Canada votes against UN motion calling on Israel to open up nuclear program to inspection

[key2thecup]

Canada votes against UN motion calling on Israel to open up nuclear program to inspection

Canada was on the losing side of a vote after the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling on Israel to quickly open its nuclear program for inspection and backing a high-level conference to ban nuclear weapons from the Middle East which was just cancelled.

All the Arab nations and Iran had planned to attend the conference in mid-December in Helsinki, Finland, but the United States announced on Nov. 23 that it wouldn’t take place, citing political turmoil in the region and Iran’s defiant stance on nonproliferation. Iran and some Arab nations countered that the real reason for the cancellation was Israel’s refusal to attend.

The resolution, approved Monday by a vote of 174-6 with 6 abstentions, calls on Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty “without further delay” and open its nuclear facilities to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Those voting “no” were Israel, the U.S., Canada, Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau.

Resolutions adopted by the 193-member General Assembly are not legally binding but they do reflect world opinion and carry moral and political weight.

Israel refuses to confirm or deny it has nuclear bombs though it is widely believed to have a nuclear arsenal. It has refused to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, or NPT, along with three nuclear weapon states — India, Pakistan and North Korea.

The Arab proposal to create a weapons-of-mass-destruction-free zone in the Mideast, and to pressure Israel to give up its undeclared arsenal of perhaps 80 nuclear warheads, was endorsed at an NPT conference in 1995 but never acted on. In 2010, the 189 parties to the 1970 treaty called for convening a conference in 2012 on the establishment of a WMD - free zone in the Middle East.

The resolution, which was approved by the assembly’s disarmament committee before the conference was cancelled, noted the decision to hold it “with satisfaction.”

But Israel has long said there first must be a Mideast peace agreement before the establishment of a Mideast zone free of weapons of mass destruction. The region’s Muslim nations argue that Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal presents the greatest threat to peace in the region.

The Israeli government had no immediate comment on Monday’s General Assembly vote.

Last week, the General Assembly upgraded the Palestinians to that of a nonmember observer state, endorsing an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

Just before Monday’s vote, Iranian diplomat Khodadad Seifi told the assembly “the truth is that the Israeli regime is the only party which rejected to conditions for a conference.” He called for “strong pressure on that regime to participate in the conference without any preconditions.”

Israeli diplomat Isi Yanouka said his country has continuously pointed to the danger of nuclear proliferation in the Mideast, singling out Iran and Syria by name.

“All these cases challenge Israel’s security and cast a dark shadow at the prospect of embarking on a meaningful regional security process,” he said.

“The fact that the sponsors include in this anti-Israeli resolution language referring to the 2012 conference proves above all the ill-intent of the Arab states with regard to this conference,” Yanouka said.

Syrian diplomat Abdullah Hallak told the assembly his government was angry that the conference wasn’t going to take place because of “the whim of just one party, a party with nuclear warheads.”

“We call on the international community to put pressure on Israel to accept the NPT, get rid of its arsenal and delivery systems, in order to allow for peace and stability in our region,” he said.

The conference’s main sponsors are the U.S., Russia and Britain. British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt has said it is being postponed, not cancelled.

While the United States voted against the resolution, it voted in favour of two paragraphs in it that were put to separate votes. Both support universal adherence to the NPT, and call on those countries that aren’t parties to ratify it “at the earliest date.” The only “no” votes on those paragraphs were Israel and India.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/12/04/canada-votes-against-un-motion-calling-on-israel-to-open-up-nuclear-program-to-inspection/

[Red Light Racicot]

This is bad.

Canada is looking bad; it should be the just the Harper Govt and not the rest of Canada that looks bad.

Its like theyre trying to make Canada a rogue state or something. Its ridiculous.

[Hobble]

Wow, funny how the whole western world is shouting for nuclear transparency when directed towards Iran, but Israel is too good for it?!?

Again, I'm a little irked we tried voting against this.

[WHL rocks]

Good. True friend is someone who is there in time of need. The vote count was 174 to 5 + Israel. Another 6 did not cast a vote.

Good for US, Canada and those 3 islands that I didn't know were countries, Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.

[Tearloch7]

Hang onto yer chairs, folks .. there will be a swirling of Neo-con "spin" so severe as to challenge a centrifuge!! ..

[theminister]

[DonLever]

Hang onto yer chairs, folks .. there will be a swirling of Neo-con "spin" so severe as to challenge a centrifuge!! ..

[kyledude]

Welcome to Harperland^TM - one of the world's great banana republics, where ~70-80% have no voice.

If we ever see another election, I hope we can put an end to this madness. This is embarrassing.

