DAMASCUS, June 25, 2008

Nuke Agency To End Hushed-Up Syria Mission

U.N. Inspectors Appear To Have Come Up Empty In Secret Visit To Alleged Reactor Site

  • The alleged Syrian nuclear program came into the spotlight in May, when photos were published in the U.S. that Washington pointed to as evidence of a secret Syrian reactor project.

    The alleged Syrian nuclear program came into the spotlight in May, when photos were published in the U.S. that Washington pointed to as evidence of a secret Syrian reactor project.  (AP/DigitalGlobe)

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(CBS)  Written by CBS News' George Baghdadi, reporting from Damascus.

U.N. nuclear investigators will wrap up a four-day visit to Syria on Wednesday, but, thus far, there has been absolutely no indication that they've even managed to scratch the surface of the mystery surrounding a remote Syrian building bombed by Israel in September.

U.S. officials and - off the record - Israel, claim it was a plutonium-producing reactor in the works.

Syrian authorities, who have fervently denied the allegations, have shrouded the visit by International Atomic Energy Agency visit in secrecy. No great surprise: It could well determine the fate of Damascus on the international stage.

There wasn't even official confirmation that IAEA chief inspector Olli Heinonen and his aids were in the country, as the government banned all Arab and foreign journalists from obtaining entry visas.

Just one privately owned daily, Al-Watan - which, like all Syrian media, is close to the government - made any mention of the inspection mission by the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Al-Watan only carried a commentary published by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, highlighting Syria's strong denial of ever possessing a reactor.

A senior diplomat familiar with the Vienna-based IAEA said the visit by the three senior inspectors, which included a trip to the al-Kibar site flattened by Israeli war planes, went "well," but he declined to elaborate.

Israel has never commented publicly on the intended target of its bombing raid on Sept. 6, 2007, but the alleged Syrian nuclear program came into the spotlight in May, when photos were published in the U.S. that Washington pointed to as evidence of a secret Syrian reactor project.

Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, has recently told an Indian newspaper that the allegations were, "fabricated 100 percent," maintaining the building at the site was just a disused military structure in the northeastern desert, near the Euphrates River.

IAEA director Mohamed ElBaradei said last week there was no evidence that Syria had the skills or fuel to run a major nuclear complex. Syria's only declared nuclear facility is an ageing research reactor long under the watchful eye of IAEA monitors.

Under its inspection agreement with the IAEA, Damascus has an obligation to report nuclear projects at the planning stage. Israel refuses to sign the agreement.

Analysts believe Damascus opened its doors to the inspectors in hopes of preventing Iran-like global sanctions, and keeping up dramatic diplomatic gains that have come from a recent thawing of relations between Damascus and the West.

Syria has successfully started to break a long period of global isolation by helping to broker the Doha agreement which partly settled neighboring Lebanon's internal political dispute.

Amid a flurry of diplomatic activities, Syria also agreed to start Turkish-mediated, indirect peace talks with Israel. Most recently, Syria used its influence with Damascus-based Hamas leaders to help forge a ceasefire between the militant Islamic group which governs the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Most significantly, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has invited Assad to Paris in July to attend a Euro-Mediterranean conference and Bastille Day celebrations.

The mission of the inspectors, however, was limited to the al-Kibar site in the Syrian eastern desert, just 90 miles north of the Iraqi border. According to Western analysts, the agency may request further visits to clear up months of mystery that followed the Israeli strike.

The commentary in al-Watan suggested that America's nuclear claim is a "sword hanging over Syria... in what resembles a blackmail policy that might later turn into direct targeting."

The commentary added, however, that it remained unclear whether, "the United States will be satisfied with such an outcome, or will press on with its accusations to create a Syrian nuclear issue similar to the Iranian or North Korean ones."

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by TommyCraig June 26, 2008 2:31 PM EDT
"Name a Group of Atheist that have a History of Mass Murdering from one Century to the Next..."

Answer: None !!
Posted by Omaar-101 at 10:03 PM : Jun 25, 2008

Could this be that there is no athiest nation that has ever lasted for more than one century?
Where in Christianity does it state that we are to murder non-believers? It says to love your enemies! Christ will be the judge. This does not mean we cannot defend ourselves. There have never been any Christian nations. That is, a nation set up as a monotheistic Christian government. There are Christian inspired nations. But nowhere in the bible does it state for them to commit mass murder on non-believers. Those nations that commited such acts in the name of Christ where only cloaking there own desires.
In the 20th century, The athiestic communist countries murdered more people than any others. The sad part is that most were there own people and were killed because of their political beliefs.
Reply to this comment
by omaar-101 June 26, 2008 1:03 AM EDT
tcandrews62: ATHEISM, where have I Professed ATHEISM ?

I Respect Atheist, more than the Mass Murdering 3 Religions of Christianity, Judaism & Islam...



Name a Group of Atheist that have a History of Mass Murdering from one Century to the Next...

Answer: None !!

So called, Self Proclaimed Followers of Christianity, Judaism & Islam...

The 3 Horned Devils of the World.

All Guilty as Charged !!!

My Spiritual Beliefs are Non of Your business.


Seperation of My Spiritual Beliefs from this Forum.

None of the 3 Devilish Religions Above, I can Assure you.
Reply to this comment
by omaar-101 June 26, 2008 1:00 AM EDT
1. Christianity 2. Islam 3.Judaism

Those (3) Religions Above an their Followers are the Bain of Human Existence.

Religious Justification of Mass Murder & Mayhem !!

