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Last update - 09:16 14/10/2007
Report: IAF strike targeted partly finished nuclear reactor in Syria
By Haaretz Service

An Israel Air Force strike on Syria early last month targeted a partly constructed nuclear reactor, American and foreign officials with access to intelligence reports were quoted as saying by the New York Times on Saturday.

Comparing the operation to Israel's bombing of the Osirak reactor in Iraq in 1981, shortly before that reactor was to have begun operating, the New York Times quoted U.S. and foreign officials as saying the Syrian facility appears to have been much further from completion.

"They [officials] said it would have been years before the Syrians could have used the reactor to produce the spent nuclear fuel that could, through a series of additional steps, be reprocessed into bomb-grade plutonium," the Times reported.
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According to the New York Times, the Bush administration was divided over whether an attack on the incomplete reactor was warranted.

The officials told the Times that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates were "particularly concerned about the ramifications of a pre-emptive strike in the absence of an urgent threat."

"There wasn't a lot of debate about the evidence," one American familiar with the discussions between the U.S. and Israel told the Times. "There was a lot of debate about how to respond to it."

According to the report, the officials said the reactor was apparently modeled on one North Korea has used to create its stockpile of nuclear weapons fuel.

Syrian President Bashar Assad confirmed the air strike some two weeks ago, but said it targeted an unused military facility. Both North Korea and Syria have vehemently denied reports of nuclear cooperation between the countries.

