Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., April 28, 2008 Nisan 23, 5768 | | Israel Time: 19:38 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Imad Moustapha, Syrian ambassador to the United States. (AP) Last update - 21:04 26/04/2008 Syrian envoy to U.S.: Photos of alleged nuke site fabricated by CIA By Reuters Tags: Israel, nuclear reactor, IAEA  Syria's ambassador to the United States said Friday that the CIA fabricated pictures allegedly taken inside a secret Syrian nuclear reactor and predicted that in coming weeks the U.S. story about the site would implode from within. "The photos presented to me yesterday were ludicrous, laughable," Ambassador Imad Moustapha told reporters at his Washington residence. He refused to say what the building in the remote eastern desert of Syria was used for before Israeli jets bombed it in September 2007. Advertisement Senior U.S. intelligence officials said Thursday they believe it was a secret nuclear reactor meant to produce plutonium, which can be used to make high-yield nuclear weapons. They alleged that North Korea aided in the design, construction and outfitting of the building. Syria bulldozed the building's ruins a month after it was bombed and constructed a new, larger building in its place, leaving little or no evidence of what had been on the site. Moustapha would not explain the purpose of the new building. But he said the lack of military checkpoints, air defenses or barbed wire fences around either building should show that it was not a sensitive facility. So far, Syria has not allowed the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the area. Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Ja'afari, pledged on Friday to cooperate with the IAEA and suggested that the main target of the American CIA allegations against Syria is to justify the Israeli attack against the Syrian side. In a message to employees, CIA Director Michael Hayden praised the agency's outstanding work, calling it a case study in rigorous analytic tradecraft, skillful human and technical collection. But some outside nuclear experts were questioning some of the CIA's analysis, though not disputing its conclusions. David Albright, president of the nonprofit Institute for Science and International Security, analyzed commercial satellite imagery of the bombed facility last fall and surmised then it was a nuclear reactor. He questioned the intelligence agencies' conclusion that the reactor was within months or weeks of completion. "It's not clear-cut it was ready to turn on," Albright said. He also took issue with the Bush administration's assertion that the reactor was solely intended to support a nuclear weapons program. Officials said Thursday the reactor was ill-suited for electrical generation, lacking distribution wires or substations, and did not bear the hallmarks of a research reactor. They concluded the plutonium was therefore meant for weapons but acknowledged they had no direct evidence of that. "Almost all reactors produce plutonium, even those dedicated to peaceful purposes," Albright said. "Civilian uses are possible and cannot be dismissed out of hand," he said. "I think the CIA and the White House have not shown that the only possibility for this reactor is that it was to make plutonium for nuclear weapons." "It very well could be true," he said, "but it is far less than ironclad, absent other information." According to the CIA, the Syrian reactor was modeled on a small North Korean reactor built at Yongbyon. That facility produced a small amount of plutonium for nuclear weapons. Albright said that facility also was a research effort to determine whether the North Koreans could scale up the model to produce electricity efficiently. Siegfried Hecker, co-director of Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation, said the evidence strongly suggests Syria's intention was to produce plutonium. He agreed with the assessment that the plant was not well-suited for generating electricity. "On the other hand, it was the best path to bomb-grade plutonium," he said. That was most likely the primary purpose of this facility. One piece of evidence that casts doubt on Syrian intentions to produce plutonium for weapons was the absence of a reprocessing facility, necessary to extract plutonium from spent nuclear fuel. But Anthony Cordesman, a military expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that may not have been a serious impediment. "Syria could quickly build such a reprocessing capability," he said. Cordesman also said the CIA undercut its case against Syria by not explaining how a plutonium-producing reactor would fit into Syria's long history of suspicious activities that suggest it is trying to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Related articles: IAEA slams U.S. for withholding data on alleged Syrian nuclear reactor Israel: Iran listening in on IDF communications from Syria Syria: There are no N. Korea-Syria nuclear facilities whatsoever U.S. Senate to discuss N. Korea-Syria nuclear ties Bookmark to del.icio.us   Survivors and pioneers Yad Vashem exhibit shows how Holocaust survivors helped shape Israel's identity Researching bacon Lahav's pig breeding gained widespread notoriety because of its legal loophole.   