US torpedoes UN nuclear disarmament conference

The United States has blocked a global document aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology.

Over 150 countries participated in a month-long conference reviewing the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

After four weeks of negotiations at the United Nations on ways to improve compliance with the NPT, the United States announced on Friday that there was "no agreement" and accused Arab countries of torpedoing the nuclear disarmament negotiations.

The talks ended in failure after the US and its allies, Canada and Britain rejected a proposal made by Arab countries to establish a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East by March 2016. 

Israel, which is not a member of the NPT but attended the conference as an observer, also opposed the plan. The next treaty review conference is in 2020.

 The US blamed Egypt and other Arab states for attempting to "cynically manipulate" the process by setting a deadline for Israel to meet within months on a Middle East zone free of such weapons.

Rose Gottemoeller, the US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, said that provisions on holding the conference were "incompatible with our long-standing policies".

She told the NPT conference that the nuclear-free zone proposal could not succeed without “the full mutual consent of all the states in the region”, a clear reference to Israel's opposition.

Gottemoeller accused "a number of states, in particular Egypt" of refusing to "let go of unrealistic and unworkable conditions" to create the nuclear weapons-free zone.

Egypt on Friday said it was very disappointed and warned, "This will have consequences in front of the Arab world and public opinion."

Opening the Review Conference last month, US Secretary of State John Kerry also warned that “there would be no prospect for engagement or agreement absent the consent of all the states involved.”

Israel is widely believed to be the sole possessor of a nuclear arsenal in the Middle East with more than 200 undeclared nuclear warheads.

Tel Aviv has rejected global calls to join NPT and does not allow international inspectors to observe its controversial nuclear program.