Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Hans Blix: UNSC will not authorize use of force against Iran

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Brussels, march 1, IRNA
Belgium-Mideast-WMDs
Former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, Hans Blix, said Thursday that the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf was to district the attention of the international community from the debacle in Iraq and stressed that the Security Council will not give the green signal for use of force against the Islamic Republic.

"The US buildup is a psychological warfare seeking distraction from the debacle in Iraq," Blix told a conference in Brussels.

Noting that the UNSC will not authorize use of force against the Islamic Republic, Blix said any military action will be a unilateral US act, a violation of the UN charter and lead to horrible consequences.

Blix, chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, said a dangerous diplomatic game was being played by the EU, the US and the UNSC by demanding that Iran should suspend its program as a condition for talks.

He argued that if nuclear negotiations with North Korea could be held without pre-conditions why not with Iran and urged the US to give security assurances to Iran.

The conference on "the establishment of a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East and the role of Belgium in this process," was organized by three peace organizations and held in the Belgian parliament.

Ambassador Werner Bauwens, special envoy for disarmament and non-proliferation in the Belgian foreign ministry , said his country is very actively involved in the debate over Iran's nuclear issue.

Belgium is currently a non-permanent member of the UNSC and also chairs the SC sanctions committee on Iran.

"The solution that we believe is one of negotiations and dialogue and not military action," said Bauwens and urged Iran to accept the offer made on behalf of the 5+1 by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana last year to find a negotiated solution.

Ambassador Friedrich Groening, Commissioner of the German government's arms control and disarmament, stressed that the door for negotiations with Iran remain open and the aim is a diplomatic negotiated resolution.

But he also urged Iran to comply with the UNSC resolution.

Egypt's ambassador to Belgium, Mahmoud Karem Mahmoud, reminded the audience that it was Egypt and Iran which had launched the initiative of a Middle East free of nuclear weapons back in 1974.

He said the Israeli policy of nuclear ambiguity has filled the region with mistrust and said "Israel's nuclear capability has not solved it security predicament."

"It simply serves as a major catalyst for an arms race in the Middle East," said the Egyptian ambassador and noted that the recent US-India nuclear agreement "rewards those states which stay out of NPT."

He called for diplomatic efforts to resolve the nuclear issue and cited the example of the negotiations with North Korea.

The conference was organized by three peace groups, Parliamentary Network for Nuclear Disarmament, Mayors for Peace and Abolition 2000 Belgium.

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