Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit has warned of a possible uclear race between Iran and Israel in the Middle East, demanding, however, that there should be no restrictions on states seeking peaceful usage of nuclear power. "The international community should bear its responsibility in monitoring the nuclear installations if it wants to confront any nuclear threats," Abul Gheit told the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington Monday. He added that there were many countries that have nuclear sites, which could not be monitored. "This is a real threat not only nuclear terrorism," Abul Gheit said, according to the official Middle East News Agency (MENA). In an interview with Egyptian State TV while flying to the US capital, Abul Gheit insisted that Israel must join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), while urging Iran not to try to possess nuclear weapons. "If Iran becomes nuclear, this will lead to the spread of nuclear weapons in the region," declared the minister, stressing that, in such a case, the Arab world might be compelled to join the nuclear race. Abul Gheit underlined the need to reach a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear programme issue, downplaying the effect of international sanctions on Iran. "Egypt believes that any military action against Iran will have very serious consequences on the entire region," the official stated. The US-hosted two-day nuclear security summit will wrap up with a mechanism attempting to prevent nuclear weapons from reaching dangerous hands. US President Barack Obama's pledge to rid the world of nuclear weapons one day has run up against global realities in this meeting as representatives from 47 countries are trying to craft an agreement on keeping nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands. Sweeping or even bold new strategies are, however, unlikely to emerge from the two-day gathering that began yesterday. But Obama invited the throng of world leaders as an important step to intensify global focus on one of the most serious nuclear proliferation threats: a world in which non-state actors – such as the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation – obtain nuclear materials. The president has set a goal of ensuring that all nuclear materials worldwide are secured from theft or diversion within four years.
