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Syrian President Bashar Assad.
 (AP)
Last update - 20:14 09/03/2009
Assad: Alleged nuclear site hit by IAF has been built over
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies
Tags: Israel News, Syria 

Syrian president Bashar Assad denounced U.S. claims that a Syrian site bombed by Israel two years ago was a nearly finished nuclear reactor, and said in comments published Monday that the location has been built over.

Assad's remarks in the Emirates' Al Khaleej daily confirmed statements made last month by two Western diplomats with the Vienna-based United Nations nuclear watchdog.

The diplomats quoted Syrian nuclear chief Ibrahim Othman as telling the International Atomic Energy Agency that Syria built a new missile facility on the bombed site in a remote desert area.
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However, Assad didn't elaborate what the new construction was at Al Kibar.

The autocratic Syrian leader's comments appeared to be an effort to close the chapter on the issue of the bombed site amid a recent drive by Damascus for better relations with Washington and the new Obama administration.

The diplomats in Vienna had said the new structure appeared to be a missile control center or an actual launching pad. Syria had previously said only that the site was military in nature and that it was being rebuilt.

Damascus has denied secret nuclear activities but has blocked IAEA inspectors from visits beyond an initial inspection of Al Kibar.

Israel Air Force warplanes reportedly destroyed the site in the Syrian desert in Sept. 2007. Israel has not commented on the strike, but months later Washington presented intelligence purporting to show the target was a reactor under construction, built with North Korean help that would have been able to produce plutonium once completed.

In the Monday interview, Assad said that America justified the bombing eight months later and questioned why Washington waited so long to announce the alleged evidence.

Syria, Assad said, allowed the IAEA to visit the site shortly after its request last May and the team from the UN watchdog arrived in June.

"Have we had any nuclear activities we wouldn't have allowed them to come," Assad was quoted as saying.

Environmental samples from IAEA's trip revealed traces of man-made uranium and graphite but UN officials say it's too early to say whether the graphite - a common element in North Korean prototype reactors - had any nuclear applications.

Assad also disputed the uranium find.

"Where did the uranium come from, he asked in the interview. Under construction means that it was not built yet," he said, implying that there wouldn't have been any uranium traces unless the site was completed.

Assad: We'll talk peace with any Israel leadership

Assad also told the Gulf newspaper on Monday that Damascus will negotiate with any Israeli government irrespective of its political orientation, adding that there was little difference between the political left and the right.

"One is bad and the other is awful," the Syrian leader told Al Khaleej, adding that Arab states should not hang their hopes on the ideological make-up of the Israeli cabinet.

"The right-wing is right-wing, and the left-wing is right-wing," Assad said. "The right kills Arabs and the left kills Arabs. There is no value to all of these hopes," the Syrian president said.

Assad said that a peace deal with Israel was possible but that normal relations would only be possible if Israel ended its conflict with the Palestinians.

"There will perhaps be an embassy and formalities, but if you want peace then it has to be comprehensive. We give them the choice between comprehensive peace and a peace agreement which does not have any real value on the ground," Assad told Al-Khaleej.

"There is a difference between a peace agreement and peace itself. A peace agreement is a piece of paper you sign. This does not mean trade and normal relations, or borders, or otherwise," he said.

"Our people will not accept that, especially since there are half a million Palestinians in our country whose position remains unresolved. It is impossible under these terms to have peace in the natural sense."

Syria and Israel held indirect talks last year under Turkish mediation. Talks focused on the Golan Heights which Israel captured in a 1967 Middle East war and on Syria's relationship with Iran, Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

Syria is demanding that Israel commits to a withdrawal ofIsraeli troops from the Golan.

The indirect talks, put on hold due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in September, were disrupted further after the recent Israeli war in Gaza.

U.S. Senator John Kerry, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said after a meeting with Assad in Damascus last month that Syria was prepared to resume the talks but
wanted U.S. participation.

Assad said it was in the Palestinians' interests to coordinate with Damascus over its peace talks with Israel to avoid Israel putting off a resolution with the Palestinians.

"We believe that if Israel signs (a peace agreement) with Syria, Israel will put away the Palestinian question," he said.

Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel but it is often described as a cold peace since relations extend little beyond official government contacts.

