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Last update - 16:10 22/11/2008
Syria: No more UN visits to alleged nuclear site
By Reuters
Tags: Israel News, Syria, U.S.

Syria's nuclear energy chief on Friday said a UN watchdog report on the alleged secret Syrian nuclear site bombed by Israel proved nothing and the investigation should be closed.

The Syrian official said Damascus would stick by a deal with UN inspectors that permitted only one visit to the Al-Kibar site - which took place last June - and "we will not allow another visit."

An International Atomic Energy Agency report issued on Wednesday said a Syrian complex destroyed in a 2007 Israeli air strike bore a number of characteristics resembling those of a nuclear reactor and UN inspectors had found a significant number of uranium traces in desert sands there.
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The findings, based on satellite pictures and soil and water samples taken by UN investigators, were not enough to conclude a reactor was there but the findings were serious and warranted more investigation and Syrian transparency, the IAEA said.

Othman, speaking after a closed IAEA briefing to members of its 35-nation board of governors, repeated Syria's position that Israel's target was only a conventional military building.

"What they are now saying about uranium particles - collecting three particles from the desert is not enough to say there was a reactor there at all," Othman told reporters, speaking English in Syria's first public reaction to the report.

"Now, I think to follow up there should be a good reason to say there is something there. In our opinion this file should be closed," said Othman, head of Syria's atomic energy commission.

Syria has one declared atomic facility, an old research reactor.

The IAEA report said Syria had not heeded requests for documentation to back up denials of secret nuclear activity or repeated IAEA requests to visit three other military sites seen as harboring possible evidence linked to Al-Kibar.

"The report reinforces the assessment of my government that Syria was secretly building a nuclear reactor in its eastern desert and thereby violating its IAEA (non-proliferation) safeguards obligations," said Gregory Schulte, U.S. ambassador to the IAEA.

Pressed on whether Syria was slamming the door to further contact with the IAEA over the probe, Othman said, "No, no. If the information required belongs to the accusation, then we will supply it," suggesting there could be more discussions.

But he poured cold water on the prospect of intrusive inspections of more sites he said were military installations Syria could not afford to expose given its official state of war with Israel, which has an undeclared nuclear arsenal.

"If our authorities find it is possible to visit, it's not myself who will decide. But I'm pointing out these are military positions, buildings, activities, and remind you all we are still in a war in the Middle East," Othman said.

He said Syria would continue cooperation with the IAEA but according to its agreement with the agency, which provides for inspections only at declared atomic sites.

The United States said earlier on Friday the first independent monitoring report on the alleged Syrian nuclear site had hardened suspicions that Syria was building a covert reactor and would raise pressure on it to come clean.

"The report sharply contradicts a number of Syria's claims and catalogues Syria's repeated refusal to answer IAEA questions," Schulte said.

Syria, an ally of Iran whose disputed uranium enrichment program has been under IAEA investigation for years, says the site destroyed was a conventional military building and the uranium traces must have come from munitions used to bomb it.

Senior UN officials familiar with the report said the traces were not from depleted uranium, a hardening agent in some ordnance, putting the onus on Syria for an explanation.

"The IAEA needs to understand what Syria was building in secret then buried under meters of earth and a new building," Schulte said. "Syria is not Iran and we do not seek to make Syria into Iran. But this requires Syria to cooperate with the IAEA."

"We hope that it will not adopt the tactics of hindrance and unhelpfulness that Tehran has so finely honed and that remain so evident in the (IAEA's) latest report," he said.

A separate agency report on Wednesday said Iran was still stonewalling an IAEA probe into alleged atomic bomb research by Tehran. UN officials said a standoff had reigned since September with no communication between the sides.

Iran says it is enriching uranium solely to generate electricity. The West suspects a clandestine effort to develop the ability to fuel atomic bombs.

Schulte said members of the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors would press Iran and Syria to cooperate at the body's end-of-year meeting on Nov. 27-28.

