Syria might have attempted to conceal possible atomic work at Marj as Sultan after a 2007 Israeli airstrike destroyed the nation's suspected nuclear reactor site at Dair Alzour, the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security asserted on Wednesday, citing satellite images taken of the facility near Damascus (Agence France-Presse I/Spacewar.com, Feb. 24).
Ros-Lehtinen in a statement said she was "gravely concerned by reported new evidence showing that Syria’s nuclear weapons program may have been much more extensive than previously thought."
"Israel's destruction in 2007 of Syria's suspected uranium enrichment facility may have ended the immediate threat, but this new evidence indicates the regime has yet to abandon its nuclear goals," she added. “It is dangerous that the [Obama] administration continues to ignore Syria’s threatening behavior and policies, and instead makes concessions to Damascus such as the recent appointment of a U.S. ambassador.
“The administration should increase pressure on the Syrian regime by fully implementing the sanctions in the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act," according to the lawmaker.
"If Syria continues to refuse inspections of its nuclear sites, then the International Atomic Energy Agency should invoke its right to demand a special inspection, which Syria is obligated by treaty to allow. We must also work with other responsible nations to impose tough multilateral sanctions without delay,” Ros-Lehtinen said.
Damascus has denied multiple IAEA requests for visits to the Dair Alzour site and other locations. Inspectors were prohibited from Dair Alzour after a June 2008 visit turned up traces of anthropogenic natural uranium. Syria has rejected accusations it had engaged in illicit nuclear activities, though it suspended cooperation with the U.N. watchdog following the 2008 visit (U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committeerelease, Feb. 24).
Diplomatic sources said Syria this month formally rejected an IAEA bid to visit the site, the Associated Press reported. The message delivered by letter was an apparent response to IAEA chief Yukiya Amano's request in November that his agency be given access to the area.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog's latest safeguards report on Syria was released today (George Jahn, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Feb. 25).
The report, posted on the website of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, indicated that Damascus could allow an IAEA visit to a yellowcake production site at Homs (International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards report, Feb. 25).
A high-level Israeli defense official today said the satellite photographs indicate Syria has "tried to become a nuclear power," AFP reported.
The photographs suggest "Syria has not succeeded in relaunching its nuclear program," though the nation might have pursued additional nuclear-weapon facilities, Defense Ministry Political Military Affairs Director Amos Gilad said (Agence France-Presse II/Zawya, Feb. 25).
