Samples bear 'features of nuclear reactor'

Published on Thursday 19 February 2009 21:03

UN INSPECTORS found graphite and more uranium traces in samples from a Syrian site that the United States claims was a covert graphite nuclear reactor that was almost fully constructed before Israel bombed it.

The first word that graphite particles had turned up came with the release yesterday of the International Atomic Energy Agency's second report on Syria in three months. A senior UN official said the discovery of additional uranium traces was "significant". That raised pressure on Damascus to provide evidence for its denials of wrongdoing.

The IAEA's November report said the site bore features that would resemble those of a nuclear reactor. Yesterday's report said Damascus, in a letter to the IAEA this month, had repeated its position that the desert complex – known as al-Kibar or Dair Alzour – destroyed by Israel in September 2007 was a conventional military building only.

But the IAEA said Syria was still failing to back up its stance with documentation or by granting further access.