• Published 00:00 20.10.07
  • Latest update 00:00 20.10.07

UN to act against interpreter who said Syria has 'nuclear' facility

Seven-hour investigation concludes mistake in Arabic-French-English translation was unintential.

By The Associated Press Tags: Israel Air Force Syria UN

The United Nations said an interpreter responsible for an erroneous report that Syria has a nuclear facility has been reprimanded and the organization has apologized to Syria's UN Mission.

Earlier this week, Syria denied that one of its representatives told the UN General Assembly's committee that deals with disarmament on Tuesday that Israel had attacked a Syrian nuclear facility. It said the representative was misquoted, demanded a correction, and insisted that such facilities do not exist in Syria.

After more than seven hours of investigation Wednesday, UN officials agreed the Syrian delegate was misquoted. "There was no use of the word nuclear," concluded UN associate spokesman Farhan Haq.

The unidentified Syrian representative spoke in Arabic and the interpreter who worked from Arabic into French was fairly accurate, but the problem occurred when an interpreter translated the statement into English from French, Haq said.

"Action will be taken against that freelance interpreter to the fullest extent of the UN rules and regulations," Haq said on Thursday, refusing to comment on what the action might be.

'The interpreter who was responsible for the unfortunate mistake has been given a note of reprimand. While it was indeed unfortunate, mistakes can occur, as in any other area of work," Haq added Friday. "The Interpretation Service maintains high standards, and mistakes of this nature occur very rarely," he said.

Haq also said an apology has been given to the Syrian Mission regarding the Tuesday interpretation error and accepted by them as an unintended mistake. The mistake made headlines in the Middle East and heightened concerns over Damascus' nuclear ambitions. Those ambitions were under scrutiny following a Sept. 6 Israeli air strike on an unknown target in northeastern Syria near the border with Turkey.

Widespread reports say it may have been a nascent nuclear facility, a claim Syria has denied.

According to the corrected text, the Syrian representative said Israel was the "fourth largest exporter of lethal weapons in the world ... (and) violates the airspace of sovereign states and carries out military aggression against them, like what happened on Sept. 6 against my country."

  • Print Page
  • Send to a friend
  • Share
  • Text Size +|-
 
 
TalkBacks

Why Facebook Connect?

Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.

Add a comment

Add your reply

  • 31. 0 0
    to 17, Interpreter may be Yahoude
    • dovale
    • 21.10.07
    • 02:11

    Ahmed, you are right. He is a Yahoude. He comes from Jerusalem and his name is Gei in Drert!

  • 30. 0 0
    Interpreter may be Yahoude
    • Ahmed
    • 20.10.07
    • 20:24

    Look closely the interpreter may be a Yahoude trying to malign and drag Syria for punishment. UN should disclose the name to make it clear it is who???????????????????

  • 29. 0 0
    # 2 Pal Brit
    • Lynn
    • 20.10.07
    • 20:06

    Was the interpreter Israeli?

  • 28. 0 0
    terrornator # 13
    • Lynn
    • 20.10.07
    • 20:05

    that would be BEFORE they get it all cleaned up. I despise Syria more then I do Iran. Weak and easily influenced by the mullahs!! Just so the Alawaites can control the gov.

  • 27. 0 0
    # 6 Thank you
    • Wise Syrian
    • 20.10.07
    • 19:37

    From the bottom of my heart. Thank you

  • 26. 0 0
    #3 Learn some stupid English before...
    • Wise Syrian
    • 20.10.07
    • 19:31

    Before you give your stupid opinions

  • 25. 0 0
    nuclear' facility
    • Peter
    • 20.10.07
    • 19:14

    After more than seven hours of investigation UN officials agreed the Syrian delegate was misquoted. "There was no use of the word nuclear" Sure that it was not an investigation, but it was the time needed for negotiations to find a scapegoat for the syrian slip of the tongue.

  • 24. 0 0
    Will the UN stone the iinterpreter to death?
    • Chick
    • 20.10.07
    • 18:03

    I'm sure that the General Assembly could pass such a resolution considering its voting record so far.

  • 23. 0 0
    Haaretz is being very irresponsible
    • Mark Lincoln
    • 20.10.07
    • 17:48

    The vast majority of the world has understood the refusal of Israel and the US to produce any evidence. It has also come to understand that by refusing to even be personally identified with the claims, the 'high administration officials" leaking the stories are following exactly the same script that they followed when lying about Saddam's WMD. Why is Haaretz in such a tizzy to be gulled again? Why is it spreading unproven assertions as if they were true? Why is Haaretz acting as Chicken Little and spreading needless hysteria? Time to search your soul Mr. Burston.

