Posted on 04/03/2002 7:53:32 AM PST by samson1
Missile factory blows up in Syria
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Wednesday, April 3, 2002 LONDON — An explosion has been reported at a leading Syrian weapons factory, killing 35 people.
The explosion was reported early last week in the northern Syrian city of Homs. Western diplomatic sources said a factory in a huge Syrian weapons complex exploded, killing many of the technicians in the building and causing widespread damage.
The sources said they did not know the cause of the blast. The Homs complex produces Scud C and D missiles as well as nonconventional weapons, according to Middle East Newsline.
Homs, with a population of about 500,000 people, is located 160 kilometers north of Damascus. The city has an oil refinery and is a major railroad junction.
The sources said the explosion took place either on March 24 or March 25. They said they did not know exactly what facility was destroyed.
"It could have been an explosion of a missile or something that took place during the production or testing of explosives," a Western intelligence source said. "We don't know and we might not know for a while."
U.S. intelligence sources said Syria maintains a missile test site 15 kilometers south of Homs. They said Syria has tested such missiles as the Scud C and Scud D as well as chemical warheads.
Syria also constructed missile factories in nearby Hama, about 110 kilometers north of Damascus. One factory is meant to produce solid-fuel missiles and the other is for liquid-fuel missiles. The solid-fuel missile is being developed with the help of Iran.
The Homs explosion is said to be the latest in a series of accidents that have taken place during Syria's missile and nonconventional weapons programs. In 1991, the Syrian Health Ministry closed down five pharmaceuticals plants, including one in Homs, during what Western intelligence agencies determined were tests of chemical weapons.
I just have a feeling that Sharon might know the cause of the blast. If so, great!
"It could have been an explosion of a missile or something that took place during the production or testing of explosives," a Western intelligence source said. "We don't know and we might not know for a while."
I'm sure it's just an accident. After all, there's nothing at all going on in the region that would justify sabotage of a missile factory....
Mark W.
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