Syria says U.S. nuclear claims are 'false,' biased toward Israel - Haaretz

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		A photo of the freighter al-Hamad that allegedly transported nuclear material to Syria. (Archives)

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Last update - 17:36 18/09/2007

Syria says U.S. nuclear claims are 'false,' biased toward Israel

By The Assciated Press

Syria criticised the United States on Tuesday, accusing it of spreading false claims of Syrian nuclear activity and cooperation with North Korea to excuse a reported Israel Air Force incursion over the country this month.

A front-page editorial in the Syrian government-run newspaper Tishrin was also critical of Washington for failing to condemn the alleged September 6 IAF incursion, which it called a violation of international law.

"All this rubbish is not true. I don't know how their imagination has reached such creativity," Syrian cabinet minister Bouthaina Shaaban said of the reports of Syrian-North Korean nuclear cooperation.

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She said the reports - including ones of a recent North Korean shipment to Syria - were all fabricated stories which have no value and truth.

"Regretfully, the international press is busy justifying an aggression on a sovereign state and the world should be busy condemning it instead of inventing reasons and aims of this aggression," Shaaban told Lebanon's Hezbollah television station Al-Manar.

Syria's nuclear program has long been considered to be minimal, and the country is known to have only a small research reactor. In Vienna, officials for the International Atomic Energy Agency declined comment. But a diplomat associated with the agency said the IAEA didn't know anything about any nuclear facility in Syria, and if there is something there we should know.

Syria was the subject of IAEA investigation in 2004 on suspicions it could have been a customer of the nuclear black market run by Pakistani engineer A.Q. Khan - the same operation that supplied Iran and Libya with materials for their clandestine atomic projects.

But the diplomat, who demanded anonymity for discussing confidential information, said the agency found no concrete evidence of such activity.

North Korea strongly denied Tuesday that it provided Syria with secret nuclear cooperation, calling the allegation a fabrication by hard-liners in Washington to block progress in the country's relations with the United States.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said the country has upheld its pledge made last October, when it conducted its first-ever nuclear test, that North Korea would be a responsible nuclear power and not transfer any nuclear material out of the country.

"We never speak empty words," a ministry spokesperson said. "The above-said story is nothing but a clumsy plot hatched by the dishonest forces who do not like to see any progress at the six-party talks and in the DPRK-U.S. relations."

U.S. media reported last week that North Korea may be helping Syria with a secret nuclear program.

Bolstering the suspicions was a senior U.S. nuclear official who said Friday that North Koreans were in Syria and that Syria may have had contacts with secret suppliers to obtain nuclear equipment.

Andrew Semmel, acting deputy assistant secretary of state for nuclear
nonproliferation policy, did not identify the suppliers, but said North
Koreans were in Syria and that he could not exclude that the network run by A.Q. Khan may have been involved.

The North's Foreign Ministry claimed that the suspicions are nothing but an unskillful conspiracy fabricated again by impure forces who do not want to see progress in six-party talks and in relations between Washington and Pyongyang.

By impure forces, the North apparently referred to U.S. officials who have called for a stronger approach to deal with the communist nation.

Six-party talks refer to negotiations aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear programs. The forum involves China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the U.S.

Israel informed the Bush administration of its plans to attack targets in Syria earlier this month just before carrying out the raid, American and Israeli officials told the New York Times in a report on Tuesday.

The report was not clear on whether the Bush administration had expressed support or opposition to the information.

Related link
U.S. official: Syria mustn't attend regional summit
U.S. signs accord with Jordan backing its nuclear development

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1.	JUST WHO WOULD BELIEVE NORTH KOREA	10:27	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	18/09/07

