Soapbox:

Facing the music

By Mahmoud Murad

---

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is going to appear at the UN Security Council soon to discuss his country's nuclear programme. He needs a visa to go to New York, a technicality that could have triggered a needless diplomatic squabble. Thankfully, the Security Council approved and took care of this small detail. Ahmadinejad is expected to reiterate his country's position that its nuclear activities are strictly for peaceful purposes, but that likely won't stop a heated debate from ensuing, with the Americans insisting that the international community supervise the Iranian programme closely. The Iranians will respond by saying the same should apply to Israel.

Egypt has repeatedly called for the Middle East to be emptied of all weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), nuclear or otherwise. The Iranians have a lot to gain by adopting that same point of view. Should the Iranians call for the elimination of all WMDs from the region, the Security Council would have to respond. Its answer would put Israel on the spot, or get Iran off the hook. This is how it works. The Security Council would either endorse a ban or oppose it. In the first case, it would have to declare Israel's nuclear programme illegal. In the second case, it would be clearing Iran from all wrongdoing.

Iran wouldn't have much trouble rallying the support of Arab, Islamic and developing countries for a Middle East free of WMDs. It makes no sense for major countries to have nuclear capabilities and for the rest of the world to be denied equal rights. Iran can turn Ahmadinejad's visit to the UN into a diplomatic coup.

This week's Soapbox speaker is deputy editor- in-chief of Al-Ahram.