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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Syria to allow UN probe of alleged nuclear site |
| 2008-06-03 |
| Bwaaaaa ha ha! ROTFLMAO! You guys, stop teasing the UN like that! Syria will allow in U.N. inspectors to probe allegations that a remote building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike was a nuclear reactor built secretly with North Korean help, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday. The invitation signaled the start of an international fact check of U.S. and Israeli assertions that Damascus had tried to build a plutonium-producing facility under the radar of the international community. It could turn into a wider probe of possible secret Syrian nuclear sites. Syria has denied wrongdoing, asserting the attack destroyed a non-nuclear military building. Syrian officials in Damascus did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment on Monday. IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei did not say whether inspectors would be granted access to the site during the planned June 22-24 visit, but a senior diplomat with knowledge of the planned inquiry said they would be able to visit the facility. While steering clear of a judgment of what was hit in remarks to the agency's 35-nation board of governors, ElBaradei noted Damascus "has an obligation to report the planning and construction of any nuclear facility to the agency." Diplomats told The Associated Press that during the visit, agency officials will also ask for information on the alleged existence of at least two and possible three undeclared such facilities. The diplomats, who demanded anonymity because of the sensitivity of their information, indicated they had their knowledge either from the U.S. or from IAEA officials. One of them said the IAEA was following up on a U.S. intelligence-based tip of alleged unreported facilities to process any nuclear material. The diplomat emphasized the IAEA had not seen the intelligence itself. Plutonium reprocessing capabilities would be required if the U.S. and Israel are correct in their claims that Syria was trying to build the reactor leveled in Syria's eastern desert in September to gain the material needed to create the fissile core of nuclear weapons. But a nuclear expert outside the U.S. government indicated that at least one of the facilities was suspected of processing uranium — which, like plutonium can be used for fuel or reworked into fissile warhead material. He said the IAEA asked Syria several weeks ago for access to four sites — the bombed facility and three military sites that were identified by U.S. intelligence. Two of the military sites are operational and one is under construction, the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity because his information came from private discussions. U.S. intelligence has linked one of the three sites, at least loosely, to fabricating nuclear reactor fuel from uranium, he said. Of the four diplomats who spoke to the AP, two said the Vienna-based IAEA was looking for two undeclared nuclear sites. The others spoke of three. The Syrians have been informed about the suspicions, said one of the diplomats. Neither the U.S. nor Israel told the IAEA about the bombed site at Al Kibar until late April, about a year after they obtained what they considered decisive intelligence: dozens of photographs from a handheld camera of the inside and outside of the compound. The U.S. says the Israelis flattened the alleged reactor as it was close to startup. Since then, Syria had not reacted to repeated agency requests for a visit to check out the allegations. Satellite photos appear to show construction crews using the interval to erect another structure over the site — a move that heightened suspicions of a possible cover-up. Pressure on Syria to respond positively mounted with the approach of the latest meeting of the IAEA board that opened Monday. One of the diplomats, who is familiar with the communications between Syrian and agency officials, said that Damascus apparently waited until the weekend to issue an invitation. In announcing the Syrian visit to the board, ElBaradei repeated his criticism of Israel and the U.S., taking Washington to task for waiting so long to brief him on its suspicions, and Jerusalem for its airstrike. Diplomats have recently suggested that the Americans may have waited even longer, telling the AP that Washington may have had indications of Syrian plans more than five years ago. They demanded anonymity because their information was confidential. "It is deeply regrettable that information concerning this installation was not provided to the agency in a timely manner and that force was resorted to unilaterally before the agency was given an opportunity to establish the facts," ElBaradei said. His comments to the closed meeting were made available to reporters. ElBaradei was also outspoken on Iran, in connection with the agency's investigation of activities that point to a possible secret weapons program, repeating comments he first made in a report last week with even more clarity. "It is regrettable that we have not made the progress we had hoped for" on the allegations over Iran's nuclear program, he said, adding that the alleged activities "remain a matter of serious concern." ElBaradei said Iran had not provided the agency with "all the access to documents and to individuals requested" nor had it given "substantive explanations" to supports its statements. "Such clarifications are critical to an assessment of the nature of Iran's past and present nuclear program," he said. Iran denies ever trying to make weapons. It is under three sets of U.N. sanctions for refusing to freeze uranium enrichment. |
| Posted by:gorb |