WASHINGTON – The United States' intelligence agencies suspect Syria was offered and received nuclear weapons technology from the covert Pakistani supplier group headed by A.Q. Khan, according to an intelligence report quoted by the Washington Times.An annual report to Congress on arms proliferation states that Pakistani investigators have confirmed reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the Khan network "offered nuclear technology and hardware to Syria."
The report covered the period of 2004. Its release was delayed by the new Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which took control of the report from the CIA as part of an intelligence reorganization.
"We are concerned that expertise or technology could have been transferred," said the intelligence report, which is the first time the Bush administration has publicly linked Syria to Khan's Paksitani network, which is responsible for supplying nuclear goods to Lybia, Iran and North Korea.
Syria conducts nuclear research at three facilities located at Dayr, Al Hajar and Dubaya, the report said, adding that "in 2004 Syria continued to develop civilian nuclear capabilities, including uranium extraction technology and hot cell facilities, which may also be potentially applicable to a weapons program."
Referring to missiles, the report said Syria continued to seek help in building solid-propellant rocket motors, and that North Korea supplied equipment and assistance to the missile program.
The report added that Syria is building its own liquid-fueled Scud missiles and is developing a 500-mile-range Scud D and other variants with help from North Korea and Iran.
The US government is closely following Syria's research and development efforts in a bid to search for any hint of activities that may end in a nuclear weapons program. The US intelligence is also following Syria's attempts to purchase civil nuclear technologies from the IAEA for fear that this technology would be used to build a program for nuclear weapons.