  • 22. 0 0
    Reality Denial Syndrome
    • Mark Lincoln
    • 20.10.07
    • 17:44

    It is abundantly clear that the Syrian ambassador never said that there was a syrian nuclear weapons program. At the most an interpreter erred. Why the psychotic denial of reality folks. So far NO ONE has offered a shred of evidence that there is or ever was a Syrian nuclear weapons program. Commercial satellites see the same Earth as spy satellites. Those who have access to US and Israeli spy satellites refuse to produce the evidence. All commercial satellites show NOTHING resembling a reactor at the sites which the mystery sources have named as the targets of the attack. No sane person can credit rumors as proof, especially when ALL those rumors seem to lead to 'senior administration officials.' You folks need to start coping with reality because you are drifting fast into the world of paranoid psychosis. Those making radical claims need strong evidence to prove them. They have refused to produce the evidence.

  • 21. 0 0
    Israel
    • Arvin Kaufman
    • 20.10.07
    • 17:18

    Why can't over one-billion Arabs vs. 10 million Israelis let Israel live in peace? Why isn't the focus on the Arabs vowing to wipe Israel off the map? Let's get serious. I've seen no help from the Arab world to help the Palestinians. They have the land and the resources to help their own.

  • 20. 0 0
    Rotten to the Core
    • Arvin Kaufman
    • 20.10.07
    • 17:12

    Israel can never trust the Arab nations. Israel can never trust any country, including the U.S.A. when it comes to its security. In the long run, Israel is out there all alone...whether for anti-Israeli or anti-semitic reasons. ISRAEL MUST TAKE ACTION TO DEFEND THEIR HOMELAND. PERIOD.

  • 19. 0 0
    the truth would be so simple to prove,have members of the un
    • terrornator
    • 20.10.07
    • 16:56

    and the iaea do a tour of the site.remember,it were the syrians that said the only thing that happened when israel invaded syrian airspace was,they dropped their gas tanks and high tailed it out of syria.now they confirm there was an attack on a "facility" in syria.liers!

  • 18. 0 0
    PAL.Brit "Rotten to the core" like Islamic imperialism
    • PETER S.M.
    • 20.10.07
    • 16:44

    and global Islamic terror. Who can you blame for Islamic threats worlwide? For the bombings in places like the Phillipines or Thailand?

  • 17. 0 0
    Margie found the cover up
    • joebhed
    • 20.10.07
    • 16:24

    The cover-up, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. Why are you trying to fabricate a cover-up? You need to provide some context here. Of course everyone knows of the legitimate Syrian nuclear facilities. However, the claim was being made that the facility that was struck was a new, illegal nuclear facility. That Syria said there were no such facilities in Syria, of course they were not talking about the ones we all know about. There are no such illegal facilities. There are no apparent lies here. No cover up. Let's just agree that Syria has nuclear facilities. Do you propose that nuclear facilities, per se, should not be allowed, or should be targeted? Or, what, exactly? The questions become: Did Israel strike ANY facility in Syria? If so, what was it? And, if so, then why didn't Syria complain of an illegal action by Israel? These are legit questions. But your cover-up charges are not legit.

  • 16. 0 0
    PAL Brit.Not antisemitic?Try the OFFICIAL Arabmedia &publications
    • PETER S.M.
    • 20.10.07
    • 16:08

    Who are you trying to kid? Blood libels,Mein Kampf,the Protocols,the Hamas charter and its quotes about the end of days. Nasrallah on his aim to kill ALL Jews. The racist filth in the Islamic world is second to none. Have you watched Hamas TV lately? Who are you trying to kid?

  • 15. 0 0
    We're there! It was a mistake.
    • joebhed
    • 20.10.07
    • 16:06

    Please, this issue has been discussed many times. Many of us who doubted the veracity of the interpretation since the beginning have seen a positive result. A mistake. For those who claimed otherwise, well, it is time to get over it. Let us put this part behind us. We still have more substantial matters to discuss. Did Israel strike a facility in Syria? I believe Israel still officially denies this. Syria claims a former military installation was hit. That's an empty clarification. What was the faility that was hit being used for now? Some truly dubious intellience say it was a nascent nuclear facility. Apparently not. If it was not an illegal nuclear facility that was hit, what was it? I don't believe ANY of the explanations that have been made thus far. Although we can all speculate, there is one thing that still bothers me. Did Israel in fact strike ANYTHING inside Syria, and, if so, then why aren't charges being brought before the UN on this illegal invasion?

  • 14. 0 0
    Syrian cowards use proxies to do their dirty work.
    • PETER S.M.
    • 20.10.07
    • 16:03

    They get really upset when their war is brought home to them. They are at war with Israel a war they started in 1948 and have continued in that state since 1948.

  • 13. 0 0
    #9 Emma
    • John Allen
    • 20.10.07
    • 16:00

    After sending,then ready my first blog I realized my comments could be mis-construded. I applaud your response because my response would not have been so polite. Sorry so sorry if I initially offended you.

