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U.S. President George W. Bush addressing a news conference at the White House on Thursday.
(AP)
Last update - 00:00 20/09/2007
Syria: Israeli nuclear weapons are sparking Mideast arms race
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Syria, North Korea, U.S. 

Click here for more articles by Yossi Melman

Syria's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday that Israel's nuclear capabilities were sparking an arms race in the region.

"The fact that UN and IAEA decisions regarding Israel's nuclear capability are not implemented increases the frustration of the Arab states and threatens to expand the arms race that could threaten the peace and security of the region and entire world," said Ibrahim Othman at IAEA's annual conference.
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According to reports in the American and British media, the target of an alleged Israel Air Force strike on Syria earlier this month was a nuclear facility built with North Korea's assistance.

Syria has said IAF planes violated its airspace and fired missiles at targets on the ground, but both Damascus and Pyongyang have vehemently denied the reports of nuclear cooperation.

"[Israel] has nuclear weapons and nuclear capabilities, that are not under international supervision," Othman continued. "It is a legitimate concern to ask Israel to join the nuclear non-proliferation treaty."

The 144-nation IAEA conference criticized Israel for refusing to put its nuclear program under international purview, with the United States alone in supporting Israel.

Besides Washington, only Israel voted against the resolution while 53 nations backed it and 47 abstained. The remaining nations were absent for the highly unusual vote - only the second in the 16 years the issue has been on the agenda of the IAEA.

Up to last year, the resolution on Application of IAEA Safeguards in the Middle East had been adopted by consensus, but in 2006, and again this year, Israeli objections forced a vote.

This year, Israel opposed two paragraphs - one calling all nations in the Middle East not to develop, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons, the other urging nuclear weapons states to refrain from any action hindering the establishment of a Mideast zone free of nuclear weapons.

Both passages were clearly aimed at Israel, which is considered to have nuclear weapons despite its no tell policy on the issue and which counts on the United States as its chief ally for support - both in the outside world and in forums such as the conference.

Israeli opposition last year was sparked by a separate Arab-sponsored resolution deeming Israel a nuclear threat and refusal by its sponsors to withdraw it.

While that resolution was put up for adoption it was not voted on. A similar resolution was being prepared for consideration at the gathering Friday.

A Western diplomat whose country normally is supportive of Israel sought to diminish the negative impact of the vote, pointing out that last year, 98 approved the resolution, with three abstaining and the United States and Israel opposed.

Still, although the conference has no decision-making powers, the lack of consensus reflected deepening tensions in the Middle East.

Israel's doctrine of nuclear ambiguity - never formally confirming or denying that it has such weapons - is meant to scare potential enemies from considering an annihilating attack while denying them the rationale for developing their own nuclear deterrent.

Explaining his call for a vote, chief Israeli delegate Gideon Frank suggested lack of willingness to remove resolution language his country objected to showed there was no interest in consensus by Egypt, which submitted the document and the other nations most in support - Arab countries and Iran.

The way to build security ... is to aim high but start modestly and move carefully ahead, Frank told delegates, arguing - as every year - that distrust in the region had to be dismantled slowly before sweeping measures like a Middle East nuclear-free zone could be established.

Bush: North Korea must halt nuclear proliferation
U.S. President George W. Bush said on Thursday he expects North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program and not allow other countries to gain its know-how on producing such technology and weapons.

"We expect them to honor their commitment to give up weapons and weapons programs," Bush said during a news conference. "To the extent that they are proliferating, we expect them to stop their proliferation."

Bush made the statement after refusing to comment directly on a reported IAF strike in Syria earlier this month.

In what appears to be the first confirmation by a senior politician of foreign media reports, MK Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel One television Wednesday that he was party to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's decision to attack Syria, an operation on which Israeli officials have remained uncharacteristically silent.

Baath Party official: Syrian Air Force at "high" level of readiness
A senior Baath Party official on Thursday said that the Syrian Air Force is currently at a "high" level of readiness and awaiting orders to respond to the alleged IAF strike in Syria.

The official's statements came in an interview given to a reporter from the Arab-Israeli newspaper "Al-Hadat," which is published in Arabic in the city of Tamra in the Galilee.

The official, whose name was not revealed, stated that there are voices in Damascus calling for a harsh response to the alleged IAF raid and an end to all diplomatic initiatives meant to kick-start dialogue with Israel.

The real purpose of the IAF raid according to the official was to check the willingness of Iran to defend Syria against an Israeli attack, required under agreements recently signed between the two countries.

Also Thursday, Syrian opposition leader Abd al-Halim Khaddam was quoted as saying Damascus' ability to react to Israel's alleged air strike was limited because of the undemocratic nature of its regime.

In an interview with the A-Sinara paper, the former Syrian vice president Khaddam said Damascus has the military might to react, but chose not to due to political instability from within.

"When the regime undermines the national unity and does not treat financial crises, the right elements that allow a response are not created," he said.

