Israel Matzav

Satellite photos show another nuclear site outside Damascus

Satellite images released on Wednesday by the Institute for Science and International Security show that Syria may be building another nuclear reactor outside of Damascus.

The photos show heightened activity and the pouring of a concrete foundation around the site near Marj as Sultan, outside Damascus, shortly after a May 2008 request for inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"The facility’s operational status is unknown. However, there is suspicion that Syria may have emptied the buildings prior to mid-2008 and taken steps to disguise previous activities at the site," the ISIS report said.

"Laying down a new foundation could be an attempt to defeat the environmental sampling that IAEA inspectors would likely carry out to see if uranium was present in the event of a visit to these suspect sites."

Citing the IAEA and the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, ISIS said the Marj as Sultan facility was one of three sites that were "functionally related" to the bombed reactor at Dair Alzour, in the east of the country.

Syria has snubbed a request by the UN nuclear watchdog for prompt access to a number of sites, and could come under heightened scrutiny at the Vienna-based IAEA's meeting next month, diplomats told AFP last week.

I'd say it's quite likely that Syria has one or more nuclear facilities that Israel has not yet destroyed.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Damascus, Syrian nuclear program

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:11 PM