1.   So far, Syria has not allowed the International Atomic Energy Age 09:32  |  Clickwise 26/04/08   2.   Syrian fairy tales 09:52  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/04/08   3.   If this is true, how many are already producing plutonium in Iran 10:00  |  Clickfool 26/04/08   4.   WMD`s all over again? 10:00  |  Palestinian Brit 26/04/08   5.   Don`t forget Syria is controlled by a dictator 10:17  |  Mikey 26/04/08   6.   #2, clickfool, that is an excellent question 10:43  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/04/08   7.   Nuclear monopoly 10:46  |  Truth 26/04/08   8.   The Syrian Ambassador is as knowledgeable about the facts as - 11:22  |  S 26/04/08   9.   For Cipora # 6 11:33  |  Clickfool 26/04/08   10.   Iranian shipments. 12:31  |  Charles Smyth 26/04/08   11.   Guess who should be talking! 12:36  |  El-Birawi 26/04/08   12.   US-CIA fabrication? 12:52  |  Ricardo Kolbe 26/04/08   13.   TO CLICKFOOL # 3 13:21  |  dovale 26/04/08   14.   #2 Cipora 13:56  |  Oetis 26/04/08   15.   CIA is realiable !! 14:05  |  Proud Terrorist 26/04/08   16.   A Professional Liar! 14:23  |  Bill Foonman 26/04/08   17.   In other words: they won`t retaliate!:) 14:49  |  Sharif Hafez 26/04/08   18.   What he said.... 15:00  |  Esther 26/04/08   19.   The Axis of Hypocracy 15:04  |  Cool B 26/04/08   20.   Another prove that Israel wants war at any cost. 15:19  |  Andreas 26/04/08   21.   Israel is not a threat. 15:27  |  Charles Smyth 26/04/08   22.   Mikey: all israhels freindly states are run by dictators 15:33  |  you idiot 26/04/08   23.   All haters go to Arab Lounge.com 15:35  |  Will 26/04/08   24.   Clickfool 16:29  |  Maura 26/04/08   25.   TO NO 2. 16:51  |  DANNY. 26/04/08   26.   they hit the wrong installation 17:42  |  sam i am 26/04/08   27.   israel comes clean on its nuclear 17:43  |  sam i am 26/04/08   28.   TO NO 11. 17:47  |  DANNY. 26/04/08   29.   For "you idiot" # 22 17:50  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/04/08   30.   ArabLounge 17:50  |  Charles Smyth 26/04/08   31.   The same as Larissan, Iran. 17:52  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/04/08   32.   Question to islamist apologists: Why are you so nervous? 17:56  |  Johnny 26/04/08   33.   US and Israeli intel have no credibility what so ever!!! 18:00  |  Moise 26/04/08   34.   For Maura # 19:40  |  Clickfool 26/04/08   35.   Maura # 24 _ Excellent Question To A British Simpleton 19:43  |  Eli 26/04/08   36.   Good job 21:30  |  Gordon 26/04/08   37.   Syrian propoganda . 21:49  |  Joshua 26/04/08   38.   You idiot (very apt) 22 21:58  |  ChanahS 26/04/08   39.   sam i am 27 22:06  |  ChanahS 26/04/08   40.   For Joshua # 37 22:45  |  Clickfool 26/04/08   41.   clickfool is much conflicted 23:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/04/08   42.   clickfool is much conflicted 23:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/04/08   43.   clickfool is much conflicted 23:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/04/08   44.   No 36. Of course Israel has no nuclear facility.... 23:30  |  Palestinian Brit 26/04/08   45.   To Number 1 00:28  |  Abe 27/04/08   46.   Clickfool 00:32  |  Maura 27/04/08   47.   Eli -not a simpleton 00:35  |  Maura 27/04/08   48.   Palestinian Brit 43 -careful what you wish for 01:03  |  ChanahS 27/04/08   49.   #11:El-Birawi, the expert on all the alleged infiltration, 01:28  |  Doc Holliday 27/04/08   50.   Yes we all know how many times Israel has fabricated stories? 01:48  |  Doc Holliday 27/04/08   51.   # 11 El Birawi.....Good thing too!! 02:09  |  Lynn 27/04/08   52.   # 17 Sharif Hafez....Thanks, glad to hear that 02:11  |  Lynn 27/04/08   53.   #43, Palestinian Brit.. 02:58  |  Silvienne 27/04/08   54.   #41, Cipora Kohn to Click 03:00  |  Silvienne 27/04/08   55.   #46, Doc Holliday..well, thanks for that sermon... 03:03  |  Silvienne 27/04/08   56.   To El-Birawi: Your Paranoia is hilarious and... 03:06  |  Abraham Saks 27/04/08   57.   Moustapha`s Moronic Defence 05:31  |  Jake 27/04/08   58.   #50, Doc Holliday... 09:04  |  Silvienne 27/04/08   59.   At least the reactor IS out of commision 09:45  |  Stan 27/04/08   60.   Clickfool:"Anything West says is a lie" Seems racist to me. 11:20  |  Arthur 27/04/08   61.   Hey! What if THE REACTOR was a decoy ? 14:59  |  Jake 27/04/08   62.   #50 & 58:Silvienne, denying state secrets on defense is that... 15:18  |  Doc Holliday 27/04/08   63.   PAL BRIT Remember your brothers signed a treaty,the NPT treaty 15:33  |  PETER SM 27/04/08   64.   Ha Ha. What a riot this guy is. Just LOOK AT HIS FACE! 23:07  |  awana 27/04/08   65.   Syrian reactor? Not necessarily. 05:30  |  Al 28/04/08   66.   #62, Dioc Holliday... 17:39  |  Silvienne 28/04/08   67.   response to #1 clickwise 19:27  |  sick of it 28/04/08

Read & React Burston: Our Defense Forces, our war crimes, our terrorism Responses: 72 Israel: UNIFIL hiding info about Hezbollah from Security Council Responses: 132 Barak: Hamas is to blame for deaths in the Gaza Strip