Indian editor: Production of N-weapons dangerous for the world

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - In an exclusive interview with IRNA, Atul Bhardwaj, said the very existence of the nuclear weapons goes against the basic tenets of a just and peaceful world enshrined in the United Nations charter. India from the very beginning has been in the vanguard of opposing the illegality of nuclear weapons and the asymmetries they create among the nations. “As early as 1954 Jawaharlal Nehru had clearly announced that developing world was ‘forced to endure the brunt of nuclear ambitions of major powers.’ The catastrophic effects of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are well documented. The international community appreciates that the military use of nuclear weapons is ‘morally impermissible and inappropriate’, he added. Referring to an advisory of the International Court of Justice on the nuclear weapons, Atul said: “On July 8, 1996, the International court of Justice had rendered an advisory opinion on the illegality of nuclear threat and its use. This was a direct attack on the political use of nuclear weapons for the realpolitik purposes.” Condemning the military use of the nuclear weapons by any nation irrespective of its size and might, the well-know strategist, said: “Since both the military and the political uses of the nuclear weapons are legally and morally reprehensible it is natural that we work towards the total abolition of such weapons.” Advising the major world powers to play a leading role in ensuring peace and harmony all over the world, Atul said: “The five permanent nuclear weapons powers must take the lead in ensuring peace in the world with America showing the way by not only endorsing the disarmament but also the genuinely working towards the realization of the ‘zero nukes’ world. To a question the North Korea’s recent nuclear tests as a result of the US harsh policy towards the county, he said: “The structural realist logic that grants legitimacy to five nuclear weapons power to retain their weapons must also be applied to a smaller nation like North Korea. The world has been living with these horrendous weapons for the past five decades and one is sure that it can bear the burden of a few additional nukes with equal equanimity.” “One does not find any reasons to raise alarm bells about the N-Korean nukes. The American pressure on N-Korea has been constant since the early 1950s. It is the ardent American desire to see the N-Korean way of life destroyed. N-Korean nukes are just an expression of their regime’s frustration in dealing with a world order that is unjust and unequal” he added. Terming the US as an inherently unjust nation as its role in the world has been destructive rather than constructive, Atul said: “All the capitalist empires are inherently unjust. If they cannot ensure human justice for their own people how does one expect them to ameliorate the situation of the people living in other nations? Look, at the USA, the wealth distribution is so skewed that top 1% of their population has garnered 40% of their wealth.” “So this is an empire that is not created to work for global welfare. Its only purpose is to ensure the welfare of the rich. Now, to protect the property rights of this minuscule global capitalist class, they have created a huge military with more than 800 bases strewn across the global. Those nations that refuse to toe their line are subjected to sanctions and subjugation” he said. Terming the Almati meeting of Iran and the Group of 5+1 as a step in the right direction, Atul said: “The recent talks between Iran and P5+1 are a step in the right direction. That the major powers have diluted their demands on complete closure of Iran’s underground uranium-enrichment plant at Fordo, permitting Iran the concession of producing and keeping a small amount of uranium enriched to 20 percent for use in a research reactor that produces medical isotopes is a significant development. But one needs to wait a little while more before coming to any further conclusions. Expressing confidence that Iran would defeat the western sanctions, Atul said: “Although one understands that the sanction are hurting Iran and causing paucity of some critical drugs in the country but it is certain that a big country like Iran will be able to defeat the design of extra regional powers that intend to curtail Tehran’s strategic autonomy.End item/ 149