All with the Blessings of God, when God is Looking at them and saying....

You Low Life Forms, Do Not Speak for Me, Nor have I Sanctioned Any of You, to do Anything in My Name !!

An You Wonder Why there are so Many Natural Disasters Happening in All Corners of the World.

We are about to Meet the Same Fate of the Dinosaurs, Neantherthal, Troglodyte & Cro-Magnum Man and Most of it is Our Fault and it is going to be on a Massive scale Too !!

Natural Disasters, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Typhoons, Volcanic Eruptions, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Global Warming & Severe-Extreme Climate Changes !!

Mother & Father Nature are saying to us All...

Your Time is Up, You Blew it, The Game is Over..

Time to start a New.


The Father Spirits, Mother Nature & Brother Cosmos are getting Fed Up with Us.

Note: Most of You are not what You Profess to be ...Anyway...

You Religous Hypocrites
Reply to this comment
by omaar-101 June 26, 2008 12:58 AM EDT
tcandrews62: Atheist, where have I Professed ATHEISM ?

I Respect Atheist, more than the Mass Murdering 3 Religions of Christianity, Judaism & Islam...

The True Devils of ther World.

Name a Group of Atheist that have a History of Mass Murdering from one Century to the Next...

Answer: None !!

So called, Self Proclaimed Followers of Christianity, Judaism & UIslam...

All Guilty as Charged !!!

My Spiritual Beliefs are Non of Your business.


Seperation of My Spiritual Beliefs from this Forum.

None of the 3 Devilish Religions Above, I can Assure you.



Reply to this comment
by toolmangler-2009 June 26, 2008 12:42 AM EDT
1. Christianity 2. Islam 3.Judaism

Those (3) Religions Above an their Followers are the Bain of Human Existence.
Posted by Omaar-101 at 05:29 PM : Jun 25, 2008



Lets do some pruning here. No recognized religion can ''Make'' its followers ''do'' anything. Man is a creature of free will with the powers of reason and decision. Just like a Gun it is harmless until human picks it up and starts to use it without reading the instruction manual. Don''t blame an inanimate object for human stupidity and misuse. (Yes the Bible is an instruction manual "B_asic, I_nstructions, B_fore, L_eaving, E_arth.")
Reply to this comment
by toolmangler-2009 June 26, 2008 12:10 AM EDT
The Father Spirits, Mother Nature & Brother Cosmos are getting Fed Up with Us.
Posted by Omaar-101 at 05:29 PM : Jun 25, 2008




Looks to me like your gods are not holding up their end of the deal. Try mine
Reply to this comment
by TommyCraig June 25, 2008 8:42 PM EDT
Ommar-101
Nice stereotyping! You athiest have never caused harm to the world...Lets see, in the 20th century, the russians and chinese while in their social-marxist utopia''s, have murdered millions upon millions of non-combatants. How many died in the 2oth century due to Christian doctrine?
Reply to this comment
by omaar-101 June 25, 2008 8:29 PM EDT
1. Christianity 2. Islam 3.Judaism

Those (3) Religions Above an their Followers are the Bain of Human Existence.

Religious Justification of Mass Murder & Mayhem !!

All with the Blessings of God, when God is Looking at them and saying....

You Low Life Forms, Do Not Speak for Me, Nor have I Sanctioned Any of You, to do Anything in My Name !!

An You Wonder Why there are so Many Natural Disasters Happening in All Corners of the World.

We are about to Meet the Same Fate of the Dinosaurs, Neantherthal, Troglodyte & Cro-Magnum Man and Most of it is Our Fault and it is going to be on a Massive scale Too !!

Natural Disasters, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Typhoons, Volcanic Eruptions, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Global Warming & Severe-Extreme Climate Changes !!

Mother & Father Nature are saying to us All...

Your Time is Up, You Blew it, The Game is Over..

Time to start a New.


The Father Spirits, Mother Nature & Brother Cosmos are getting Fed Up with Us.

Reply to this comment
by TommyCraig June 25, 2008 8:28 PM EDT
%u201CThose good Jews brought civilization and peace to the Arab Muslims, and they dispersed gold and prosperity over Palestine without damage to anyone or taking anything by force. Despite this, the Muslims declared holy war against them and did not hesitate to massacre their children and women%u2026. Thus a black fate awaits the Jews and other minorities in case the Mandates are cancelled and Muslim Syria is united with Muslim Palestine.%u201D

That statement is from a letter sent to the French prime minister in June 1936 by six Syrian Alawi notables (the Alawis are the ruling class in Syria today) in support of Zionism. Bashar%u2019s great-grandfather was one of them.
Steve Plaut

How history has changed...
Reply to this comment
by omaar-101 June 25, 2008 8:27 PM EDT
Posted by kennedy7955: Well maybe it isn`t a nuke site. But that begs the question, why did the Israelis bomb the facility? Target practice?


----------------------------------
--------------------


Because the Location that was Bombed was Not a Nuclear Facility...

D!ng Dong For Brains !!!

Some of you Loons are So Pro Israeli, Anything & Everything Asserted by those (Aryans) are taken as pure Gospel...

Deprogram Yourselves.

Israel: Has 150 Nuclear War Head Missiles and Claim to be Threatened by their Neighbors.

Bull-Spit !!

Their Neighbors are Threatened By Israel`s 150 Nuclear War Head Missiles...Duh

Israel wants to be the ONLY NATION in that REGION to ...

DESTROY THE WORLD TIMES OVER, WITH YOU BLIND BLESSINGS !!!
Reply to this comment
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