Israel in no hurry to clear the nuclear fog

[Resistance]

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/02/1072908911555.html

And the US is unlikely to apply much pressure, argues Craig Nelson in Jerusalem.

When the "brother leader and guide of the revolution" emerged from his burrow of international isolation last month and declared in essence, "My name is Muammar Gaddafi. I'm the president of Libya. I want to negotiate," Washington struck another name from the list of wannabe members of the doomsday weapons club.

But Gaddafi's announcement that Libya was ready to dismantle its nuclear weapons caused few, if any ripples in Israel, possessor of arguably the most secretive weapons of mass destruction program in the world.

Washington was silent, too, despite increasingly compelling reasons for raising the issue publicly. For the Bush Administration to pressure Israel to declare its weapons of mass destruction and explain the circumstances under which they might be used would, at least, remove a glaring double standard in its often sanctimonious proclamations. And it would reassure moderate Arab neighbours. But such pressure is unlikely.

The Federation of American Scientists and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute say Israel has at least 200 nuclear warheads. If true, that would make it the world's fifth-largest nuclear power.