The President of Just and Comprehensive Peace

Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty

"Besides, while refraining from joining of Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty, Israel continues its threats to use mass destruction weapons generously offered by the United States of America."

"As to the nuclear issue, we cannot talk about this issue in terms of how one country is thinking. We have to look at it in the larger framework of the Middle East. First, if the nuclear issue is within the peaceful framework, it is the right of every country in this world. There is nothing that prevents any country in the world from possessing nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes. And Iran says clearly that it wants this reactor for peaceful purposes. It says this in public and behind closed doors. ‏" ‏

"As to the nuclear weapons issue, which is the point you raised, we hear this talked about in order to mean that Iran wants the peaceful reactor in order to obtain nuclear weapons. We cannot look at the question in this way. We have to think in a more comprehensive manner. We have to see the whole region. If we do not want to consider the issue on the international level, let us at least look at the Middle East. If we say that in the Middle East there is one state which has the right to possess nuclear weapons, then all states have that right. If we do not want to see nuclear weapons in any state in the Middle East, we have to carry out a disarmament operation in all these countries, and I mean Israel here. Israel is the only country in the Middle East which possesses nuclear weapons. We in Syria launched an initiative at the Security Council in 2003 in order to make the whole Middle East free of mass destruction weapons.‏ ‏ "

From HE’s Interview with Russian TV

"We in Syria thought that there should not be any mass destruction weapons, including nuclear weapons in the Middle East. But it is not sufficient to look at this issue from a theoretical perspective. There has to be practical application. If some countries are concerned because they suspect that a certain country, Iran or any other country, wants to possess nuclear weapons, they should use the same logic with Israel. Otherwise, decades later this region will be unstable and any technology will in the end be transferred to other places. I am not talking now about the near future. This might happen decades later and the world will pay the price one day. That is why it is better to take up the Syrian initiative at the Security Council, which was obstructed by the United States. I believe that it is better for all the countries of the world to support this initiative and to introduce amendments which can of course be subject to discussion.‏" ‏

"As for Iran's nuclear subject, Iran has the right to possess nuclear power for peaceful purposes according to international conventions.‏‏ ‏ Iran says this explicitly and implicitly that its target is a peaceful nuclear power and not the military. The justification, which we hear from some foreign officials, is that they fear of Iran's possession of military nuclear power. Let us suppose that this wording is correct. What about Israel's nuclear weapons? They say Israel possesses hundreds of nuclear warheads.‏‏ ‏ If we are anxious, we have to be so from Israel, firstly because it is the only party in the Middle East which possesses the nuclear weapons.‏‏ "

"On the other hand, Syria's stand was and is still for freeing the Middle East region from all all weapons of mass destruction. In 2003, we submitted a proposal to the Security Council, when Syria was a temporary member-state to make the Middle East region free of WMDs.‏‏ ‏ This proposal was firstly rejected by the US.‏‏ ‏ If they were anxious about the presence of WMDs, let them approve the Syrian proposal, or to keep dealing with the region in double-standards, may be much more double. They have scores of standards as I believe. This wording will not reach a result.‏‏ ‏"

"I think Iran is a strong country without nuclear weapons. Secondly, we do not think the Middle East needs more troubles. Thirdly, we submitted a draft resolution to the Security Council to make the Middle East a zone free of Weapons of Mass Destruction. That is how we see it as Syria."

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