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  • Can Israel make peace with Syria without leaving Golan?
  • U.S.: No normal Syria ties until it stops backing Hamas, Hezbollah
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      1.   Peace for Peace...The Golan is now Israel, deal with it! 11:55  |  Benny 09/03/09
      2.   To Benny 12:14  |  Nils Levin 09/03/09
      3.   "Ending Palestinian conflict" from Assad`s viewpoint means... 13:21  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 09/03/09
      4.   Benny 13:27  |  Mandelarab 09/03/09
      5.   Well, ya` gotta admit he has a point.... 13:46  |  Johnboy 09/03/09
      6.   To "Mandelarab" 13:53  |  Simon 09/03/09
      7.   Simon 14:03  |  Mandelarab 09/03/09
      8.   simon 14:09  |  Axel 09/03/09
      9.   benny 14:11  |  Axel 09/03/09
      10.   Simon - On Nobel Prizes 14:30  |  Natallie Durson 09/03/09
      11.   "Difference between peace agreement and peace" 14:49  |  Realist 09/03/09
      12.   Assad`s an idiot 14:51  |  petra 09/03/09
      13.   Simon--A "Nobel Mind" is a terrible thing to waste" 14:55  |  Labhras 09/03/09
      14.   In war when did nations give the land back? when! 15:09  |  Benny 09/03/09
      15.   big deal.israel ready to walk.over any syrian government 15:10  |  assad signalsteen 09/03/09
      16.   MandelArab 15:16  |  Greg 09/03/09
      17.   Assad Syria and his "Peace" 15:41  |  DT 09/03/09
      18.   Greg Einstein was a self professed Pacifist 16:58  |  Labhras 09/03/09
      19.   Assad is going to be judged for Rafik Hariris DEATH 17:07  |  Gil 09/03/09
      20.   Assad is going to be judged for Rafik Hariris DEATH 17:07  |  Gil 09/03/09
      21.   Peace? 17:07  |  Edifice 09/03/09
      22.   Syria and the new Israel. 19:57  |  Stephen. 09/03/09
      23.   #7 Mandelarab (or Mandel the Arab) Strange hyphenated 22:11  |  Israeli Observer 09/03/09
      24.   #10 Natallie, "But there isn`t any [eace and never has been" so. 22:21  |  Israeli Observer 09/03/09
      25.   Damn-Why do we always have to make 2 trips 22:40  |  Ari ben Yisrael 09/03/09
      26.   kick out hamas, because...we can knock it down again... 22:51  |  michelle 09/03/09
      27.   Incorrect, Mandelarab 22:52  |  Sceptic 09/03/09
      28.   Incorrect, Mandelarab 22:52  |  Sceptic 09/03/09
      29.   Natallie is right. 23:01  |  Antonio da Silva 09/03/09
      30.   #.14 Benny. 23:55  |  Stephen. 09/03/09
      31.   #27 Utter nonsense, Sceptic 00:31  |  Johnboy 10/03/09
      32.   #14 Benny shows that marvelous zionist world-view 00:50  |  Johnboy 10/03/09
      33.   assad is AGAIN hinting at his long term aims for peace 01:21  |  eric 10/03/09
      34.   #1, BENNY, no it aint, and never will be 02:02  |  VIPER 10/03/09
      35.   #5, JOHNBOY, re: assad and olmert 02:07  |  VIPER 10/03/09
      36.   #14, BENNY AGAIN, a nutter 02:11  |  VIPER 10/03/09
      37.   kill 2 birds with 1 stone 02:14  |  Marvin Gaye 10/03/09
      38.   AN ACT OF WAR BY ISRAEL!! 02:29  |  Samy 10/03/09
      39.   SAMY Israel has no peace treaty in place with Syria 02:59  |  PETER SM 10/03/09
      40.   Assad is A Joke 06:21  |  Baruch Gold 10/03/09
      41.   Like the Town of Hama 06:59  |  Baruch Gold 10/03/09
      42.   #40 So says Baruch Gold 09:12  |  Johnboy 10/03/09
      43.   A giant cover up,lied about N.Korean ship,delayed inspection 09:19  |  PETER SM 10/03/09
      44.   42 Peter--What have Assad and friends been covering up? 10:39  |  Ari ben Yisrael 10/03/09
      45.   eric # 33 It i stoo obvious 20:16  |  American in NY 10/03/09
      46.   # 18 labhras, look into the european origins of zionism (2nd try) 06:33  |  eric 11/03/09
      47.   # 45 to american in ny re: suspicions 07:01  |  eric 11/03/09
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