2.	Aw and they`re so reliable and moral	10:37	\|	Jasmine Murphy	18/09/07

3.	SYRIA also removed records of ship docking off the internet	11:52	\|	PETER S.M.	18/09/07

4.	# 1 Who Would Believe N. Korea? Well...	14:20	\|	Tony Anthony	18/09/07

5.	Why would planes go all the way without being spoted	14:35	\|	Marco	18/09/07

6.	#3 what about Saudi Arabia	14:39	\|	Marco	18/09/07

7.	JUST WHO WOULD BELIEVE ISRAEL	14:44	\|	Harold	18/09/07

8.	Balance of power is needed	15:02	\|	Natallie Durson	18/09/07

9.	FIRST we hear that N.Korea & Syria PROTEST.-THEN we hear that....	15:08	\|	Vittorio	18/09/07

10.	#7 Harold	15:22	\|	John Allen	18/09/07

11.	Of Course it is All a Fabrication	15:25	\|	Bernie	18/09/07

12.	Syria Should Shut Up and Quit While It`s Ahead	15:29	\|	Jane	18/09/07

13.	#8 Predictable Durson Nonsense	15:51	\|	Bill Foonman	18/09/07

14.	BERNIE So why did Syria falsify shpping details?	16:01	\|	PETER S.M.	18/09/07

15.	SYRIA IS RIGHT, PRETTY SOON THEY	16:31	\|	Robert	18/09/07

16.	nuclear claims	16:31	\|	mart	18/09/07

17.	SYRIAN CLAIMS FALSE - THAT`S EXACTLY WHY U.S BIASED TOWARD ISRAEL	16:34	\|	Mitch Iginer	18/09/07

18.	Oh durson my dursohn! She cannot understand that nukes in hands..	16:36	\|	Vittorio	18/09/07

19.	Iran`s lapdog got caught. This time.	16:45	\|	Existential	18/09/07

20.	some posters,such as Natalie D have raised a valid question,why	16:54	\|	lakshmi	18/09/07

21.	some posters might use their brains	17:08	\|	Wolf	18/09/07

22.	lakshmi	17:09	\|	Existential	18/09/07

23.	#20 Failure To Comprehend The Obvious	17:23	\|	Bill Foonman	18/09/07

24.	lakshmi,the islamic facist have done more looting and	17:49	\|	terrornator	18/09/07

25.	We are telling the truth "this time"	17:53	\|	Frances	18/09/07

26.	Proof please	18:03	\|	paul	18/09/07

27.	It`s engineering knowledge	18:05	\|	paul	18/09/07

28.	#13 Bill	18:11	\|	Isabella	18/09/07

29.	IAF raid over Syria	18:38	\|	Jack	18/09/07

30.	Korea	19:06	\|	paul	18/09/07

31.	Anybody who loves God believes Israel!	19:09	\|	Paul	18/09/07

32.	Everyone is lying	19:11	\|	Twogunz	18/09/07

33.	Iran`s lapdog	19:13	\|	Paul	18/09/07

34.	# 8 Durson off the mark	19:16	\|	Sabra	18/09/07

35.	Roberts 15	19:20	\|	Sabra	18/09/07

36.	Lakshmi and Durson	19:24	\|	Sabra	18/09/07

37.	To Sabra	19:49	\|	Robert	18/09/07

38.	to # 20, lakshimi on the nukes	19:55	\|	Igor D.	18/09/07

39.	arab democracy is non existent	19:59	\|	Igor D.	18/09/07

40.	Hey Robert#15 - you know alot for being in TLV	20:20	\|	William	18/09/07

41.	Lakshmi #20 - That`s an easy question to answer	20:24	\|	William	18/09/07

42.	Existential#22 - looting of Iraq??	20:27	\|	William	18/09/07

43.	Congratulations Isabella #28	20:30	\|	Bill H	18/09/07

44.	"false claims"	20:31	\|	Lazer	18/09/07

45.	Kim Jong very ill and Assad	20:58	\|	Chick	18/09/07

46.	Natallie Durson statement of a retard?	20:59	\|	Joe	18/09/07

47.	Nuclear Weapons and Syria	21:04	\|	P. J. Casey	18/09/07

48.	Nathalie Durson, please be more balanced	21:08	\|	Robert Satar	18/09/07

49.	#28 - Right Isabella	21:20	\|	JES	18/09/07

50.	Isabella	21:35	\|	Jasmine Murphy	18/09/07

51.	Totalitarian Regimes Can Foretell The Future	21:43	\|	DAVID KAPLAN	18/09/07

52.	Syria Nuke Threat	21:55	\|	Brod	18/09/07

53.	Ignorance isn`t bliss	22:04	\|	paul	18/09/07

54.	Syria says U.S. nuclear claims are `false,` biased toward Israel	23:23	\|	Harold w/purpl cryon	18/09/07

55.	#28 Your Vitriolic Response	23:58	\|	Bill Foonman	18/09/07

56.	Deny, deny, deny	05:51	\|	Mark	19/09/07

57.	Deny, deny, deny	05:51	\|	Mark	19/09/07

58.	Don`t worry Syria..	13:35	\|	Ines	19/09/07

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