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Last update - 19:28 04/03/2009
U.S.: Evidence mounts of Syrian nuclear cover-up
By Reuters
Tags: Israel news, IAEA, Syria 

The United States said on Wednesday that United Nations inspectors had found growing evidence of covert nuclear activity in Syria, and European allies said a lack of Syrian transparency demanded utmost scrutiny.

The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, is looking into U.S. intelligence reports that Syria had almost built a North Korean-designed, nuclear reactor meant to yield bomb-grade plutonium before Israel bombed it in 2007.

Last month, the IAEA said inspectors had found enough traces of uranium in soil samples taken in a trip to the bombed site granted by Syria last June to constitute a "significant" find, and satellite pictures taken before the Israeli bombing revealed a building resembling a reactor.
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But the IAEA report said Syria, citing national security reasons, had ignored many agency requests for further on-the-ground access and documentation to back up its assertion that Israel's target was a purely conventional military building.

"This report contributes to the growing evidence of clandestine nuclear activities in Syria," Gregory Schulte, U.S. ambassador to the IAEA, said during a debate by its 35-nation Board of Governors in Vienna.

"We must understand why such [uranium] material - material not previously declared to the IAEA - existed in Syria and this can only happen if Syria provides the cooperation requested."

He said it was also essential that Syria allow inspectors to examine debris removed from the bombed facility to an unknown location immediately after Israel's strike.

This applied as well, Schulte said, to three other military sites which satellite pictures showed Syria "sanitized" - landscaping them and whisking away equipment - shortly after the IAEA asked to check them out.

Last week, Damascus said the uranium particles were not "significant". It said they came from depleted uranium used in Israeli munitions, contradicting an IAEA finding that this was chemically processed uranium not in Syria's declared inventory.

Syria also suggested IAEA analyses were faulty and that satellite imagery Washington gave to the IAEA was fabricated. Its only declared nuclear site is an old research reactor, and it has no known nuclear energy capacity.

In a statement to the closed-door IAEA gathering, the 27-member European Union voiced concern at the "possibility that Syria has not declared all its nuclear installations".

"Any obstacles, unnecessary delays or a lack of cooperation... undermine the credibility of the agency's verification capabilities. Such cases, therefore, deserve our utmost attention," it said."

Vienna diplomats said Syria had told the IAEA it had built a missile facility on the desert tract hit by Israel, a disclosure apparently meant to reinforce the Syrian refusal to grant more IAEA access on national security grounds.

Related articles:
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  • IAEA: New uranium traces found at suspected Syria nuclear site
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  • Syria bid for civilian nuclear plant sparks international row
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      1.   Masters of hypocrisy 19:27  |  Sammy from Jordan 04/03/09
      2.   The Opthamology Clinic is Now Open 19:52  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 04/03/09
      3.   Let`s see, two months into the Obama Administration, I wonder who 20:30  |  Jacob Blues 04/03/09
      4.   Israel bombed baby milk faactory with depleted uranium 20:36  |  Alan SA 04/03/09
      5.   syrian nuclear coverup 20:36  |  elliot 04/03/09
      6.   STOP ISRAEL`S NUKE PROGRAM AND OTHERS WILL STOP 20:40  |  Dany 04/03/09
      7.   Sammy From Jordan 20:44  |  Ori 04/03/09
      8.   Sammy from Jordan: The true hypocrisy is... 20:45  |  Ehud from Israel 04/03/09
      9.   To Sammy from Jordon..... 20:46  |  Massoud levy 04/03/09
      10.   IAEA- Idiotic Association of Energy Academicians 20:50  |  Ori 04/03/09
      11.   Surprise,surprise, surprise 20:52  |  Lynn 04/03/09
      12.   #1 Your king was happiest man on earth after IAF bombed... 21:00  |  Alain 04/03/09
      13.   1: Sammy`s the true hypocrite 21:07  |  David Teich 04/03/09
      14.   Sammy, all due respect... 21:10  |  Gabriel 04/03/09
      15.   This is not true 21:15  |  Bilbi 04/03/09
      16.   A Bush appointee making statements 21:16  |  Mark Lincoln 04/03/09
      17.   Jacob Boob 21:21  |  Mark Lincoln 04/03/09
      18.   Nukes 21:31  |  Darren 04/03/09
      19.   Probaly true 21:33  |  baurat 04/03/09
      20.   Sammy from Jordan - Because we don`t threaten to wipe a country 21:41  |  bg 04/03/09
      21.   I do not believe it. 21:59  |  American in NY 04/03/09
      22.   If Israel bombs a North Korean 22:07  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/03/09
      23.   Next Iran 22:07  |  Baruch Gold 04/03/09
      24.   Every countries right 22:09  |  Mick 04/03/09
      25.   Cheers Mark Lincoln 22:11  |  Jo 04/03/09
      26.   Sorry Mark, but nicknames are so `Bush League` 22:24  |  Jacob Blues 04/03/09
      27.   Those who believe will and those wont still will not 22:24  |  David G 04/03/09
      28.   #7 You seem to have a short memory 22:27  |  Sammy from Jordan 04/03/09
      29.   sammy 22:35  |  vik 04/03/09
      30.   The site has to be bombed again, for precaution 22:39  |  Pacifist 04/03/09
      31.   Of course it is hypocrisy 22:49  |  Orquest 04/03/09
      32.   to Sammy from Jordan 23:05  |  Mongo 04/03/09
      33.   Jacob Blues if you had any self respect 23:12  |  Jo 04/03/09
      34.   Dear Sammy from Jordon, U r missing the point.. 23:25  |  Massoud Levy 04/03/09
      35.   Keep It Real Haaretz. 23:26  |  Cool B 04/03/09
      36.   Sammy, even the Red Cross says you are wrong. 00:21  |  Raymond in DC 05/03/09
      37.   27 There are proper procedural guidelines which does not include 00:43  |  lydia 05/03/09
      38.   AMinNY you do not believe a N.Korean ship docked in Syria ? 01:40  |  PETER SM 05/03/09
      39.   #36 Actually, Raymond, the ICRC says no such thing 02:01  |  Johnboy 05/03/09
      40.   and Iraq had WMDs 03:39  |  Adam 05/03/09
      41.   To Sammy (#1). Master of idiocy. 04:05  |  flyingdoc57 05/03/09
      42.   M.Lincoln any comments on the IAEA statements? 06:21  |  PETER SM 05/03/09
      43.   #36 Amnesty Int delegates found still-burning white phosphorus. 06:29  |  lydia 05/03/09
      44.   no beating around the bush 07:18  |  Marvin Gaye 05/03/09
      45.   28 09:34  |  zionist forever 05/03/09
      46.   To Lincoln, you know even less 22:31  |  FOX 09/03/09
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