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IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei. (Reuters)
Last update - 12:59 04/06/2008
Diplomats: Syria won't let IAEA visit 3 suspected nuclear sites
By The Associated Press
Tags: IAEA, Syria, Israel

Syria has told fellow Arab countries that it will not permit an International Atomic Energy Agency probe to extend beyond a site bombed by Israel, despite agency interest in three other suspect locations, diplomats told The Associated Press Tuesday.

The agency's main focus on its planned June 22-24 visit to Syria is a building in the country's remote eastern desert that was destroyed in September by Israeli jets.

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei announced Monday that Syria had agreed to an agency check of U.S. assertions that the target was a plutonium-producing reactor that was near completion, and thus at the stage where it could generate the fissile material for nuclear arms.
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But the agency is also interested in following up on information that Syria may have three other undeclared atomic facilities. Diplomats and a nuclear expert told the AP Monday that at least one of the sites may have equipment that can reprocess nuclear material into the fissile core of warheads.

Gregory Schulte, U.S. ambassador to the IAEA, demanded Syria not hinder agency investigators in any way.

"The United States welcomes the announcement that the IAEA will visit Syria and stands ready to support a rigorous IAEA investigation into Syria's clandestine nuclear activities," Schulte said in a statement sent to Reuters.

"It is imperative that Syria fully cooperate with the IAEA and in no way hinder the investigation either by further delaying an inspection or by refusing the IAEA unfettered access to any site requested by the IAEA," he said.

One of the diplomats said the IAEA was following up on a U.S. intelligence-based tip but emphasized the agency had not seen the intelligence itself. The nuclear expert said two of the military sites were operational and one was under construction. He and the diplomats asked for anonymity because their information was confidential.

On Tuesday, a senior diplomat familiar with the planned IAEA Syria trip told the AP that expectations were that Syria would gradually warm to the idea of giving agency experts access to those three sites, as well as the bombed Al Kibar facility.

But two other diplomats briefed on the Syrian stance said outside a meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board that a senior official from Damascus ruled that out during a meeting with chief delegates of the 10 Arab nations accredited to the IAEA.

The diplomats said Syrian atomic energy chief Ibrahim Othman told the Arab delegates that his country could not open secret military sites to outside perusal as long as Syria and Israel remained technically in a state of war.

After fighting three wars and clashing in Lebanon, Israel and Syria are bitter enemies whose last round of peace talks collapsed eight years ago. Both countries recently confirmed that they are holding peace talks through Turkish mediators.
As well, they said, Othman expressed fear that too much openness on Syria's part would encourage the U.S. to push for years of relentless international scrutiny of the kind Iran's nuclear program is now undergoing, despite Tehran's assertions its aims are purely peaceful.

After-hours calls to the Syrian Mission to the IAEA in Vienna for comment went unanswered.

Neither the U.S. nor Israel told the IAEA about the bombed site until late April, about a year after they obtained what they considered decisive intelligence: dozens of photographs from a handheld camera of the inside and outside of the compound.

Since then, Syria had not reacted to repeated agency requests for a visit to check out the allegations. Satellite photos appear to show construction crews using the interval to erect another structure over the site - a move that heightened suspicions of a possible cover-up.

Pressure on Syria to respond positively mounted with the approach of the latest meeting of the IAEA board that opened Monday.

In announcing the Syrian visit to the board, ElBaradei repeated his criticism of Israel and the U.S., taking Washington to task for waiting so long to brief him on its suspicions, and Jerusalem for its airstrike.

Diplomats have recently suggested that the Americans may have waited even longer, telling the AP that Washington may have had indications of Syrian plans more than five years ago. They demanded anonymity because their information was confidential.

The invitation signaled the start of an international fact check of U.S. and Israeli assertions that Damascus had tried to build a plutonium-producing facility under the radar of the international community.

Syrian President Bashar Assad denied once again that his country has a secret nuclear program in interviews appearing Tuesday in United Arab Emirates newspapers.

Israel has never officially confirmed September's air strike on the Al Kibar site, though it has not disputed the foreign reports, or U.S. government comments, on the incident.

