Syria hints Israel planted nuclear traces on its territory
U.S. and EU urge Syria to grant IAEA access to officials and sites that may shed light on nuclear activities.
By News Agencies Tags: Syria IAEA Israel newsSyria suggested on Thursday that Israel dropped uranium particles onto Syrian soil from the air to make it look as if a covert nuclear weapons plant was being built there, diplomats at a United Nations nuclear watchdog meeting said.
Damascus has strongly denied U.S. intelligence that a complex in the Syrian desert bombed to ruins by Israel in 2007 had been a nascent nuclear reactor, North Korean in design and geared to making plutonium for atomic bombs.
But International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano last month lent independent support to Western suspicions for the first time by saying uranium traces found in a 2008 visit by inspectors pointed to nuclear-related activity on the ground.
He said Syria was still refusing to let the IAEA re-examine the Dair Alzour site, take swipe samples from rubble removed immediately to an unknown location after the air strike, and check three other sites under military control whose look was altered by landscaping after inspectors asked for access.
In a closed-door debate by the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors, Syria reiterated its assertion that the uranium traces came with munitions Israel used to destroy the complex.
IAEA head inspector Olli Heinonen replied that the chemical composition, size, shape and distribution of the traces made it extremely unlikely they were a type of uranium sometimes used in munitions as a hardening agent, diplomats present said.
Rather, he said, they were traces of processed uranium - which after further treatment could be used for nuclear fuel.
In response, Syrian Ambassador Bassam al-Sabbagh suggested Israel might have contaminated the site with uranium particles dropped by air during or right after the air strike, participants in the meeting told Reuters.
"The IAEA should verify the nature of the material dropped by Israel ... There were planes that overflew the site and we don't know what it was they dropped. I'm not just talking about munitions," Sabbagh was quoted by diplomats as saying.
Western diplomats dismissed his remarks as another twist in Syrian efforts to deflect the IAEA probe without addressing the substance of UN and Western concerns.
"It's part of a pretty weak defense by Syria," said a European Union diplomat, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity.
"I don't think (most delegations) took this seriously," said another diplomat.
Asked about that, a senior UN official familiar with Syria's dossier said: "The best solution would be to let the IAEA take samples from the debris to establish the facts, as the IAEA reports on this have indicated."
Syria denies having atomic bomb aspirations, says the target of Israeli warplanes was a conventional military building and that the intelligence reports were forged.
It is an ally of Iran, which is under a much bigger IAEA investigation over a secretive uranium enrichment program suspected of being geared to yielding nuclear warheads.
The UN watchdog's governors took no action on Syria pending further efforts by inspectors to gain access.
U.S., European and other Western delegates urged Syria to cooperate fully with the IAEA inquiry, while Iran said it was Israel, not Syria, that should be in the agency's dock.
"The core of the problem is an aggressive act committed by the Zionist regime," Iranian Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh said. He blamed Western powers for the IAEA focusing "on the minor issue of a few uranium particles".
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Satellite imagery showing the Syrian nuclear site before and after an alleged IAF attack. |
| Photo by: (Archive) |
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How could anyone be so stupid as to accuse Israel of bombing buildings in other countries just for the giggles of it? These dishonest Muslims and their false accusations. How is anyone supposed to believe them with all of their nonsense?
... destruction 24/7 in secrecy, Israel will continue to neither confirm nor deny her deterrent power. But believe me, if the both of you armchair airheads were so much as given a peek into what Israel has amassed to enforce her "Never Again" philosophy, your knees would start knocking together uncontrollably until they give way and you collapse on the floor with epileptic-like convulsions. Any army that dares to actually attack Israel with annihilation in mind will not get a peek at Israel's deterrent power but will be on the full receiving end of it. So it's better that you two who have never been to the middle east go and choose something more calming for your nerves to talk sensibly about.
you will lose, but i am sure you would love israel to keep its "piehole" shut and allow you and your brethren to kill, destroy, etcc as you have always, pathetically done because you are that which you accuse israel, cowards There is not a brave, sensible one among you to facilitate peace, reach a middle ground, offer rational thoughts, embrace reason, and foster any sense of responsibility or accountability for the actions of your brethren. At least israelis, while imperfect, are able to do much of what i just said while you remain blissfully hateful
covered in crap covered in blissful ignorance
"blame the jews" card....a bunch of pathetic, hypocritical lunatics the syrian govt is
Ovadiah ben Avraham said "Syria has a formal, signed commitment to IAEA and all cosigned nations under NPT" and that Israel doesn't. Let's take that to the logical conclusion then. Since Israel IS NOT one of the cosigned nations under the NPT, Israel has ABSOLUTELY NO ROLE in enforcing the NPT. If Israel doesn't like how other counties are living up to an agreement, Israel should SIGN the agreement before they start complaining!! Otherwise, since as you point out, that Israel is NOT a signatory of the NPT, Israel should shut the heck up about how the NPT is enforced. Israel has NO SAY in how an agreement that they HAVE NOT signed is followed by countries who have signed the agreement.