Related articles:
  • IAEA: Syria site bombed by Israel bore features of nuclear reactor
  • Yossi Melman / Syria and the Iranian path
  • Syria: IAF to blame for uranium traces at suspected nukes site
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      1.   Syria should withdraw from the IAEA and the problem is solved 15:10  |  Natallie Durson 21/11/08
      2.   So what is this report saying? 15:29  |  Chris Linthwaite 21/11/08
      3.   Stephen Hawking: we should all withdraw from the planet... 16:05  |  Israeli cititzen 21/11/08
      4.   "Syria should withdraw from the IAEA " 16:06  |  Kamal Abu 21/11/08
      5.   #2 Chris Linthwaite 16:26  |  S 21/11/08
      6.   Stephen Hawking: we should all withdraw from the planet... 16:45  |  Israeli Citizen 21/11/08
      7.   The report circulating 17:39  |  Mark Lincoln 21/11/08
      8.   Ooops! There goes another of Lincoln`s primary theories 17:52  |  SDHD 21/11/08
      9.   Not the West, but Israel! 18:03  |  David 21/11/08
      10.   # 4 - Israeli Citizen 18:07  |  Natallie Durson 21/11/08
      11.   2, Chris Linthwaite 18:19  |  Harry 21/11/08
      12.   Natallie and Chris 18:26  |  Ehud 21/11/08
      13.   Natie dumbo durson 18:49  |  ottomatik 21/11/08
      14.   not enough to conclude a reactor was there, the IAEA said. 19:25  |  i wonder what 21/11/08
      15.   Try to reconcile these two views, if you can 19:34  |  Clickfool 21/11/08
      16.   Answer to #2 - Chris 19:37  |  Col [Res] Cohen 21/11/08
      17.   Lincoln`s argument based on what he doesn`t know -- again 20:01  |  SDHD 21/11/08
      18.   We should believe Syria because 20:35  |  ex-PAT Syrian 21/11/08
      19.   I agree Mark Lincoln, the reporting is farsical... 20:43  |  BBSNews 21/11/08
      20.   Mark Lincoln #7 You sound like the former Soviets disinformers 20:58  |  S 21/11/08
      21.   #12 Ehud 21:14  |  janet 21/11/08
      22.   Natallie 21:31  |  Peter Williams 21/11/08
      23.   Mark Lincoln 21:33  |  Peter Williams 21/11/08
      24.   Johnboy 21:40  |  Peter Williams 21/11/08
      25.   Col [Res] Cohen? you take two battles out of a long running 21:48  |  war : zio control ME 21/11/08
      26.   20 S 22:22  |  janet 21/11/08
      27.   BSNews and safeguards 22:28  |  SDHD 21/11/08
      28.   Peter Williams: Durson would accept everything that creates 22:37  |  Vittorio 21/11/08
      29.   Not reported here 23:41  |  Mark Lincoln 21/11/08
      30.   BBSNews - never read past the headline 23:53  |  Mark Lincoln 21/11/08
      31.   To those who think they know it all and I know nothing 00:01  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      32.   18, We should believe the Israelis because of the 00:08  |  lydia 22/11/08
      33.   #20- S on lying 00:23  |  maoriboy 22/11/08
      34.   You are a liar SDHD 00:54  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      35.   Lydia - you prattel 01:00  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      36.   It amazes me 01:05  |  Keith T. 22/11/08
      37.   Another Lincolnian excuse 01:15  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      38.   Lincoln goes on and on as if new information means nothing 01:18  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      39.   Kieth - the inspecitons have nothing to do with Israel 01:40  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      40.   SDHD - no you fool 02:39  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      41.   #7 Exactly so, Mark Lincoln 02:57  |  Johnboy 22/11/08
      42.   Where reality intrudes 03:02  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      43.   #31 Just pointing this out again, Mark L 03:03  |  Johnboy 22/11/08
      44.   Natalie Durson - Negative Example 03:05  |  Shafrir Yisraeli 22/11/08
      45.   Israel has the right to bomb anyone 03:19  |  dsharon 22/11/08
      46.   The hard line will not help Syria 03:22  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      47.   #22 Williams - IAEA is close to 04:02  |  spyguy 22/11/08
      48.   #46, MARK LINCOLN, stop it with syria already 04:06  |  VIPER 22/11/08
      49.   Johnboy, you have been devouring the same sites I have... 04:17  |  BBSNews 22/11/08
      50.   By the same token then dsharon... 04:33  |  BBSNews 22/11/08
      51.   I guess you will get more visits form the IAF 04:50  |  Dan 22/11/08
      52.   The smoking gun 04:57  |  zaz 22/11/08
      53.   Creepfool, you have outdone the Hadron Collider splitting protons 05:03  |  Dan 22/11/08
      54.   Response to BBS - The Arab World can question 05:16  |  dsharon 22/11/08
      55.   Johnboy - You must understand 05:19  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      56.   And whom Dsharon? 05:24  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      57.   #46, MARK LINCOLN, stop it with syria already 05:30  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      58.   VIPER - how the leakers work against the IAEA 05:36  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      59.   Dan from Haifa 05:45  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      60.   Zaz - it would be nice if they did 05:50  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      61.   Ah, Dan, are you describing yourself? 06:04  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      62.   #41 johnboy`s FLATULENCE - guilt by ASSOCIATION 06:24  |  CK Tan 22/11/08
