Baradei and the Israeli Nuclear Weapons

General Manager of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohammad al-Baradei has stressed that dismantling Israeli nuclear weapons is a basic condition for achieving peace in the Middle East.

"It is not logical to ask Israel's neighboring countries to dismantle their nuclear weapons and stop developing nuclear programs at the time Israel keeps its huge nuclear arsenal," Baradei said on the side lines of the conference of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in Asia and the Pacific which began its deliberations Monday.

He also called upon Israel to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, expressing hope to chair a conference of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East in the presence of Israel.