Also Saturday, North Korea's state media reported that a senior Pyongyang official has departed for an overseas trip that includes a stop in Syria
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  1.   My Spirit new it 22:19  |  Paul 13/10/07
  2.   Kill the snack on spot before it bites you. 22:53  |  e.m 13/10/07
  3.   dont wait for your enemy to arm himself before you shoot him 22:57  |  zionist forever 13/10/07
  4.   IAF hit partly finished nuclear reactor 23:07  |  Rollin 13/10/07
  5.   Years away..... 23:07  |  Palestinian Brit 13/10/07
  6.   betterb to early than to late and more difficult if left to late. 23:07  |  ralph 13/10/07
  7.   The New York Times 23:10  |  Ted 13/10/07
  8.   Without the State of Israel there is no future for the Jewish Peo 23:29  |  e.m 13/10/07
  9.   Reactor 23:30  |  Mr. Smith 13/10/07
  10.   Without the State of Israel there is no future for the Jewish P.2 23:31  |  e.m 13/10/07
  11.   Good Job! 23:43  |  Michael 13/10/07
  12.   palestinian Brit 00:14  |  max 14/10/07
  13.   #3, Ted; What propaganda? 00:15  |  Yosef 14/10/07
  14.   Israel`s myhts 00:19  |  PierrePalestinian 14/10/07
  15.   Kill the snack on spot before it bites you. 00:26  |  e.m 14/10/07
  16.   Hallucinating Arabs and Others 00:43  |  Larry 14/10/07
  17.   The airstrike 01:59  |  Joseph (Lebanese) 14/10/07
  18.   #4 Palestinian Brit 02:05  |  * BEN JABO 14/10/07
  19.   Palistinian Brit , wishful thinking, USA over whelimingly 02:14  |  Steve-NYC 14/10/07
  20.   #13 Pierre Palestinian 02:15  |  * BEN JABO 14/10/07
  21.   Twaddle 02:18  |  Mark Lincoln 14/10/07
  22.   IDF`s only mistake 02:40  |  dan 14/10/07
  23.   Reactors are built in deep holes. Thanks Isreal! 02:45  |  Omran 14/10/07
  24.   Reactors are built in deep holes. Thanks Isreal! 02:45  |  Omran 14/10/07
  25.   For pal Brit re #5 02:48  |  Star of David 14/10/07
  26.   For Mark Lincoln: Tell me, 02:53  |  Star of David 14/10/07
  27.   To Mark Lincoln 03:01  |  dan 14/10/07
  28.   8 03:03  |  zionist forever 14/10/07
  29.   cowardice on the iaf 03:08  |  VIPER 14/10/07
  30.   ZIONIST FOREVER`S TYPICAL BS. a coward 03:11  |  VIPER 14/10/07
  31.   Thnak you Israel for fighting against proliferation... 03:12  |  Rafa 14/10/07
  32.   The idiot Mark Lincoln New York time is anti republican 03:21  |  e.m 14/10/07
  33.   #21 We Will have to have discussions with Michelle 03:27  |  F.B.I. 14/10/07
  34.   Preventive Maintainance 03:38  |  Commonsense 14/10/07
  35.   twadell 04:16  |  jr 14/10/07
  36.   Ben Jabo 20 04:23  |  Pirerre 14/10/07
  37.   A brilliant way to send a message to Iran 04:50  |  garrick 14/10/07
  38.   Without the eradication of repugnant Zionism there is no future 05:25  |  Sam (UK) 14/10/07
  39.   The so called debate is over 05:35  |  Ron 14/10/07
  40.   to all pals and arabs build it and we will destroy it! 05:37  |  ralph 14/10/07
  41.   #29, take a valium or go masturbate... 05:41  |  Rafa 14/10/07
  42.   however may times you echo this its stays untrue 06:00  |  Rowan Berkeley 14/10/07
  43.   Bunch Of Baloney! A Radar Test! 06:09  |  Yosemite 14/10/07
  44.   bluffing 06:25  |  ali 14/10/07
  45.   what about iran? 06:35  |  william 14/10/07
  46.   REACTOR ### Better to do it NOW ! 06:37  |  Gary Pineda 14/10/07
  47.   Nuclear reactor 06:39  |  Edifice 14/10/07
  48.   Keep on bombing? 07:06  |  Neil 14/10/07
  49.   Nuclear reactor in Syria 07:31  |  Vera 14/10/07
  50.   Ali OK we are bluffing! 07:54  |  Gil 14/10/07
  51.   This attack will hurt Israel more than help 07:59  |  Natallie Durson 14/10/07
  52.   Its a Military test 08:06  |  gil 14/10/07
  53.   Gotta love the irony, Sam old bean 08:13  |  Existential 14/10/07
  54.   #5, Palestinian Brit...you cannot possibly hope for that... 08:25  |  Silvienne 14/10/07
  55.   #21, Mark Lincoln & Twaddle... 08:28  |  Silvienne 14/10/07
  56.   #23, Viper...now, you know the reason why... 08:31  |  Silvienne 14/10/07
  57.   #3, zionist forever... 08:33  |  Silvienne 14/10/07
  58.   We have scotch`d the snake..not killed it 08:34  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/10/07
  59.   We have scotch`d the snake..not killed it 08:34  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/10/07
  60.   #26, e.m. Mark Lincoln jealous of who??? 08:35  |  Silvienne 14/10/07
  61.   Ben Jabo, take this then.... 08:41  |  Silvienne 14/10/07
  62.   USA INVADED IRAQ WITH NO WMD PRESENT : ISRAEL DID RIGHT THING 08:43  |  W.Anker 14/10/07
  63.   Rowan Berkeley #34 08:51  |  S 14/10/07
  64.   same arogence israel had before julys 2006 war 08:57  |  Alex 14/10/07
  65.   #40, Durson 09:17  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/10/07
  66.   32-Sam,sam poor sam (UK) 09:18  |  peter 14/10/07
  67.   # 32. Without the erradication of hatred there is no future 09:23  |  dan 14/10/07
  68.   Natallie Durson No 40: Something`s Wrong Here. 09:43  |  Natan 14/10/07
  69.   Vicious Israeli attack on IAEA-approved facilities 09:51  |  Clickfool 14/10/07
  70.   US Stated Dept. has screwed up and now "debates" 09:54  |  Absolute Sweden 14/10/07
  71.   Manners, Clickfool, manners! 10:09  |  Jasmine Murphy 14/10/07
  72.   Pirerre # 36 10:12  |  ChanahS 14/10/07
  73.   Biased 10:19  |  ali 14/10/07
  74.   Alex 10:36  |  Iisraeli 14/10/07
  75.   #69 Click The Fool in his infinite wisdom... 10:47  |  Shlomo 14/10/07
  76.   For Jasmine Murphy # 71 10:52  |  Clickfool 14/10/07
  77.   Silvienne what they will build we will DESTROY 11:14  |  Gil 14/10/07
  78.   Clickfoot # 69 11:24  |  nosmo 14/10/07
  79.   IAF bombs partly finished peace. 11:26  |  Michael 14/10/07
  80.   Ckickfool here is a Movie just for YOU! 12:21  |  Gil 14/10/07
  81.   #29 & 30 - Are you stupid? 12:40  |  Alan 14/10/07
  82.   Clickfool 12:42  |  Jasmine Murphy 14/10/07
  83.   Gil (#77)