

The United States initially stayed mum on the proposed reforms.

But only days before the summit, the world's only superpower
reluctantly came into the fold, joining about about half the 191
UN member nations led by Britain, Australia, Indonesia, South Africa,
Chile and Romania.

John Bolton, an ex-arms control chief at the US State Department
and currently the new US ambassador to the UN, reportedly was against
the proposal initially and, some claim, had campaigned against it.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard did not hide his disgust.

"I'm very, very disappointed" by the omission, he said.

"We think issues concerning Iran and North Korea and proliferation
issues are the most important item on the disarmament agenda, and
if serious progress is to be made then we have to make progress in
these areas," he said

Indonesian government spokesman Marty Natalegawa agreed.

He said it was a "matter of concern" that various parties had
expressed concern over proliferation and disarmament and yet did
not back the much needed reform.

"It is a glaring omission. The absence is disquieting. We find that
one of the most deserving aspects of the whole document," he said.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said both the
proliferation and the perpetual possession of nuclear weapons posed
an "unacceptable global danger."

He called for a "new consensus" to achieve disarmament and
non-proliferation.

The lukewarm US support for disarmament efforts stems from concerns
relating to issues such as the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which
Washington has refused to ratify, one Western diplomat said.

It was the collapse of the NPT review conference, which the United
States was again blamed for, that prompted the reforms crafted by
Norway together with Britain, Australia, Indonesia, Chile and
Romania.