Matt Robson Progressive MP

New Zealand should call Disarmament meeting on Iraq

Progressive MP Matt Robson said that he is writing to Disarmament Minister Marian Hobbs to suggest that the New Agenda countries should meet to discuss the crisis being engendered over Iraq within the context of destroying all weapons of mass destruction. A preliminary meeting could be held while Foreign Minister Goff is in New York.

"New Zealand with six other countries, Ireland, Sweden, South Africa, Egypt, Brazil, and Mexico have in the New Agenda coalition been leading the charge for the nuclear powers to commit to disarmament," said Matt Robson the former Minister of Disarmament.

"The nuclear powers have been thwarting the disarmament process. In the case of the United States the Bush administration has moved away from the multilateral disarmament process for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. This has encouraged countries such as Israel, India and Pakistan to forge ahead with their own programmes of weapons of mass destruction."

The pot shouldn't call the kettle black. Iraq should be invited into a process of universal weapons inspection and in particular a regional disarmament plan that would of course include the nuclear power Israel. The nuclear powers must be prepared to do what they are asking of Iraq.'

"This is an initiative that New Zealand could take as a New Agenda leader and as a country seen as a world leader in disarmament," said Matt Robson.

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