Israel 'evil omen' in nuclear terrorism talks

Israeli nuclear ambitions promise a problematic atmosphere in the upcoming US-held nuclear terrorism and security talks, says a former US Middle East policy advisor.

Whether the entity is invited or not, its controversial nuclear agenda is to haunt the summit slated for March 9 and 10 in Washington, Politico reported on Tuesday, quoting Aaron David Miller who served six administrations as an advisor on Arab-Israeli negotiations.

"The people you do invite are going to bring Israel to the table, figuratively speaking, anyway," added Miller, who is currently on the US Advisory Council of Israel Policy Forum.

"I see this as one giant root canal, which is going to be really painful for everybody who shows up - and for everybody who doesn't. They're going to need to think this through extremely carefully," added the analyst.

Israel began building its widely-reported plutonium and uranium processing facility in the Negev Desert city of Dimona in 1958. Ever since, it is said to have manufactured scores of nuclear warheads earning a reputation as the sole possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.

Former US president Jimmy Carter in 2008 confirmed the existence of the armament in Israel.

In June, George Washington University's National Security Archives declassified a 1960 CIA report that had marked out the way Tel Aviv was to benefit from the arsenal.

"Possession of a nuclear weapon capability, or even the prospect of achieving it, would clearly give Israel a greater sense of security, self-confidence and assertiveness," the estimate said.

US President Barack Obama, who has outlined nuclear terrorism as the "most immediate and extreme threat to global security," has adopted an approach on Israel, which has gone against the prevailing US attitude towards the entity seen during George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Miller, however, warned that Obama would not bring the apparently tough stance to bear on Israel's nuclear position.

"Fighting with the Israelis is an occupational hazard. Without careful attention, it could be very costly for the administration down the road." PressTV