Syria-Iran-Korea pln...

mosze_zblisko_daleka Instytut ISIS.. 24.10.07, 23:07

Photographs Said to Show Israeli Target Inside Syria

By Robin Wright and Joby Warrick
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 24, 2007; A01

Independent experts have pinpointed what they believe to be the Euphrates River
site in Syria that was bombed by Israel last month, and satellite imagery of the
area shows buildings under construction roughly similar in design to a North
Korean reactor capable of producing nuclear material for one bomb a year, the
experts say.

Photographs of the site taken before the secret Sept. 6 airstrike depict an
isolated compound that includes a tall, boxy structure similar to the type of
building used to house a gas-graphite reactor. They also show what could have
been a pumping station used to supply cooling water for a reactor, say experts
David Albright and Paul Brannan of the Institute for Science and International
Security (ISIS).

U.S. and international experts and officials familiar with the site, who were
shown the photographs yesterday, said there was a strong and credible
possibility that they depict the remote compound that was attacked. Israeli
officials and the White House declined to comment.

If the facility is confirmed as the site of the attack, the photos provide a
potential explanation for Israel's middle-of-the-night bombing raid.

The facility is located seven miles north of the desert village of At Tibnah, in
the Dayr az Zawr region, and about 90 miles from the Iraqi border, according to
the ISIS report to be released today. Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector,
said the size of the structures suggested that Syria might have been building a
gas-graphite reactor of about 20 to 25 megawatts of heat, similar to the reactor
North Korea built at Yongbyon.

"I'm pretty convinced that Syria was trying to build a nuclear reactor,"
Albright said in an interview. He said the project would represent a significant
departure from past policies. ISIS, a nonprofit research group, tracks nuclear
weapons and stockpiles around the world.

Israel, which has nuclear weapons of its own, has not said publicly what its
warplanes hit or provided justification for the raid. Syria has denied having a
nuclear program. But beginning construction of a nuclear reactor in secret would
violate Syria's obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which requires
all signatories to declare their intent when such a decision is made, according
to sources at the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

The new report leaves many questions unanswered, such as what Syria intended to
use the unfinished structures for and the exact role, if any, of North Korea in
their construction. Also unclear is why Israel chose to use military force
rather than diplomatic pressure against a facility that could not have produced
significant nuclear material for years. The new details could fuel debate over
whether Israel's attack was warranted.

Albright acknowledged the difficulties of proving what the site is, in part
because the roof was put on at an early stage, blocking views of the foundation
and obscuring any potential reactor components. In construction of other types
of nuclear reactors, the roof is left off until the end so cranes can move heavy
equipment inside.

Some nuclear experts urged caution in interpreting the photos, noting that the
type of reactor favored by North Korea has few distinguishing characteristics
visible from the air. Unlike commercial nuclear power reactors, for example, a
North Korea-style reactor lacks the distinctive, dome-shaped containment vessel
that prevents the release of radiation in the event of a nuclear accident.

"You can look at North Korea's [reactor] buildings, and they look like nothing,"
said John E. Pike, a nuclear expert and director of GlobalSecurity.org. "They're
just metal-skinned industrial buildings." The proximity of the building to a
water source also is not significant by itself, Pike said.

But Brannan, of ISIS, combed through a huge amount of satellite imagery to find
a site along the Euphrates that matches a reactor's specifications as well as
descriptions of the attack site. The compound's distance from populated areas
was a key detail, since reactors are usually isolated from major urban populations.

The site is also close to an irrigated area, which would explain statements by
some officials privy to details of the attack that the facility was located near
orchards. A small airstrip about two miles away could have been used to
transport personnel to the site.

U.S. and foreign officials tracking the incident said that Syria is presently
trying to remove remaining structures at the site.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has acquired its own aerial photographs
but has not finished analyzing them, according to an IAEA source.

In an interview published yesterday, IAEA director and Nobel Peace laureate
Mohamed ElBaradei expressed anger at the Syrians, Israelis and foreign
intelligence agencies for not providing information about a suspected nuclear
program.

"We have said, 'If any of you has the slightest information showing that there
was anything linked to nuclear, we would of course be happy to investigate it,'
" he told the French newspaper Le Monde. "Frankly, I venture to hope that before
people decide to bombard and use force, they will come and see us to convey
their concerns."

ElBaradei also said an airstrike could endanger efforts to contain nuclear
proliferation.

"When the Israelis destroyed Saddam Hussein's research nuclear reactor in 1981,
the consequence was that Saddam Hussein pursued his program secretly. He began
to establish a huge military nuclear program underground," he said. "The use of
force can set things back, but it does not deal with the roots of the problem."

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mosze_zblisko_daleka Instytut ISIS.. 24.10.07, 23:07

Photographs Said to Show Israeli Target Inside Syria

By Robin Wright and Joby Warrick
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 24, 2007; A01

Independent experts have pinpointed what they believe to be the Euphrates River
site in Syria that was bombed by Israel last month, and satellite imagery of the
area shows buildings under construction roughly similar in design to a North
Korean reactor capable of producing nuclear material for one bomb a year, the
experts say.