Khaddam has been in exile since 2005 and is the head of an opposition group to the government headed by Syrian President Bashar Assad
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  1.   Dead Eye Dick is back in control 19:40  |  Mark Lincoln 20/09/07
  2.   Why War is inevitable! 19:48  |  Alphaeus 20/09/07
  3.   Bush, the bad and the good and the bad and the bad 20:28  |  Natallie Durson 20/09/07
  4.   Israeli Nukes 20:33  |  Jake 20/09/07
  5.   Syria claims Israel`s nukes starting arms race 20:39  |  Edifice 20/09/07
  6.   Israel has never claimed to have nuclear weapons, indeed it 20:48  |  Petra 20/09/07
  7.   Issue that Muslims dont understand 20:51  |  Lavy 20/09/07
  8.   iran/syria 20:51  |  ariel 20/09/07
  9.   to #1 20:52  |  Lavy 20/09/07
  10.   It sure took long enough 20:54  |  Israeli 20/09/07
  11.   Alphaeus - You are wrong on so many levels 20:54  |  Here is how 20/09/07
  12.   Alphaeus - Also 20:55  |  THIS IS WHY 20/09/07
  13.   War Is Inevitable 21:01  |  longwalksinparis 20/09/07
  14.   IL nukes 21:09  |  Roland 20/09/07
  15.   Nuckes make no differencefor us 21:11  |  Christian Lebanese 20/09/07
  16.   Duh?!? World`s slowest moving spark 21:19  |  Joe Sittizen 20/09/07
  17.   Hypocrite.... 21:23  |  Webster 20/09/07
  18.   DIMONA`S TIME HAS ARRIVED 21:30  |  indrajaya 20/09/07
  19.   Syrians pathetic liars and that is the good news. 21:42  |  Chick 20/09/07
  20.   If Syria/Iran had nukes 21:44  |  Murray of Montreal 20/09/07
  21.   Israel will not use it`s nukes 21:46  |  Joey 20/09/07
  22.   Religious extremism and nukes 21:48  |  Yitzhak 20/09/07
  23.   Blaming Isreal is like ... 21:49  |  Brad 20/09/07
  24.   Ibrahim Othman is a liar 21:56  |  Bernd 20/09/07
  25.   Ma Pitom? We`ve had the nukes for thirty years. 22:02  |  Wolf 20/09/07
  26.   Christian Lebanese 22:04  |  Wolf 20/09/07
  27.   Here is how 22:07  |  rich 20/09/07
  28.   No. 4--Lavy 22:07  |  steve 20/09/07
  29.   Christian Lebanese 22:09  |  rich 20/09/07
  30.   # 13 22:16  |  BRL 20/09/07
  31.   @12, christian lebanese, i am sorry that we helped 22:17  |  vladimir 20/09/07
  32.   To Christian Lebanese 22:19  |  Israel 4ever 20/09/07
  33.   Why Syria cries about Israel`s nukes?Because Syria & N.Korea were 22:31  |  Vittorio 20/09/07
  34.   a condition of being involved in the IAEA is that you bash Israel 22:31  |  zionist forever 20/09/07
  35.   syria to the iaea 22:38  |  michael burke 20/09/07
  36.   RE: 13 22:40  |  zionist forever 20/09/07
  37.   To "Christian" Lebanese, a true disciple of Antoun Saadah 22:46  |  Jake 20/09/07
  38.   Lavy - Right...and the leaders of Iran and Syria 22:48  |  Lefty 20/09/07
  39.   israeli nukes 22:50  |  Shmuelshachor 20/09/07
  40.   #13 Sick , WOW 22:52  |  Boss Hog 20/09/07
  41.   Arabs are Abstractly Humans 22:54  |  Jesse Blanco 20/09/07
  42.   #4 Petra 22:57  |  Labhras 20/09/07
  43.   Israel need to be stripped of WMD`s 22:57  |  Jens 20/09/07
  44.   re: Christian Lebanese 22:58  |  Efox 20/09/07
  45.   If Israel wanted to Nuke the Arab world why haven`t they done it? 23:02  |  Efox 20/09/07
  46.   re: longwalksinparis 23:14  |  Efox 20/09/07
  47.   Christian Lebanese don`t say that 23:17  |  Tamir Palestine 20/09/07
  48.   re: Alphaeus 23:17  |  Efox 20/09/07
  49.   Christian Lebanese, you should apologize, say sorry 23:18  |  Tamir Palestine 20/09/07
  50.   israel is not only sparking a mideast arms race,it is THE threat 23:21  |  lakshmi 20/09/07
  51.   I`m sure Israel would help the Palestinians if 23:21  |  Tamir Palestine 20/09/07
  52.   Roland, you can cut the B.S. now 23:26  |  Jake 20/09/07
  53.   #1- Mark Lincoln Dumbing Down The Americans 23:28  |  Yoram 20/09/07
