Syria: Nuclear Activities Questioned

WTOP in Washington reported November 19 that the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said in a recent report that undeclared uranium was found at two nuclear sites in Syria.

The story says, "The agency found traces of uranium at the Dair Alzour nuclear site that are not included in Syria's declared inventory, according to a just released report. The Syrians said the uranium came from the Israeli missiles used to destroy the nearby al-Kibar reactor in September 2007. The presence of uranium particles was detected at a second site near Damascus -- the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor. Syria said it came from the accumulation of samples and reference materials used in neutron activation analysis."

It seems that the UN isn't readily accepting Syria's response: "The IAEA is not buying either of the two explanations and is pressing Damascus for more answers and wants to know from where the uranium came. The agency has run its own tests and is certain the Syrian government is not telling the truth. That's where the tightrope act comes in. The IAEA won't comment on what clearly appears to be evasive behavior by the Syrian government because of concern about its tenuous relationship with Syria."

Of course, it's not hard to see why there might be some doubt when it comes to Syria's explanation. A couple of years ago a suspected nuclear weapons site was destroyed by Israeli military forces. Of course, Syria denied that the destroyed facility was a clandestine nuclear weapons site, but what would one expect them to say? I fear it's only a matter of time before the Middle East sees rampant nuclear proliferation. It's a rough neighborhood, after all.

The story continues: "Considering Syria's close relationship with Iran, which has refused to bend to international will to stop its nuclear weapons production activities, there is concern Syria is following the same path. 'I think it should be a significant worry,' says David Kay, senior research fellow at the Potomac Institute. 'This is what the Syria case points to. States can, on their own, clandestinely make arrangements to acquire at least portions of a nuclear weapons production cycle.'"

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=778&sid=1816869