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Op-Ed
Editorial: No Exceptions Means No Exceptions
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Nuclear Explosion
New UN Security Council President Yukio Takasu said Monday that he is ready to convene a meeting on additional sanctions on Iran in regard to its nuclear program.
As he did so, he made the following comments: "Japan has an extremely good bilateral relationship with Iran... Japan doesn't want to make any exceptions, whether it is Iran or North Korea or whatever. We are the country that suffered the devastation of nuclear weapons. We are against nuclear proliferation."
On the face of it, Ambassador Takasu's comments seem to be both strong and morally correct. Especially powerful is his citation of Japanese victimization at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Unfortunately, the reality is that Takasu's comments represent rank hypocrisy, and not moral courage.
Of course it is true that North Korea has illicitly developed nuclear weapons and some people believe (though they have not proven) that Iran has similar intentions.
On the other hand, it is also well documented that Israel, India, and Pakistan have also developed, and remain in possession of, stockpiles of nuclear weapons outside the framework of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
If Ambassador Takasu wants to cite Hiroshima and Nagasaki as he declares "no exceptions" to nuclear weapons proliferation, then why does he remain silent about Israel, India, and Pakistan? Why are they not a subject for possible UN sanctions?
Everyone knows the answer: Israel, India, and Pakistan currently have positive relations with Washington, while North Korea and Iran have antagonistic reasons.
We suggest that Ambassador Takasu and the government that he represents ponder more deeply what are the real lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
PanOrient News
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