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Last update - 16:40 23/09/2007
Report: IDF raid seized nuclear material before Syria air strike
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Syria, Israel, nuclear 

Israel Defense Forces commandos seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a raid on a secret military site in Syria before the Israel Air Force allegedly bombed it this month, British newspaper The Sunday Times reported Sunday.

The report, based on what the newspaper called "informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem," said the air strike was carried out with United States approval after Washington was shown evidence the material was nuclear related.

The paper quoted Israeli sources as saying Israeli special forces had been gathering intelligence for several months in Syria, and had located the nuclear material at a compound in the country's north.
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In another report, Newsweek quoted Uzi Arad, a former senior Mossad official and ex-policy advisor to then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as saying of the reported operation: I do know what happened, and when it comes out, it will stun everyone."

Netanyahu stirred anger among aides to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week when he appeared to confirm reports of the operation - about which Israeli officials have maintained a rare silence - during an interview with Israel Channel One Television.

The Sunday Times reported that diplomats in North Korea and China believe a number of North Koreans were killed in the strike, based on reports reaching Asian governments about conversations between Chinese and North Korean officials. The officials noted that ballistic missile technicians and military scientists had been working for some time with the Syrians.

According to the report, the Bush Administration was given Israeli intelligence suggesting North Korean personnel and nuclear-related material were at the Syrian site over the summer, but the administration demanded "clear evidence of nuclear-related activities before giving the operation its blessing."

As a result, the newspaper said, IDF commandos "almost certainly dressed in Syrian uniforms" seized samples of the nuclear material and took them back to Israel for testing. The sources confirmed that the samples were identified as being from North Korea.

According to the Sunday Times, the site - near Dayr az-Zawr - now lies in ruins following the IAF strike.

The report said the operation was personally directed by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who according to The Sunday Times is said to have been largely preoccupied with it since taking up his post on June 18. The newspaper quoted military experts as saying that the operation probably could not have taken place under former defense minister Amir Peretz.

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.

The Sunday Times also quoted an Israeli intelligence expert as saying, "Syria has retaliated in the past for much smaller humiliations, but they will choose the place, the time and the target."

The IAF dispatched several fighter jets toward Syria Saturday, after a Syrian airplane disappeared from the Israeli radar screens, army sources said.

The jets returned to base after they ascertained that the Syrian plane had crashed.

Barak: Israel must operate as though war is around the corner
Israel must act as though the next war is right around the corner, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Sunday at the state's official commemoration of soldiers killed in the Yom Kippur War.

Barak said that the lesson from the 1973 war is that "on security matters, we cannot be deceived by apparent and imagined calm. We need self-control, vigilance, and an experienced and stable hand at the helm."

The defense minister also said that "on matters pertaining to our national security, the strength of Israel must be alert and fit at all times. We must always cultivate and enhance the decisive and quality advantage of this strength, along with the warrior spirit and the tools of war."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday morning during a cabinet meeting that the "security establishment operates incessantly in all sectors and brings the most successful of achievements.

"Many times, these achievements are not exposed to the public, but this doesn't mean that successful operations are not carried out."


Related articles:
Report: Syria, North Korea hold high-level talks in Pyongyang
J'lem outraged by Netanyahu's admission of IAF strike on Syria
Israel says can't ignore regional efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction
CNN: Israeli gov't 'very happy with success' of IAF strike on Syria