  54.   peace in the middle east? 23:29  |  allan 20/09/07
  55.   To "This is why", where is your proof? 23:32  |  Jake 20/09/07
  56.   Indirect Syrian Admission of Nukes 23:38  |  Dan 20/09/07
  57.   edifice 4 23:58  |  realism 20/09/07
  58.   EVERYONE tries to impose their views on us 00:04  |  Marcus Davidson 21/09/07
  59.   Syria won`t fight 00:04  |  John 21/09/07
  60.   A whine, not a fact 00:08  |  Mark Lincoln 21/09/07
  61.   #21.Bernd.Which planet did you come from.? 00:09  |  Barnaby 21/09/07
  62.   Why Israel does not join the NPT and allow the IAEA 00:13  |  Mark Lincoln 21/09/07
  63.   its all waste 00:33  |  palestinian 21/09/07
  64.   re: 13 "Christian" Leb.-You`re No Christian 00:45  |  DK 21/09/07
  65.   Continuing Arab desire to Destroy Israel and kill Jews 01:14  |  Jon 21/09/07
  66.   indirect admission on #53 01:20  |  Shmuelshachor 21/09/07
  67.   #13 It is very apparent that you are not a... 01:45  |  John 21/09/07
  68.   #47 lakshmi, then you woke up from your dream. 01:50  |  John Allen 21/09/07
  69.   #56 Mark, you are as dumb as a rock... 01:52  |  John Allen 21/09/07
  70.   PART 1 02:04  |  Anthony 21/09/07
  71.   INTERST in "nuclear power" only started after Shiite Iran 02:31  |  PETER SM 21/09/07
  72.   re:67 John- How Blind you are....too 04:06  |  DK 21/09/07
  73.   Lavy Tech edge 04:07  |  Mark T 21/09/07
  74.   Indra-nukes 04:12  |  Mark T 21/09/07
  75.   Realism 04:25  |  Mark T 21/09/07
  76.   Jake:Israeli Nukes 04:30  |  Reyna 21/09/07
  77.   Anthony--peace with Syra 04:34  |  Mark T 21/09/07
  78.   Anthony 2 04:40  |  Mark T 21/09/07
  79.   Agreements signed between Syria and Iran 04:43  |  Lisen 21/09/07
  80.   Syria is an a race to strengthen terror organizations 04:47  |  Tal 21/09/07
  81.   Syria 05:35  |  mnjam 21/09/07
  82.   DK 05:37  |  ff 21/09/07
  83.   Everybody has the right of get nukes... 05:57  |  Niva dos santos 21/09/07
  84.   Everybody has the right of get nukes... 05:58  |  Niva dos santos 21/09/07
  85.   ff---DK 06:26  |  Mark T 21/09/07
  86.   mark t 75 06:28  |  realism 21/09/07
  87.   Nuclear Free ME 06:51  |  Neil 21/09/07
  88.   Nuke Free ME 08:07  |  Mark T 21/09/07
  89.   Israel is So Brave! 08:52  |  Maureen Ann 21/09/07
  90.   #6Petra. You are forgetting something. 09:03  |  Maureen Ann 21/09/07
  91.   Mideast arms race. 09:15  |  David Nigel Braham 21/09/07
  92.   *** IF I WERE SYRIA ...... 09:38  |  Samy 21/09/07
  93.   Israel wants to retain its Middle East nuclear monopoly 09:39  |  Clickfool 21/09/07
  94.   #11 My response to your reply! 09:40  |  Alphaeus 21/09/07
  95.   For Petra, an amnesia victim # 6 09:46  |  Clickfool 21/09/07
  96.   #55 Jake 09:49  |  Alphaeus 21/09/07
  97.   Message # 15 of Christian Lebanese 11:28  |  YItzhak 21/09/07
  98.   Samy- SYRIA 92 14:28  |  Mark T 21/09/07
  99.   to-63 Palestinian 19:48  |  Tom 21/09/07
  100.   I see no proof 23:41  |  Paul 21/09/07
  101.   Funny Scripture mentions no nuke war. 23:45  |  Paul 21/09/07
  102.   Christain Lebanese 23:47  |  Paul 21/09/07
  103.   It`s a static string 23:49  |  Paul 21/09/07
  104.   Hell no, you aren`t wrong 01:03  |  Paul 22/09/07
  105.   No one wants a nuklear war 01:07  |  Paul 22/09/07
  106.   Casting an evil eye 01:10  |  Paul 22/09/07
  107.   Looks like a threat 01:17  |  Paul 22/09/07
  108.   It definitely won`t be peaceful! 01:23  |  Paul 22/09/07
  109.   Nice one 01:26  |  Paul 22/09/07
  110.   Numbers erode tech! 01:31  |  Paul 22/09/07
  111.   Even if Israel has nukes 13:19  |  Steve Mcgarret 22/09/07
  112.   Clickfool, you are correct. 21:49  |  Mark 22/09/07
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