Related articles:
  • Syria says it wants nuclear energy under Arab umbrella
  • Syria allows IAEA to investigate reported secret nuclear site
  • U.S. experts: Suspected Syrian nuclear site far from operational
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      1.   Both Israel and Syrian sites should be inspected. 01:17  |  John 04/06/08
      2.   Three more instant powder reactors from North Korea? 01:35  |  Mark B. 04/06/08
      3.   not in any way surprising 02:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/06/08
      4.   John’s head should be inspected for signs of bleating liberalism 02:05  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 04/06/08
      5.   Some ask of others what they ask of themselves! 03:00  |  John 04/06/08
      6.   That is fair enough 03:12  |  Chris linthwaite 04/06/08
      7.   Syria will not allow IAEA to visit 3 suspected nuclear 04:19  |  Yoel Keren 04/06/08
      8.   Not a double standard idiots 04:37  |  bob jake 04/06/08
      9.   The neighborhood bully hurts himself 05:12  |  Tosefta 04/06/08
      10.   How Olmert will apologize for not informing the IAEA 05:13  |  Tosefta 04/06/08
      11.   The Israeli sites are inspected very often 05:43  |  Murray the Mongoose 04/06/08
      12.   Mohamed ELBaradei eager to run cover for Syria as well as Iran! 06:15  |  David 04/06/08
      13.   Arabs love to play with fire, bringing destruction on their peopl 06:20  |  David 04/06/08
      14.   SYRIA denies any nuclear weapon intentions and nothing was bombed 06:24  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      15.   JOIHN Why not ask yourself about signatories to the NPT 06:26  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      16.   Chris linthwaite talks about double standards 07:20  |  Dan 04/06/08
      17.   Good then IAF will destroy the sites in times coming 07:33  |  Johnny 04/06/08
      18.   #10, Tosefta, learn to read 09:39  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/06/08
      19.   THE SYRIANS DON`T AGREE 10:02  |  Robert 04/06/08
      20.   Quelle surprise. The syrians fly in the face of authority 10:13  |  Denise Thompson 04/06/08
      21.   # 3 Cipora and humility 10:20  |  Vinegar Hill, 04/06/08
      22.   To #8 10:31  |  Jamal 04/06/08
      23.   Tossi`s Syrian Handlers won`t play ball 10:37  |  FOX 04/06/08
      24.   If they showed these 3 you`d find 9 more 10:50  |  Rowan 04/06/08
      25.   so they only cleaned up the bombed site yet 10:54  |  joki 04/06/08
      26.   Israel plays by `Rafferty`s rules.` (No rules) 10:55  |  Maureen Ann 04/06/08
      27.   #21 El senior Vinegar in Madrid... 10:59  |  Hastaroth 04/06/08
      28.   chris and `fair enough` 11:01  |  Elihu 04/06/08
      29.   Syrian ploys... 11:07  |  Esther 04/06/08
      30.   Vinegar Hill 11:15  |  x-ray 04/06/08
      31.   Re Vinegar #21 11:21  |  Esther 04/06/08
      32.   Maureen, splendid my dear! #26 11:21  |  FOX 04/06/08
      33.   Tosefta- Nice analysis, but ... 11:32  |  Elihu 04/06/08
      34.   #23 FOX? 11:33  |  John Syracuse 04/06/08
      35.   The important point buried in the middle of the article 11:40  |  Johnboy 04/06/08
      36.   #16 Dan of Haifa 11:48  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/06/08
      37.   #33 Not a particularly fact-based assertion, Elihu 11:48  |  Johnboy 04/06/08
      38.   john syracruse lincoln would certainly like you to think he has 11:51  |  deronda 04/06/08
      39.   #23 FOX seems not to have read the article 11:54  |  Johnboy 04/06/08
      40.   Syria, Iran Free To Try For Nukes - US & Israel Free to Bomb Them 11:56  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 04/06/08
      41.   #28 Elihu 11:59  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/06/08
      42.   #37, naughty JB 12:00  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/06/08
      43.   johnboy what are you arguing about 12:11  |  deronda 04/06/08
      44.   vinegar hill is back for some more 12:32  |  deronda 04/06/08
      45.   vinega hill "personal hatred" 12:37  |  deronda 04/06/08
      46.   Big Mistake 12:44  |  Ahmed the Aleppinian 04/06/08
      47.   #40 Ovadiah Ben Avraham 12:52  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/06/08
      48.   Cipora not paying attention #42 12:58  |  John Syracuse 04/06/08
      49.   John Syracuse #34 13:00  |  FOX 04/06/08
      50.   AHMED "CIA MOSSAD agents" really and your evidence? 13:07  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      51.   johnboy you arabs actually scooped flesh 13:10  |  deronda 04/06/08
      52.   What A Q Khan says about the NPT 13:12  |  Rowan 04/06/08
      53.   johnboy the iraqi girl stoned to death in april 2007 13:16  |  deronda 04/06/08
      54.   john syracruse has never met a nasty arab government 13:21  |  deronda 04/06/08
      55.   That`s suspicious but.. Im sure that Syria can find three sites.. 13:38  |  Marco 04/06/08
      56.   Chris - I agree ...and disgree 13:45  |  Elihu 04/06/08
      57.   Deronda 13:47  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/06/08
      58.   has the CIA faked this again? are we close to another fake-war?or 13:47  |  Marco 04/06/08
      59.   Tis was built with Saddam Husseins cash and promissory notes to N 13:49  |  r 04/06/08
      60.   deronda today, ivri yesterday, glial the day before 14:05  |  klingon 04/06/08
      61.   Hey Johnboy - Here`s evidence 14:12  |  Elihu 04/06/08
      62.   #47 if Chris Linthwaite wants to sound like a windbag let him 14:12  |  Ramius 04/06/08
      63.   #42 Left out of what, Cipora? 14:13  |  Johnboy 04/06/08
      64.   to #56 14:13  |  SAMO 04/06/08
      65.   #43 I said "produced nuclear weapons", deronda 14:16  |  Johnboy 04/06/08
      66.   For Big worldpowers `ignoring the IAEA` is business as usuall.. 14:19  |  Marco 04/06/08
      67.   #61 Quick and easy rebuttal to Elihu`s "evidence" 14:28  |  Johnboy 04/06/08
      68.   If the Syrians are this far ahead, then the Iranians are further 14:32  |  Avi 04/06/08
      69.   chris linthwaite are you comparing female circumsion