Syria agrees to inspection by UN nuclear experts
June 2nd, 2008 - 6:45 pm ICT by IANSDPA
Vienna, June 2 (DPA) Syria has agreed to a visit by UN nuclear inspectors trying to verify if a site bombed by Israel in September 2007 was indeed an undeclared nuclear reactor, officials were told Monday. “It has now been agreed that an Agency team will visit Syria during the period 22-24 June,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei told the Agency’s Board of Governors meeting as it was about to convene a new session.
The US has recently published information that Washington says is evidence that Syria was secretly trying to build a nuclear reactor in the Syrian desert with the aim of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons.
The US says it has evidence Syria was aided by North Korea.
Syria denies that the al-Kibar site in the Syrian desert was a nuclear installation. Experts agree that images of the site indicate reactor construction but note that there is no information where nuclear fuel for the site would have come from.
In his statement, ElBaradei lamented that countries like Israel or the US did not provide the IAEA with information about their suspicion before the Israeli air raid.
ElBaradei’s statement about Syria’s intentions to permit UN inspectors came as the 35-nation IAEA board of governors began a new session at which unresolved issues concerning Iran’s nuclear programme were expected to dominate the discussions.
DPA
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Tags: 24 june, air raid, atomic energy agency, board of governors, international atomic energy, international atomic energy agency, international atomic energy agency iaea, israeli air, kibar, mohamed elbaradei, north korea, nuclear experts, nuclear fuel, nuclear installation, nuclear reactor, nuclear weapons, plutonium, s board, syrian desert, unresolved issues