  • 12. 0 0
    #9 Emma
    • John Allen
    • 20.10.07
    • 15:56

    Dear Emma. I was not going to respond to the majority of idiots on this blog site. I see only two groups responding to articles on this site. One side is so obviously jew haters. You can tell these types because they don't respond with a logical thought process. The other side gives logical resposes and usually with proof.

  • 11. 0 0
    The answer is always so simple
    • Natallie Durson
    • 20.10.07
    • 15:14

    If the interpreter made a critical mistake in his work, then he should suffer the consequence. If he did his job well and accurately, then he should be left alone. There is no other issue.

  • 10. 0 0
    Syria has NO nuclear facility? HUH?
    • Margie in Tel Aviv
    • 20.10.07
    • 14:51

    Here's a quotation from 'the Gulf Times' affirming that "Syria has belonged to the 144-nation IAEA since 1963 and has one declared, small research reactor under agency safeguards" It has been long admitted that Syria has this one nuclear facility. Why is it being denied now? They aren't talking about an undeclared nuclear facility here, but about any nuclear facility at all. The article says "such facilities do not exist in Syria" and that there was "an erroneous report that Syria has a nuclear facility" Why the cover-up?

  • 9. 0 0
    Palestinian Brit #2
    • Emma
    • 20.10.07
    • 13:48

    What is it about some of you and Israel? Does everything you discuss have to be about Israel? Dr Jack was commenting about how the top brass at the un don't get punished and a interpreter does (his perspective) and here you go on and on about how most un members are frustrated by Israel, blah, blah. You don't even know whether Jack's a Israeli supporter or NOT! Don't be like the clickfools, marylins, labhras et al who when their knickers get into a twist go about blaming Israel....

  • 8. 0 0
    DANIEL IS RIGHT. GRAZIE RAGAZZO.
    • Rodrigo
    • 20.10.07
    • 13:40

    They are simply ridiculous. In all situations. Syria had this nuclear facility. THat is the reason nobody come in its defense. Only Norht Korea defended Syria, immediately after the attack.. strange isn't it? Italians are a great people. Like Brazilians and like Syrians. The difference between us and you, arabs, is that while our ridiculous politicians (Berlusconi, Lula) are submitted to elections periodically you keep supporting ridiculous politicians for years and years. That's the reason you dont change. You dont evolve.

  • 7. 0 0
    Misinterpretation (LIE)
    • inquiring mind
    • 20.10.07
    • 13:23

    This article does not state the name of the intepreter OR which country he hails from. was this "misquote" or misinterpretation (LIE)an actual attempt to further unrest in the middle east Much like all the other lies that has been force fed upon the world?

  • 6. 0 0
    Misinterpretation (LIE)
    • inquiring mind
    • 20.10.07
    • 13:23

    This article does not state the name of the intepreter OR which country he hails from. was this "misquote" or misinterpretation (LIE)an actual attempt to further unrest in the middle east Much like all the other lies that has been force fed upon the world?

  • 5. 0 0
    The Syrian representative made the mistake, not the interpreter
    • Briton
    • 20.10.07
    • 13:18

    It's much more likely that it was the Syrian representative who made the mistake of telling the truth. He was so angry with Israel that he forgot for a moment that he was supposed to be keeping a secret. Afterwards he panicked and tried to put the blame on a professional interpreter. How was he able to get away with it? That's UN corruption for you.

  • 4. 0 0
    #3, idiotic DANIEL, why are italians so stupid?
    • VIPER
    • 20.10.07
    • 12:12

    you italians in italy talk tough, but are very weak, the syrians are complaining about something that is a big lie and unjust, just like what i said about italians above, bet you didn't like it, now you know whay i'm talking about.BTW i have plenty of italian friends, there great people.

  • 3. 0 0
    Why are Arabs always so ridiculous?
    • daniel
    • 20.10.07
    • 11:33

    Why are arabs leaders always so ridiculous? THe beahaving of Syria it makes me laughing...

  • 2. 0 0
    Rotten to the core?
    • Palestinian Brit
    • 20.10.07
    • 09:48

    What you actually mean is that most of the members of the UN do not approve of Israel's actions and are frustrated by the way it manages to evade the UN resolutions, apart from those in its favour. Getting rid of the UN won't get rid of the anti-Israel feelings of many countries around the world. Please note I said anti-Israel and not anti-semitic!

  • 1. 0 0
    UN Interpreter
    • Dr. Jack
    • 20.10.07
    • 08:01

    Nothing was done against the UN brass who took millions in bribes from Iraq, including high ranking officials, or those who overlooked genocides in Darfur or Bosnia. A poor interpreter, however, who made a mistake, will be punished. UN is rotten to the core and must disappear