Photographs of the site taken before the secret Sept. 6 airstrike depict an
isolated compound that includes a tall, boxy structure similar to the type of
building used to house a gas-graphite reactor. They also show what could have
been a pumping station used to supply cooling water for a reactor, say experts
David Albright and Paul Brannan of the Institute for Science and International
Security (ISIS).

U.S. and international experts and officials familiar with the site, who were
shown the photographs yesterday, said there was a strong and credible
possibility that they depict the remote compound that was attacked. Israeli
officials and the White House declined to comment.

If the facility is confirmed as the site of the attack, the photos provide a
potential explanation for Israel's middle-of-the-night bombing raid.

The facility is located seven miles north of the desert village of At Tibnah, in
the Dayr az Zawr region, and about 90 miles from the Iraqi border, according to
the ISIS report to be released today. Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector,
said the size of the structures suggested that Syria might have been building a
gas-graphite reactor of about 20 to 25 megawatts of heat, similar to the reactor
North Korea built at Yongbyon.

"I'm pretty convinced that Syria was trying to build a nuclear reactor,"
Albright said in an interview. He said the project would represent a significant
departure from past policies. ISIS, a nonprofit research group, tracks nuclear
weapons and stockpiles around the world.

Israel, which has nuclear weapons of its own, has not said publicly what its
warplanes hit or provided justification for the raid. Syria has denied having a
nuclear program. But beginning construction of a nuclear reactor in secret would
violate Syria's obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which requires
all signatories to declare their intent when such a decision is made, according
to sources at the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

The new report leaves many questions unanswered, such as what Syria intended to
use the unfinished structures for and the exact role, if any, of North Korea in
their construction. Also unclear is why Israel chose to use military force
rather than diplomatic pressure against a facility that could not have produced
significant nuclear material for years. The new details could fuel debate over
whether Israel's attack was warranted.

Albright acknowledged the difficulties of proving what the site is, in part
because the roof was put on at an early stage, blocking views of the foundation
and obscuring any potential reactor components. In construction of other types
of nuclear reactors, the roof is left off until the end so cranes can move heavy
equipment inside.

Some nuclear experts urged caution in interpreting the photos, noting that the
type of reactor favored by North Korea has few distinguishing characteristics
visible from the air. Unlike commercial nuclear power reactors, for example, a
North Korea-style reactor lacks the distinctive, dome-shaped containment vessel
that prevents the release of radiation in the event of a nuclear accident.

"You can look at North Korea's [reactor] buildings, and they look like nothing,"
said John E. Pike, a nuclear expert and director of GlobalSecurity.org. "They're
just metal-skinned industrial buildings." The proximity of the building to a
water source also is not significant by itself, Pike said.

But Brannan, of ISIS, combed through a huge amount of satellite imagery to find
a site along the Euphrates that matches a reactor's specifications as well as
descriptions of the attack site. The compound's distance from populated areas
was a key detail, since reactors are usually isolated from major urban populations.

The site is also close to an irrigated area, which would explain statements by
some officials privy to details of the attack that the facility was located near
orchards. A small airstrip about two miles away could have been used to
transport personnel to the site.

U.S. and foreign officials tracking the incident said that Syria is presently
trying to remove remaining structures at the site.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has acquired its own aerial photographs
but has not finished analyzing them, according to an IAEA source.

In an interview published yesterday, IAEA director and Nobel Peace laureate
Mohamed ElBaradei expressed anger at the Syrians, Israelis and foreign
intelligence agencies for not providing information about a suspected nuclear
program.

"We have said, 'If any of you has the slightest information showing that there
was anything linked to nuclear, we would of course be happy to investigate it,'
" he told the French newspaper Le Monde. "Frankly, I venture to hope that before
people decide to bombard and use force, they will come and see us to convey
their concerns."

ElBaradei also said an airstrike could endanger efforts to contain nuclear
proliferation.

"When the Israelis destroyed Saddam Hussein's research nuclear reactor in 1981,
the consequence was that Saddam Hussein pursued his program secretly. He began
to establish a huge military nuclear program underground," he said. "The use of
force can set things back, but it does not deal with the roots of the problem."


View all comments that have been posted about this article.

Report item as: (required) X
Comment: (optional)

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate
comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that
are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author
will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of
our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies
governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and
discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
© 2007 The Washington Post Company
Ads by Google

Buy an Anti-Bush T-Shirt
McPrez Bush "War, he's lovin' it" www.bannedmagazine.com design
www.bannedmagazine.spreadshirt.com

Coffee Exposed
A shocking secret coffee co's don't want you to know.
www.coffeefool.com

World Peace Will Come
The Bible says that Peace will come Here’s how it will arrive soon!
www.TheRCG.org
- mosze_zblisko_daleka Ogleearth.com 24.10.07, 23:11
  
  www.ogleearth.com/2007/10/sept_6_raid_in.html
  - mosze_zblisko_daleka Re: Ogleearth.com 24.10.07, 23:17
    
    www.isis-online.org/publications/SuspectSite_24October2007.pdf

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