Israeli official: Peace needed for nuke free Mideast

The Middle East needs lasting peace and strict arms control before it can declare itself a region free of nuclear weapons, a top Israeli official said on Tuesday, casting doubt on prospects this could happen soon.

While the spreading democracy movement of the Arab Spring may improve the political atmosphere in the Middle East, the international community cannot impose a new spirit of cooperation on the region, Shaul Chorev, head of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission, said. (Reuters)