Israel Matzav

IAEA takes action: Helps Syria go nuclear

'Egyptian brother' Mohamed ElBaradei pushed a measure through his feckless International Atomic Energy Agency on Wednesday to allow the UN agency to assist Syria in developing a nuclear capability. The Western nations that opposed the measure - the United States, Canada, Australia, France and Britain - didn't even bring it to a vote in the end out of fear that they would lose.

In the end, Washington and its allies agreed to the deal, which provides IAEA expertise and equipment to help Syria build a power-producing reactor.

But they did so only after three days of deadlock at a closed meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The dispute pitted Western nations against backers of Syria, which included Iran, Russia and China.

Agreeing to approval appeared to have been a painful concession for the US, Canada, Australia, France and Britain - the nations that at the start of the meeting spearheaded the effort to deny Syria the aid.

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Reluctant Western acceptance of the aid project came only after a spirited endorsement by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei earlier in the week that appeared strengthen pro-Syria sentiment.

The US and its allies could have forced a vote.

But the outcome would have been uncertain. And it would have further charged the tense atmosphere of a meeting that normally decides by consensus and without controversy on projects to IAEA members meant to help them master civilian nuclear projects.

Nations opposed instead settled for language allowing to express their concerns in the text approving the deal.

That text, made available to The Associated Press, noted that "a number of states expressed strong reservations" and committed the IAEA to "monitor the project closely ... and ensure that any equipment provided is used only for the purposes intended."

How closely can they monitor it if the Syrians won't even allow the IAEA on site to inspect?

Given that the IAEA missed nuclear weapons programs in Iraq, Iran, Libya, Algeria and North Korea, what are the odds of it actually preventing the development of nuclear weapons in Syria?

The IAEA ought to be renamed the ANPA (Arab Nuclear Proliferation Agency). Shame, shame, shame!

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:55 PM