Serious question - It is widely assumed that Israel has nukes

[pinkpops]

How is it that they are exempt from whatever rules are being applied to Iran?

[Brucey]

1. Israel has violated a number of UN resolutions.

But, they are our friends, so they are exempt.

[onebigbadwulf]

2. They're not muslim or communist so no rules apply to them

just like us.

[wildmanj]

3. how

its called friends in high places who can be bought with lots of money

[oneighty]

4. Google search

Nuclear weapons Israel..You will perhaps learn more than you would care to know.

180

[pinkpops]

5. yikes

[ant]

6. Israel is not a member of the NPT

Israel, India, and Pakistan are (I think) the only three that never signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. They are not subject to IAEA inspections or any other aspect of the nuclear verification regime.

Edit spelling.

[pinkpops]

8. Ok -

I thought it was something like that. What did these three give up in order to not sign, and couldn't Iran and others simply give up the same things and withdraw from the treaty?

[dsc]

9. Countries with nukes

agreed to help those without them develop peaceful nuclear energy programs.

[ant]

12. right

and the line between what's peaceful and what isn't is usually the problem. That's the weirdest thing about that treaty - it tries to stop the development of nuclear weapons by giving countries nuclear technology.

Anyway, Israel got plenty of help for it's nuke program anyway, and I suspect but don't know for sure that India did as well. My impression is that they've got a good science and tech infrastructure anyway, though. India's actually a really interesting case because their reason for not signing the treaty is that it's inherently unfair, codifying a world of nuclear have and have nots. Their position is that the world must either accept full nuclear disarmament or accept that everyone can have them. They're actually one of the most vocal countries on this issue, and I think (but again am not sure) that they were the ones who really pushed for Article 6, which requires the nuclear countries to take positive steps towards eventual disarmament. It's mostly rhetoric, but it gives the non-nuclear countries something to constantly bring up. The US did sign the treaty, too, so in that sense moving towards disarmament is something we're legally required to do.

Another thing the nuclear have nots got from this treaty - though it's not in the actual treaty, just repeatedly stated and maybe appearing in a security council resolution or two - are promises that (A) the nuclear countries will never use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear countries and (B) that nuclear countries will defend non-nuclear countries when they are attacked by other nuclear countries. I thought it was funny because technically, if the US threatened Iraq with nukes, Britain, France, Russia and China would've had to defend them. (I know they wouldn't have and nobody would've even mentioned it, but it's still funny.)

[leesa]

7. Not an assumption...why do you think their neighbors are hot to get

nukes? And guess what, we paid for all of those nukes! Every year Israel gets billions from us and then Congress forgives the debts. Cool, huh?

[MrPrax]

10. Israel does have nukes...

I don't understand the 'widely' assumed and, interestingly, it is practically forbidden to talk about the 200 or so nukes; not to mention the chemical and biologicals they have.

Sununu paid the price of course.

When CommonGround posted this story based on an M$NBC web story: http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0421-08.htm

M$NBC pulled the page within hours...does anyone know if it was mirrored?

It was still on M$NBC's site buried at:
http://archive.msnbc.com/modules/Israel_strategic/
For awhile, but long gone...

It was surprisingly informative...

Oh Israel is exempt because it is Israel and they haven't signed any treaties, nor do they allow the International authorities to inspect their facilities...
Personally I think that if this the 'system', then places like NK and Iran are well within their right to demand financial compensation from whoever to comply with the International Rules...

It is hypocritical

[_Jumper_]

15. Sununu

What did he say?

Israel is allowed to have nuclear weapons because it has a powerful lobby in America and the fact that most Israelis have white skin certainly does not hurt their case in the USA.

[bobthedrummer]

11. According to Debkafile they have submarine launched neutron missles

eom

[TexasMexican]

13. I think...

that the current nuclear oligarchy should all group together and use whatever means necessary to ensure that no other nations are able to develop nuclear technology.

Yeah that would be completely unfair, but none of the current nuclear powers are going to disarm, but atleast we should be able to stop it from spreading.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

14. that's exactly what they were doin, until Bush destroyed it

That is the whole purpose of the UN and international nuclear regulatory agencies, but the Republicans and Bush have destroyed their effectivness.

[TexasMexican]

16. sort of...

but IMO they didnt go far enough.

when I say any means necessary, I mean bombing facilities and whatnot aswell.

I would have had that much more repect for Clinton had he ordered the bombed North Korea's nuclear facilities.

I dont mean we should do things unilaterally though, get the other big powers involved, let China destroy North Koreas facilites or something. lol

We should have also stopped India and Pakistan.

[Jacobin]

17. Israel is allowed to do whatever it wants to, courtesy of

it's stupid big brother, the U.S. Congress.

"officially" it doesn't have nukes.....sooooo, not a problem!!!!!!

Everybody knows they've got'em and nobody pretends they don't.

[undergroundrailroad]

18. Locking per I/P Guidelines

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