For years they continue to lie and lie to the world.
The Syrian government is trying to conceal the truth by the present,fashionable method. It's burying the evidence under thick layers of anti-Israel innuendo and insinuation. THREE CHEERS FOR ISRAEL!!!
u(the israelies) r kings when it comes to violations,so set aside and keep ur piehole closed if u please.
At first Syria's accusation may sound bizarre, but in a region where black is white, and war means peace, it is possible that Israel would try to frame up Syria. After all, Israel does have access to that type of nuclear particles.
are dredging up anything and everything to paint Israel criminal. Why???? If they claim to want peace with Isral?
What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Maybe then the IAEA will request a visit to check the radiation level.
...and then *maybe* you can think about claiming the financial and moral high-ground. Until then, moneys and weapons to Israel from good ol' US-of-A are simply payments to ease your bloody conscience. Five-by-five and in the pipe. Over-and-out.
After three years Syria comes out with this stupidity. Then why did the North Koreans get all agitated about the bombing.
You owe your life thanks to my two cents in taxes. Now when I say jump you say how high sir! Get. Period.
The government immediately plowed over the site after it was bombed and plunked down a military base on top of the remains. Syria then used that excuse as a reason for keeping IAEA investigators away from the site.
Clearly if anyone needs a nuke, it's the Syrians.. if only to protect themselves from Israel.
Dear Tony: We survived slavery in Ancient Egypt and military captivities under Ancient Assyria, Babylon, and Rome. We survived Europe's medieval Christian Crusades and Inquisitions. We survived modern European Fascism. We are not going away my friend. Get used to it.
nukes---don,t they get a mention.
I bet they thought that Israel would actually one day sign the treaty, but they were dead wrong. To even the playing field,every country in the Arab league should give their six month notice to withdraw from the NPT and its bs regulations unless Israel is willing to sign it and allow inspectors to all its facilities. Its very hypocritical of Israel to try and hold countries to NPT regulations when they refuse to join themselves. Israel shouldnt even be allowed to open their mouth when it comes to this subject.
If you are in a group of cars in traffic, and all of you are speeding, and then a police officer singles you out and gives you a ticket, it will not help you in the least to say in court: "But yer Honor, they was speeding too. Why me?" Try it. Parity? Syria attacked Israel with multiple armored divisions (100,000 men) on Yom Kippor, the holiest Jewish fasting day, as if to say: "Screw you and your God!" (Imagine if Japan had launched the Pearl Harbor attack on Christmas morning.) Think Syria (or Iran) should be on a nuclear parity with Israel? Think again.
Israel has them. Iran wants them. So let them. I am not a support of Iran or Ahmdj, but if we want a nuclear free Middle - East, then Israel?s weapons will have to go.
No one is permitted to make nuclear weapons. Not being an NPT member does not mean certain attack. Look at Israel, North Korea, India, and Pakistan; no one attacks their nuke sites. No war is ever justified. People create wars to satisfy their own agenda.
Do as you would have others Sanctions and boycotts are needed on a cruel & racist repressive israel that cowardly drops bombs on UN buildings, schools, playhouses & hospitals. Israel defies all international calls on halt of settlements & rejects the calls for a Palestinian state from the hand that feeds it. Israel is cruel & racist repressive regime that rejects International calls for standing trial on war crimes and rejects to sign the NPT. It will be interesting to see how long Israel can last without stupid America?s support - before it yields and begins to act like a civilized nation
You can all stop the "neener-neener what about Israel" crap. The simple fact is that Syria signed the NPT and thus made heavy international legal commitments, which it then flagrantly violated. That's the case. Israel has nothing to do with it. Syria has a formal, signed commitment to IAEA and all cosigned nations under NPT. If Syria degrades the NPT that's bad for everyone. Period. The fact that Israel is *not* an NPT member *also* simply doesn't have anything to do with appraising Syria's behavior. Full stop.
Syria just follows Israel's lead.
The message cannot be " Israel is part of the civilized, western world" and you, whose land is occupied , have to come clean so you do not defend your land. Whatever they are smoking , I would like some, it would make you atrocious.
Assad must make his decision which way he is to lead his coutnry. Syria has an opportunity to join the west!.... Now, is the time to change!
The hypocrites that helped Israel build their secret nuclear arsenal is making demands on Syria? Syria knows that Israel will only be willing to talk peace, when they are strong enough to stand up against the IDF and they will not stop working towards that goal.
Syria, Iran et al, should neither admit, nor deny, any plans to build nuclear weapons. That should satisfy the IAEA, no? If not, why not?
Disgusting double standard...