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Last update - 14:30 23/06/2008 UN to inspect Syria site of alleged nuclear reactor bombed by IAF By Reuters Tags: nuclear reactor, IAEA, Syria United Nations nuclear inspectors headed on Monday for an alleged nuclear site in Syria that the United States says housed a secretly built reactor nearing completion when it was bombed by Israel nine months ago, a diplomat said. Syria denies it has any covert nuclear weapons programme and says the Israelis hit an ordinary military structure being built at al-Kibar, in the northeastern desert. Neither Syria nor the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued any information about the visit of the inspectors since they arrived in Damascus on Sunday. Advertisement "The visit (to the alleged nuclear site) is today," said a senior diplomat in Europe familiar with the IAEA. The team led by Olli Heinonen, head of the UN nuclear watchdog's global inspectorate, was also due to hold talks with Syrian officials before returning toVienna on Wednesday. Syria's silence on the visit, which it agreed with the IAEA on June 5, indicates how sensitive the issue is for President Bashar al-Assad, who has yet to retaliate for the Israeli raid. The IAEA put Syria on its proliferation watch list in April after receiving intelligence photographs from the United States said to show a reactor that could have yielded plutonium, a nuclear bomb fuel. Washington said Syria, an ally of Iran whose own nuclear program has been under IAEA investigation since 2003, had almost completed the plant with North Korean help. Pyongyang evaded IAEA checks and test-exploded a nuclear device in 2006. Syrian officials have accused the United States of fabricating evidence in collusion with Israel, believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear-armed power. U.S. nuclear analysts say satellite images since the Israeli strike show the bombed site had been razed and a new building erected there, perhaps to cleanse traces of nuclear activity. Syria has resisted IAEA requests to visit three other sites to check for facilities that would be necessary for the alleged reactor but which are missing from the U.S. images of al-Kibar, diplomats in Vienna say. Damascus describes the three sites as conventional military bases irrelevant to the IAEA inquiry. Damascus has denied concealing anything from the IAEA in possible violation of its Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has condemned the Israeli raid and criticised the United States for failing to share its intelligence material on Syria with his agency much earlier. But he has dampened expectations that the IAEA will find conclusive evidence so long after the Sept. 6 bombing. "It is doubtful that we will find anything there now, assuming there was anything there in the first place," he said. ElBaradei said last week there is no evidence that Syria, whose only declared nuclear facility is an antiquated research reactor subject to IAEA monitoring, had the skills or fuel to run a major nuclear complex. Washington disputes this. Related articles: Report: North Korea developed nukes for Iran at bombed Syrian facility UN atomic watchdog: Syria lacks skills, fuel for nuclear facility Syria says it wants nuclear energy under Arab umbrella Bookmark to del.icio.us   Gilad's tale VIDEO: U.S. kids read abducted soldier's story of co-existence. Leaving Torah behind Study finds religion is not very important to American Jews.   1.   I hope they`ve got all their preparations done 15:07  |  x-ray 23/06/08   2.   All they will find is USA & Israel weapons left overs from Bomb 15:50  |  POP 23/06/08   3.   The `missing` photo coverage 16:04  |  Mark Lincoln 23/06/08   4.   My prediction 16:07  |  knowing the UN 23/06/08   5.   The problem facing the IAEA 16:10  |  Mark Lincoln 23/06/08   6.   They will find shovels&brooms left after months long clean up 16:13  |  POP2 23/06/08   7.   When is Mohammed El Baradei going to be replaced? He`s in on it! 16:21  |  Danny 23/06/08   8.   A nuclear reactor 21:35  |  Dav 23/06/08   9.   Syria 22:05  |  John 23/06/08   10.   better never than late. 22:17  |  frenz 23/06/08   11.   Its right on the Euphrates River Dav! 23:07  |  Avram 23/06/08   12.   USA 01:23  |  Sabra 24/06/08   13.   #11 Avram`s "proof" 02:05  |  Johnboy 24/06/08   14.   Danny and el Baradei 03:02  |  Victor on behalf of 24/06/08   15.   Reply to Victor 14 what is wrong with the IAEA 22:47  |  Realist 24/06/08

Read & React Cabinet to vote Sun. on Hezbollah deal, says wife of abducted soldier Responses: 254 Editorial: We must pay the high price for the return of Gilad Shalit Responses: 97 Gaza truce shaken as four Qassams slam in Negev Responses: 197 Poll: 77% of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country Responses: 214 Border Policeman dies from self-inflicted shot at Sarkozy farewell Responses: 108 Rosner's Domain New Guest: Israel should've continued blockade of Gaza Al Hura not working? Tell me something I don't know (WTR) Why do non-Jewish Americans support Israel? Poll: exchange deal with Hezbollah, good or bad? Will we see a record number of Jewish lawmakers? (2) More Headlines 20:59 Cabinet to vote Sun. on Hezbollah deal, says wife of abducted soldier 23:43 Border cop dies from self-inflicted shot at Sarkozy farewell 23:47 Noam Shalit: Decide on Gilad's release - It's now or never 21:06 Gaza truce shaken as four Qassams slam into west Negev 21:12 Olmert: Israel mulling response to renewed Qassam fire 20:33 World Wealth Report: People in Israel get richer faster 18:46 Religion is not very important to American Jews 22:52 VIDEO: Two years after his kidnap, U.S. kids read Gilad Shalit's tale of co-existence 22:51 Paris prosecutors open probe into beating of Jewish teen 22:25 Knesset approves law allowing property owners to kill invaders 17:39 Ahmadinejad: World leaders behind sanctions must stand trial 18:53 Hamas prisoners freed in West Bank, despite PA pledge to Israel 20:57 Lawyers ask Spanish court to charge 4 alleged ex-guards at Nazi camps Previous Editions Select Day 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun 10 jun

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