US targets Iran, N Korea at nuke arms talks
Reuters, United Nations
US officials want a global disarmament conference, which started yesterday, to condemn Iran and North Korea's nuclear programmes, but most nations complain Washington is doing too little to scrap its arsenal.The UN-sponsored conference, which runs from May 2 to May 27, will examine the strengths and loopholes of the 35-year-old nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the global pact aimed at ridding the world of atomic weapons. US officials told Reuters that Washington wants to keep the conference focused on what it sees as the two serial treaty violators -- Iran and North Korea. Diplomats say participants may be too divided to reach a consensus on anything -- especially if the United States and the four other nuclear weapons states do not demonstrate a deep commitment to disarming as called for by the 1970 treaty. If the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France agree to take further concrete steps toward disarmament, the other signatories might be able to reach a consensus on something -- possibly even tough language on the nuclear violations of Tehran and Pyongyang, diplomats said.
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