Syria Today | Syria denies latest IAEA report

Syria denies latest IAEA report

Syria has denied allegations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that its explanation of uranium found at a site near Damascus is false.

A report released by the IAEA on November 16 said Syria’s explanation regarding traces of uranium found at a site near Damascus does not match with the agency’s test results. The report also said the type of uranium particles taken from the site could not be found in Syria’s declared inventory.

The Syrian government denied the claims, saying it stands by its legal obligations to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“We are taking up the matter with the IAEA and are in constant consultation with them,” the Washington-based news radio station wtop.com quoted an unnamed Syrian official as saying.

Syria had said the uranium found by IAEA inspectors came from the accumulation of legitimate nuclear reference materials or from a transport container. It also said the traces could have come from domestically produced uranium concentrate known as ‘yellow cake’ or from imports of commercial uranyl nitrate.

The IAEA is already investigating allegations that Syria had been building an undeclared nuclear reactor at a remote desert site called Al-Kibar near Deir ez-Zor. The site was bombed by Israel in 2007.

The agency’s latest report also called for further explanation about the material found at Al-Kibar, saying “no progress has been made since the last report to clarify any of the outstanding issues”.

Syria has previously said the uranium came from Israeli missiles. The IAEA has not accepted this explanation and has requested permission to revisit the site, along with three other military sites.