An Israel Air Force strike on Syria early last month targeted a partly constructed nuclear reactor, American and foreign officials with access to intelligence reports were quoted as saying by the New York Times on Saturday.
Comparing the operation to Israel's bombing of the Osirak reactor in Iraq in 1981, shortly before that reactor was to have begun operating, the New York Times quoted U.S. and foreign officials as saying the Syrian facility appears to have been much further from completion.
"They officials said it would have been years before the Syrians could have used the reactor to produce the spent nuclear fuel that could, through a series of additional steps, be reprocessed into bomb-grade plutonium," the Times reported.
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According to the New York Times, the Bush administration was divided over whether an attack on the incomplete reactor was warranted.
The officials told the Times that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates were "particularly concerned about the ramifications of a pre-emptive strike in the absence of an urgent threat."
"There wasn't a lot of debate about the evidence," one American familiar with the discussions between the U.S. and Israel told the Times. "There was a lot of debate about how to respond to it."
According to the report, the officials said the reactor was apparently modeled on one North Korea has used to create its stockpile of nuclear weapons fuel.
Syrian President Bashar Assad confirmed the air strike some two weeks ago, but said it targeted an unused military facility. Both North Korea and Syria have vehemently denied reports of nuclear cooperation between the countries.
Also Saturday, North Korea's state media reported that a senior Pyongyang official has departed for an overseas trip that includes a stop in Syria.
Comparing the operation to Israel's bombing of the Osirak reactor in Iraq in 1981, shortly before that reactor was to have begun operating, the New York Times quoted U.S. and foreign officials as saying the Syrian facility appears to have been much further from completion.
"They officials said it would have been years before the Syrians could have used the reactor to produce the spent nuclear fuel that could, through a series of additional steps, be reprocessed into bomb-grade plutonium," the Times reported.
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According to the New York Times, the Bush administration was divided over whether an attack on the incomplete reactor was warranted.
The officials told the Times that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates were "particularly concerned about the ramifications of a pre-emptive strike in the absence of an urgent threat."
"There wasn't a lot of debate about the evidence," one American familiar with the discussions between the U.S. and Israel told the Times. "There was a lot of debate about how to respond to it."
According to the report, the officials said the reactor was apparently modeled on one North Korea has used to create its stockpile of nuclear weapons fuel.
Syrian President Bashar Assad confirmed the air strike some two weeks ago, but said it targeted an unused military facility. Both North Korea and Syria have vehemently denied reports of nuclear cooperation between the countries.
Also Saturday, North Korea's state media reported that a senior Pyongyang official has departed for an overseas trip that includes a stop in Syria.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/912377.html
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Syria and Israel is technically still at war, as Syria did not sign a peace treaty like other Arab states.
There are two possibilities,
1. Syria did try to develop a nuclear capability based on North Korean technology transfer. This create an understandable casus belli on Israeli air strike.
2. Syria never intended to develop nuclear tecnology. Israel aim was to undermine Syrian position, by accusing it try to develop nuclear weaponry. This would legalize further military and political actions toward Syria, which may even lead to the Invasion of Syria by the Coalition of the Willing in a few years from now.
There are two possibilities,
1. Syria did try to develop a nuclear capability based on North Korean technology transfer. This create an understandable casus belli on Israeli air strike.
2. Syria never intended to develop nuclear tecnology. Israel aim was to undermine Syrian position, by accusing it try to develop nuclear weaponry. This would legalize further military and political actions toward Syria, which may even lead to the Invasion of Syria by the Coalition of the Willing in a few years from now.
2 comments:
Israel is a small country with a lot of tendency to make more enemies. When the time come, I believe Israel will be wiped out from the surface of Earth.
israel must love humas more n more :d
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