London: Arab nations and "even the
Palestinians" should be allowed nuclear weapons as long as
Israel`s nuclear ambitions are tolerated, Libyan leader Moamer
Kadhafi said in an interview.
Israel is widely considered to be the Middle East`s sole
if undeclared nuclear state, and Kadhafi told Britain`s Sky
News television that the international community should also
allow its Arab neighbours to develop nuclear weapons.
"If the Israelis have the nuclear weapons and the
nuclear capabilities, then it is the right of the Egyptians,
the Syrians, the Saudis to have the same -- even the
Palestinians should have the same because their counterparts,
or their opponents, have nuclear capabilities," Kadhafi said
in the interview to be aired today.
He added: "And, if we don`t want this situation, so
we`ll have to disarm the Israelis from their nuclear weapons
and capabilities."
The Libyan leader said he would oppose Iran acquiring
nuclear weapons if it acknowledges such a goal, but noted
Tehran`s insistence that its nuclear programme is peaceful --
something that Western powers dispute.
"Iran, up to now, hasn`t said it is manufacturing a
nuclear weapon: Iran says it is enriching uranium," Kadhafi
said.
Bureau Report
