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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: May 31, 2006 |
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The Nonaligned Movement, the world's biggest bloc after the United Nations, emphatically backed Iran on Tuesday in its nuclear standoff with the United States, and condemned Israel for occupying Palestinian lands.
Meeting in Malaysia's administrative capital, the foreign ministers of NAM member nations also demanded that Israel accede to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty without delay, and open its nuclear facilities to international inspection.
On Iran, the ministers "reaffirmed the basic and inalienable right" of all countries to develop, produce and use atomic energy "for peaceful purposes, without any discrimination and in conformity with their respective legal obligations," said a NAM declaration at the end of the two-day meeting.
The declaration shies away from any criticism of Iran, which is accused by Washington and its allies of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to produce nuclear weapons. Tehran has denied this, saying its nuclear program is merely to generate electricity.
Iran has also said it will not give up its right to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel as allowed by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory. The United States has said military action is an option if Iran does not bow.
The NAM declaration said the ministers "reaffirmed the inviolability of peaceful nuclear activities and that any attack or threat of attack against peaceful nuclear facilities -- operational or under construction -- poses a great danger to human beings and the environment."
It said an attack would also be a "grave violation of international law, principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and regulations of the IAEA," the International Atomic Energy Agency.
NAM's 116 members -- two were admitted Tuesday -- are mostly developing countries that have little clout in the international arena. Some are stridently anti-U.S. nations such as Iran, North Korea and Cuba in addition to formerly pro-Soviet India.
While NAM is in no position to change U.S. views on Iran, its collective voice can be seen as providing moral support to Tehran.
In an interview with The Associated Press earlier Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran was not afraid of a U.S. military attack on his country, but expressed confidence that it won't happen.
"They can't. The United States is not in a position to impose another crisis on taxpayers," he said. "They are in a lot of difficulties in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are not in a position to create a new crisis in the region."
The NAM ministers issued a separate statement on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that condemned the "ongoing Israeli military campaign against the Palestinian people."
The ministers reaffirmed "their strong commitment to continue supporting the Palestinian people and their leadership to bring an end to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967." |
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