Lack of Images Stymies UN's Inquiry Into Syria

The Lakeland Ledger - AP ^ | By GEORGE JAHN

[DocRock]

VIENNA, Austria | The chief U.N. nuclear inspector said Thursday that his agency's Syria investigation has been hampered because key satellite images of an alleged nuclear reactor bombed by Israel are inexplicably unavailable on the market.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei did not point any fingers in the "baffling" failure of his agency's efforts to obtain the images of the Syrian site immediately after it was bombed by Israel last year.

But diplomats familiar with the IAEA's Syria investigation said agency officials were considering several scenarios, including the possibility that Syria or other nations with an interest in a cover-up had bought the photos and all rights to them from commercial satellite companies.

ElBaradei's comments at the start of a two-day full meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board partially reflected the focus of the gathering - suspicions about Syria's and Iran's nuclear activities.

On Iran, ElBaradei told the meeting that he "cannot exclude the existence of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program."

The U.S. and the European Union both expressed alarm at Tehran's defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions meant to curb its suspected nuclear activities. And Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iran's IAEA representative, accused Washington and its allies of dragging it before the Security Council as part of a "hidden agenda."

In the case of Syria, ElBaradei noted that his "agency was unable to obtain commercial satellite imagery" of the site immediately after the bombing, adding: "It is regrettable, and indeed baffling, that imagery for this critical period ... was not available."

Syrian nuclear chief Ibrahim Othman was dismissive, telling The Associated Press: "The theory that we bought all the photos is nonsense."

The IAEA often turns to commercial images beyond any spy satellite photos shared by governments.

[mamelukesabre]

What about US or israeli military satelites? surely the A-rabs haven’t bought the rights to those too, have they?

[DocRock]

Everyone knows you can't trust the US or Israeli sat pics...

/sarc

[Colorado Doug]

What about US or israeli military satelites?

ElBaradei Googled for top secret Sat images and couldn't find any so he gave up. He doesn't want to find the images. The UN is a joke.

[Wolfhound777]

Lol...Why does anyone in the world think the UN is credible at all? Last week, they stated they had undeniable evidence of radiation and now they need a picture to confirm? The UN needs to get their head of their “collective” (no pun intended) asses. Maybe they they used their 23 million in satellite money to fund that art project that looks like puke.

[compuguru]

I'll give them a hand:

Suspected Syrian Nuclear site attacked by Israeli air assets in September 2007.

The desolate Syrian site is located on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River some 90 miles north of the Iraqi border and 7 miles north of the desert village of At Tibnah. An airfield lies nearby. The new images reveal that the tall building is gone but still show a secondary structure and a pumping station on the Euphrates. Reactors need water for cooling.

On the left is August 10, 2007, and, on the right is October 24, 2007.