      63.   Syria, a land where what is is not 1 06:27  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/11/08
      64.   #24 Peter Williams - watch out for johnboy`s semantics cricus 06:27  |  CK Tan 22/11/08
      65.   Syria, a land where what is is not 2 06:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/11/08
      66.   Syria, a land where what is is not 3 06:52  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/11/08
      67.   #19 bbs IMITATES johnboy`s WIND power 07:07  |  CK Tan 22/11/08
      68.   Mark Lincoln - you have my sympathy 07:08  |  CK Tan 22/11/08
      69.   Lincoln, YES, you tool 07:24  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      70.   C K Tan - how wrong can you be? 07:26  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      71.   Cipora - evolving lies 07:28  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      72.   Lincoln makes a fool of himself over protons now 07:33  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      73.   Cipora, must I show the CIA breifing 07:34  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      74.   that can be honored real easy;just bomb,bomb,bomb a/mad/jad`s 07:34  |  glenna 22/11/08
      75.   CK Tan 07:35  |  Peter Williams 22/11/08
      76.   Haaretz. You have my questions for SDHD. 08:16  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      77.   Lincoln, your thinkin` is stinkin` 08:23  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      78.   SDHD 08:25  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      79.   CK Tan - no sympathy necessay 08:28  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      80.   Lincoln just keeps prattling on about depleted uranium 08:29  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      81.   Lincoln, lincoln, lincoln, says whoever doesn`t believe him is 08:35  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      82.   #73, MarkL 08:39  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/11/08
      83.   Lincoln throws himself at the mercy of Haaretz. How Cute! 08:39  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      84.   #70 Mark L: - And WHO has CONFIRMED that it is the SAME stuff? 08:40  |  CK Tan 22/11/08
      85.   Learn to READ and COMPREHEND, Lincoln 08:46  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      86.   The first of all human rights is the right to live, and that ... 09:21  |  Jerudah Ben-Israel 22/11/08
      87.   This is obviously not the Syria with which Israel can reach ... 09:34  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 22/11/08
      88.   Just Another `Arabian Nights Tale`..... 09:34  |  Dolly 22/11/08
      89.   Chris Linthwaite/ Natallie Durson 09:38  |  Daniela 22/11/08
      90.   To the many detractors of my post to Mark L: it`s all v simple 10:42  |  S 22/11/08
      91.   # 10 Natallie Durson 18:23  |  Israeli cititzen 22/11/08
      92.   Reactor Photo Known and Alleged 20:47  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      93.   A simpler test for a simpleton - SDHD 20:52  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      94.   It is so very simple S and SDHD 21:00  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      95.   Mark Lincoln No 92 21:28  |  Peter Williams 22/11/08
      96.   Lincoln thinks everything must fit his personal paradigms 21:36  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      97.   Peter Williams and reactors under construction 21:46  |  SDHD 22/11/08
      98.   I must say Mark Lincoln changed my opinion 22:36  |  Palestinian Prince 22/11/08
      99.   Again I ask the questions 00:13  |  Clickfool 23/11/08
      100.   Cllckfool - some answers 01:18  |  Mark Lincoln 23/11/08
      101.   VIPER using the "spy" copout means no IAEA,UN inspections 02:02  |  PETER SM 23/11/08
      102.   #100, PETER SM on spies 07:41  |  VIPER 23/11/08
      103.   #55 The report gives us its definition, Mark 00:35  |  Johnboy 24/11/08
      104.   #62 Just to point out CK Tan`s gullibility 00:44  |  Johnboy 24/11/08
      105.   #24 Peter Williams, on who should do some re-reading 00:54  |  Johnboy 24/11/08
      106.   SDHD 01:41  |  Peter Williams 24/11/08
      107.   #101, #102 PETER SM and VIPER 13:23  |  Johnboy 24/11/08
      108.   Johnboy Class A Twit 13:48  |  Peter Williams 24/11/08
      109.   #108 Peter Williams: rolled-gold tool 14:09  |  Johnboy 24/11/08
      110.   Johnboy 15:13  |  Peter Williams 24/11/08
      111.   #110 I despair, Peter Williams. Really, I do. 12:26  |  Johnboy 25/11/08
      112.   johnboy 06:22  |  Peter Williams 26/11/08
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