By IRNA,
London : A British nuclear researcher Monday criticised the hypocrisy of UK government for trying to lecture Iran over the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) when it failing itself to implement its own commitments.
“It is no good pointing fingers at Iran over alleged non- compliance with its NPT obligations, when the UK is in manifest breach of its own obligations,” said David Lowry, former director of the European Proliferation Information Centre.
Lowry said that Britain had not even disarmed a single nuclear warhead in the 40 years since the treaty was signed, despite Article VI requiring all signatories to “pursue effective measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date”.
Last week, Foreign Secretary David Milliband told the Times newspaper that “if all states live up to both the letter and the spirit of the obligations under that treaty the vision (of a nuclear-free world) can become a reality.”
But the independent researcher, who specialises in nuclear, security and environmental policy, questioned what the UK’s record had been during all the years of protracted negotiations.
As confirmed by Defence Secretary Des Browne a year ago, “not one UK nuclear weapon or warhead has been withdrawn from operational service as a result of multilateral disarmament negotiations in the 40 years of the NPT,” he said.
“Moreover, at present none of Britain’s nuclear arsenal features in any nuclear disarmament negotiations,” Lowry said in a letter to the Times.
He recalled that 40 years ago, British Foreign Office Minister Fred Mulley told the predecessor to the current Committee on Disarmament that the UK government accepts Article VI and “it is our desire that these negotiations should begin as soon as possible.”