Posted on 10/14/2007 10:56:36 AM PDT by blam
Israel strike 'targeted Syrian nuclear reactor'
By Alex Spillius in Washington
Last Updated: 5:42pm BST 14/10/2007
Israel's secretive air strike inside Syria last month was directed at a site judged by Israeli and US intelligence analysts to be a partly constructed nuclear reactor, according to a report.
Israel has not given any details on the operation in Syria
Officials said the reactor was modelled on one in North Korea used for stockpiling nuclear weapons fuel but was in the early stages of development.
The attack on the location in north-eastern Syria on Sept 6 has been subject to an official news blackout by both Tel Aviv and Washington, for fear of raising tension in the Middle East.
Speculation on the true nature of the target has been rife, with some defence experts and insiders claiming that the Syrians, who already have chemical weapons, were on the verge of producing plutonium for a nuclear weapon.
But the report in Sunday's New York Times gives the clearest picture yet of the daring raid, which was only revealed after the Syrians complained about a violation of its airspace by Israel.
US officials said the partially constructed Syrian reactor was identified earlier this year in satellite photographs. Those officials also suggested Israel brought the facility to US attention.
The facility appeared to have been much further from completion than an Iraqi reactor the Israelis destroyed in 1981.
The Sept 6 attack prompted an argument within the Bush administration, with some senior aides to the president seeing it as premature.
Nations are not obliged to declare reactors to the International Atomic Energy Association in the first stages of construction, even if they are signatories of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, as Syria is. It is also allowed to complete a reactor to produce electricity.
Last week it was revealed that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had persuaded the Israelis to delay the air strike, but could not object after Israel presented "jaw-dropping" evidence, believed to be taken from soil seized by Israeli commandos from the site.
Some officials told the New York Times that the facility was years away from being used to produce spent nuclear fuel that could eventually be used for weapons-grade plutonium.
It remained unclear how far Syria had progressed before the attack, what role North Korea might have played and whether a case could be made it was intended to produce electricity. Other reports have said that North Korean advisors died in the attack, which obliterated its target.
In earlier reports Israeli intelligence officials have said they believed that North Korea, which detonated its first nuclear device last year, was supplying nuclear expertise and materials to the Syrians. Only Syria and North Korea have objected to the attack, and even then in limited terms.
The lack of negative comment from an Arab government or Iran has pointed to a regional anxiety about a nuclear Syria.
The Israeli defence establishment has meanwhile been quietly congratulating itself on an attack which also sent a signal to Iran about its nuclear programme.
A senior Israeli official told the New York Times that the attack was meant to "re-establish the credibility of our deterrent power".
Whose got the picture of Pelosi meeting with Assad?
I think it more likely that the only concern is that more people are made aware of the Arabs intentions of building and using WMD's.
If Arab governments really cared to stop Syria (or other Arab countries) from going nuclear,they would do more than be silent on the subject.
The UN has played Arab enabler for too long ... the UN thuggery want Arab nuclear capability to cancel American capability, but the UN actually knows the Arab Muslims will use them on Israel and are in feigned denial.
This one even references the NYT. Moving on down the food chain. When it reaches Times of India it will probably be done.
Thank you, Israel.
I think yesterday’s thread on this is still active.
So tempted to report abuse for that photo... This thread needs a barf alert!
Analysts Find Israel Struck a Nuclear Project Inside Syria
(partly constructed nuclear reactor)
NYT | 10/14/07 | DAVID E. SANGER and MARK MAZZETTI
Posted on 10/14/2007 11:47:40 AM EDT by TigerLikesRooster
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1911083/posts
The Telegraph reports Israel also tagged a number of NorK nuclear techs.
Good show!
Thanks. I hadn’t seen that.
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