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  1.   Fox News - aka the Bush Network - reports 04:34  |  Mark Lincoln 23/09/07
  2.   The same lies, from the same guys 04:36  |  Mark Lincoln 23/09/07
  3.   Good Stuff! 04:43  |  Danite 23/09/07
  4.   God and Allah 04:43  |  Rabbi Izz Lahm 23/09/07
  5.   We understand that the liars 04:45  |  Mark Lincoln 23/09/07
  6.   Good Work 04:49  |  Jane 23/09/07
  7.   Right On! 04:51  |  masaraksh 23/09/07
  8.   Uzi Mahnaimi 05:00  |  Stumpwhistle 23/09/07
  9.   unbelievable daring 05:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  10.   Mark Lincoln - You Are Nuts 05:10  |  Jane 23/09/07
  11.   Mark Lincoln`s erroneous assumptions 05:11  |  Booth 23/09/07
  12.   Mark, so it is a lie, what is it to you, are they asking your 05:15  |  Duncan Frasier 23/09/07
  13.   For Mark Lincoln 05:17  |  Alan 23/09/07
  14.   Sure 05:21  |  Jake 23/09/07
  15.   Occam`s Razor 05:21  |  Paul 23/09/07
  16.   Lincoln .. keep dreaming 05:22  |  GZLives 23/09/07
  17.   How much do they pay you, Mark Lincoln? 05:22  |  Denton 23/09/07
  18.   Mark Lincoln #1 05:23  |  Dakkar 23/09/07
  19.   Why is Israeli defense contingent on American approval? 05:23  |  Jon 23/09/07
  20.   #1 Lincoln poor fellow, you`re really upset 05:26  |  * BEN JABO 23/09/07
  21.   #5 Lincoln 05:28  |  * BEN JABO 23/09/07
  22.   Alah was great, followers 05:32  |  Free the World 23/09/07
  23.   Mark Lincoln is right #1 05:33  |  William 23/09/07
  24.   Lincoln - If Israel said the did it, they did. 05:35  |  * BEN JABO 23/09/07
  25.   CIPORA JULIANNA KOHN-LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 05:42  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 23/09/07
  26.   A question for Hamas 05:42  |  William 23/09/07
  27.   SYRIAN NUCLEAR MATERIAL 05:42  |  patrick hammel 23/09/07
  28.   HEH HEH HEH 05:43  |  IsraFan 23/09/07
  29.   WORLD OUT THERE WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 05:50  |  Albert 23/09/07
  30.   #2 RESSENTED 05:54  |  Commonsense 23/09/07
  31.   Reporter tends to lie 05:54  |  Sandra 23/09/07
  32.   This is toooooooo funny 05:54  |  Harold 23/09/07
  33.   now we know why 05:55  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  34.   Mark Lincoln 05:57  |  Thundermonkey 23/09/07
  35.   Simplistic, Mark Lincoln 06:03  |  Yoram 23/09/07
  36.   Israeli lies 06:05  |  Informed source 23/09/07
  37.   lies 06:05  |  informed source 23/09/07
  38.   To #23 06:08  |  Commonsense 23/09/07
  39.   Mark Lincoln .your jealousy made you blind 06:08  |  e.m 23/09/07
  40.   Alan - Has the IDF told you everything that happened in Syria? 06:12  |  Pablo B 23/09/07
  41.   to#27 06:13  |  Commonsense 23/09/07
  42.   Where`s that UNSC session? 06:18  |  JES 23/09/07
  43.   TO #22 06:21  |  Commonsense 23/09/07
  44.   fantastic work, at our best, now get back to that in all military 06:22  |  ralph 23/09/07
  45.   To #19 06:26  |  Commomsense 23/09/07
  46.   phony, me believe 06:31  |  zac 23/09/07
  47.   #25, Jon Feigenbaum 06:38  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  48.   JOIN 19 BECAUSE........... 06:41  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 23/09/07
  49.   Good Job IDF, 06:47  |  Shepherd 23/09/07
  50.   Wonderful news. Keep up the good work. 06:52  |  Charles 23/09/07
  51.   THe FULL story in the Sunday Times UK 06:52  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 23/09/07
  52.   Commando raid: unbelievable daring 06:59  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 23/09/07
  53.   Good riddance fake Natalie! 07:00  |  Dr. Jack 23/09/07
  54.   THE Story 07:03  |  GZLives 23/09/07
  55.   #40 - Pablo 07:04  |  JES 23/09/07
  56.   Durson`s replacement 07:10  |  Dr. Jack 23/09/07
  57.   nuckes 07:11  |  Joseph 23/09/07
  58.   MOSSAD SROLLS IN TO SYRIA AND STROLLS OUT -WAY TO GO!! 07:19  |  don 23/09/07
  59.   No need to read fiction books 07:21  |  George Lechter 23/09/07
  60.   CIPORA JULINNA KOHN 07:39  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 23/09/07
  61.   Its an easy story to believe. IDF are known for such great opps 07:47  |  Lavy 23/09/07
  62.   Mark Lincoln 07:49  |  Sherlock Holmes 23/09/07
  63.   Frankly, I Don`t Know Why We Attacked Iraq When... 09:09  |  Yosemite 23/09/07
  64.   HA...HA...HA...A RAID? 09:11  |  indrajaya 23/09/07
  65.   The perpetual rush to print crap by the Sunday Times 09:34  |  Clickfool 23/09/07
  66.   Mark Lincoln # 1 09:38  |  Philippe 23/09/07
  67.   IDF seized nuclear material in syria 09:41  |  wisam 23/09/07
  68.   Cipora # 9 09:44  |  Philippe 23/09/07
  69.   Who believes what Israelis say? 09:49  |  Andreas 23/09/07
  70.   Israel ?Will Pay a Price? 09:51  |  Dav 23/09/07
  71.   Denton # 17 09:54  |