[Tearloch7]

It is not really a neo-con issue because the United States voted no. Obama is not a neo-con, nor the Democrats, yet the Americans voted no. And many of the posters on this forum are not neo-cons, yet support Israel no matter what. You know who these people are.

[DonLever]

I expected the "right-wing-nuts" here to react on CDC by now ... was not a comment on the USA ..

[Buddhas Hand]

Quote

reply posted on 4-12-2012 @ 01:48 PM by GoalPoster

Remember that thread a few months back about the gitch that would eliminate the stench of a really bad fart without affecting the robustness of the noise nor the relief of pressure? Well, I've come to the opinion that for the most part, Canada under it's current rule represents to pretty much the rest of the world, a simlar filter for the US . . .

We take the stench of their decisions, policies and general directions then repeat them all filtered and nice-like so the festering stinking globalist crap comes out pretty much smelling nicer and providing less of a negative affect on the gag reflex.

In short and with great thanks to Stephen Harper and his conservative hoard, we, my good friend, are the fart-catchers of the planet.

Oh la laaaaaaa . . . I feel a burrito rounding the bend twixt stomach and colon . . . this one's gonna be an oh-bammer!!!!!!

Never mind . . . that's just the Chinese Trade Agreement floatin' to the surface.

edit on 4-12-2012 by GoalPoster because: bekuz I can't not schpell to save me arse.

Attribution. You must attribute authorship of the work to "GoalPoster; a member of AboveTopSecret.com", and include the title of the message thread, An Apology from Canada to Palestine and the Rest of the World; and this full link URL to the post: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread904881/pg1#pid15462018. (Unless otherwise noted, photography and other artwork linked within member posts are subject to the usage rights of the individual owners of the linked artwork.)

[Pouria]

[Pouria]

Good. True friend is someone who is there in time of need. The vote count was 174 to 5 + Israel. Another 6 did not cast a vote.

Good for US, Canada and those 3 islands that I didn't know were countries, Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.

[DeNiro]

This isn't about kissing Israel's a$$ it's about kissing America's. We vote how they vote, that's just the way it goes.

It's really no different than what has gone on throughout most of our history. We're so afraid of pissing them off, that it makes us toss aside our own values and beliefs.

We need a prime minister that can make Canada, Canada again. And not America Jr.

[Mr. Ambien]

I'm so tired of this government fellating Israel. It's sad when you're worse than the US in that regard.

[Ovech Trick]

Canada, what are you doing?

Canada...

STAHP

[Tearloch7]

We will definitely be less sycophantic to the mighty US of A when Harper's Clown Car is kicked out of office .. Pierre NEVER kowtowed to the Mighty Yank ..

[Coda]

Very bad for Israel in World PR. However it is very easy to see why Israel and its Allies don't want to reveal if Israel has nuclear weapons or not:

1. If Israel doesn't have nuclear weapons it will embolden the surrounding countries to invade once again and try to wipe the country off the map.

2. If Israel has nuclear weapons it will provide some world support to countries like Iran to get nuclear weapons as well, giving those countries huge leverage against Israel and enabling Iran to annihilate Israel by nuke (if they don't change their existing policy).

Perhaps it is not coincidence that the last time Israel's surrounding countries tried to wipe it out was in 1973, around the time Israel has been rumoured to acquire nukes.

[Special Ed]

Did anyone even bother to post here when N.Korea and Iran refused inspections? Yawn...

“The fact that the sponsors include in this anti-Israeli resolution language referring to the 2012 conference proves above all the ill-intent of the Arab states with regard to this conference,” Yanouka said.

Syrian diplomat Abdullah Hallak told the assembly his government was angry that the conference wasn’t going to take place because of “the whim of just one party, a party with nuclear warheads.”

Syria complaining LOL. The Arab states are just trying to disarm Israel so they can attack again. Fat chance on that happening and the UN seems pretty useless. Can't even stop genocides. I agree that the UN has lost credibility.

[Tearloch7]

Did anyone even bother to post here when N.Korea and Iran refused inspections? Yawn...

“The fact that the sponsors include in this anti-Israeli resolution language referring to the 2012 conference proves above all the ill-intent of the Arab states with regard to this conference,” Yanouka said.

Syrian diplomat Abdullah Hallak told the assembly his government was angry that the conference wasn’t going to take place because of “the whim of just one party, a party with nuclear warheads.”

Syria complaining LOL. The Arab states are just trying to disarm Israel so they can attack again. Fat chance on that happening and the UN seems pretty useless. Can't even stop genocides. I agree that the UN has lost credibility.