Nuclear Proliferation and the Israeli Factor

The U.N.'s chief nuclear watchdog and director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed El-Baradei, kicked off a three-day visit to Israel today with a nuclear-free Middle East agenda on his mind.

But Israel, a major nuclear power in its own right, won't even admit it has the weapons. The I.A.E.A. says it's time for Israel to pull back the covers, or even discuss disarmament to cool an arms race. Israel says no way, not until it has peace agreements across the neighborhood.

Click the "Listen" link to hear about nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, and the Israeli factor.

Guests:

Yossi Melman, reporter for the Israeli daily Ha'aretz

Amb. Thomas Graham, former special envoy to nuclear non-proliferation talks under President Clinton and current Chairman of the Lawyers Alliance for World Security

Joseph Cirincione, Director of Non-Proliferation Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of "Deadly Arsenals: Tracking Weapons of Mass Destruction"

Patrick Clawson, deputy director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and formerly a senior research professor at the Institute for National Strategic Studies of the National Defense University.