CIA: Videotape Links N. Koreans to Secret Syrian Nuclear Reactor

CIA: Videotape Links N. Koreans to Secret Syrian Nuclear Reactor

www.foxnews.com

WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence officials will show members of Congress a videotape and other evidence supporting their case that Syria was building a nuclear reactor with North Korean assistance before it was bombed by Israeli planes in September 2007, a U.S. official said Wednesday.

Intelligence officials who have seen the evidence consider it "extremely compelling," the U.S. official said. He said it was gleaned from a variety of sources, not just Israeli intelligence.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Looks like the rumors were right, North Korea and Syria were working together on a reactor.

What now? Time to put pressure on the North Koreans? It pretty much proves the lie that they're complying with the dismantling of their nuclear program..


www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

What now?? Let's bomb America using American nuclear weapons because America has thousands of nuclear weapons.

The world is getting more and more confusing every day.

I guess the Norks will be getting a pass on this again.

The U.S. recently has stepped back from its push for a detailed declaration addressing the North's alleged secret uranium enrichment program and nuclear cooperation with Syria. Now, the U.S. says it wants the North to simply acknowledge the concerns and then set up a system to verify the country doesn't continue such activity in the future.

How the hell can you justify hounding Iran because they 'might' develop nuclear weapons that they 'might' use against Israel, and just say 'don't do it again' to North Korea when they already built nuclear weapons and got caught giving their technology to Syria to use against Israel???

The Hypocrisy knows no bounds.

More recently the US announced it had signed an agreement to supply nuclear safety technology to Israel for it's Dimona reactor.

Now then, Israel is NOT a NPT signatory. Therefore supplying them with ANY nuclear technology is a breach of the NPT, something Israel and the US want to attack Iran over.
There's also the little matter of where Israel got it's technology and material from in the first place

It's ok when they do it but BAD when somebody else does.

This whole thing still has my head spinning.

SO let me get this straight -

1 - Israel receives intelligence from the US that the Syrians are building a secret nuclear facility.

2. Israel flies into sovereign airspace and bombs the hell out of it.

3. Syria doesn't say anything. Israel doesn't say anything.

4. 8 Months later this comes out?

Isn't the timing of this a bit strange? There has been stipulation that the war with Iran will start through Syria. Is this the beginning of it?

Originally posted by mythatsabigprobe

How the hell can you justify hounding Iran because they 'might' develop nuclear weapons that they 'might' use against Israel, and just say 'don't do it again' to North Korea when they already built nuclear weapons and got caught giving their technology to Syria to use against Israel???

It seems the answer to that is due to several factors.

The Nork talks isn't just the U.S. Its a 6 party configuration, which includes Russia and China. The U.S. reps involved have no choise but to go along with softer measures if there is any realistic expectation of of getting any accomidations from the talks. Since their job is the short term goal of quick and verifiable disarmament, the soft (carrot) approach is their only option.

On the other hand, the U.S. clearly wants a full accounting of 10+ kg of unaccounted plutonium, admission of a a centrifuge enrichment program, admission to helping Syria and others, a full verifiable shutdown with long term inspections, etc., etc. Until this happens the sanctions will continue. Thus the release of the video (stick) and other info.

Those are some of the reasons that both the stick and carrot are being applied at the same time, which give the U.S. an appearance of being a bit bipolar. You can read some of the behind the scenes details in a report to the Senate Committee.

iis-db.stanford.edu... (pdf)


Iran however refuses to negotiate. Their approach is to stall as long as possible, much like Saddam did. Let the IAEA inspect a bit to reduce international pressure, then throw them out and refuse inspections. Then let them inspect a bit, then throw them out again. Rinse and repeat.

That approach only leaves the U.S. with a stick to work with in their case IMO.

Originally posted by makeitso

Originally posted by mythatsabigprobe

Iran however refuses to negotiate. Their approach is to stall as long as possible, much like Saddam did. Let the IAEA inspect a bit to reduce international pressure, then throw them out and refuse inspections. Then let them inspect a bit, then throw them out again. Rinse and repeat.

That approach only leaves the U.S. with a stick to work with in their case IMO.

What should Iran negotiate with is what I don't get, they have every right to produce nuclear fuel under the International law. Why should they wait just because countries with thousands of nuclear weapons suspect them of producing one zzzz

They have the right to make it and they should make it. It will help the Iranian people and the Iranian economy.

Originally posted by Ownification
They have the right to make it and they should make it. It will help the Iranian people and the Iranian economy.

Then why won't they allow the IAEA to have the information they request and to perform the full inspections they request?

Why do they keep kicking them out, stopping inspections, and refusing to comply with the IAEA?

There's a video compilation of the CIA's evidence on the BBC Website here

There's a lot of evidence that it was a North Korean designed reactor, including photographs of the inside construction that match up with North Korean components. Worth watching if you're in doubt about the evidence.

Originally posted by makeitso
Then why won't they allow the IAEA to have the information they request and to perform the full inspections they request?

Why do they keep kicking them out, stopping inspections, and refusing to comply with the IAEA?

Are you sure? I though the IAEA have had inspectors in there constantly.

en.wikipedia.org...-_August_2006
On the question of whether Iran had a hidden nuclear weapons program, the IAEA reported in November 2003 that it found "no evidence" that the previously undeclared activities were related to a nuclear weapons program, but also that it was unable to conclude that Iran's nuclear program was exclusively peaceful. The IAEA remains unable to draw such a conclusion since the IAEA only certifies the absence of undeclared nuclear activities for nations that have formally ratified the Additional Protocol. According to the IAEA's own Annual Safeguards Implementation Report of 2004,[37] of the 61 states where both the NPT safeguards and the Additional protocol are implemented, the IAEA has certified the absence of undeclared nuclear activity for only 21 countries, leaving Iran in the same category as 40 other countries including Canada, the Czech Republic, and South Africa. Nevertheless, Iran did voluntarily implement the Additional Protocol, and the IAEA certified in Jan 31, 2006 that "Iran has continued to facilitate access under its Safeguards Agreement as requested by the Agency, and to act as if the Additional Protocol is in force, including by providing in a timely manner the requisite declarations and access to locations."[38] As of August 2007, Iran and the IAEA entered into an agreement on the modalities of resolving additional outstanding issue.

en.wikipedia.org...-_August_2006
International Atomic Energy Agency

* The IAEA has condemned the US over a report written by a congressional committee on the nuclear situation in Iran. The leaked report, which was never meant to be released to the public, was called erroneous and misleading in a letter sent to Peter Hoekstra. Allegations in the report of why an inspector was dismissed were branded outrageous and dishonest. One unnamed western diplomat called it déjà vu of the false reports made by the US administration to justify the invasion of Iraq.[68]
* IAEA officials complained in 2007 that most U.S. intelligence shared with it to date about Iran's nuclear program proved to be inaccurate, and that none had led to significant discoveries inside Iran through that time. [69]

* On 10 May 2007, Agence France-Presse, quoting un-named diplomats, reported that Iran had blocked IAEA inspectors when they sought access to the Iran's enrichment facility. Both Iran and the IAEA vehemently denied the report. On 11 March, 2007, Reuters quoted International Atomic Energy Agency spokesman Marc Vidricaire, "We have not been denied access at any time, including in the past few weeks. Normally we do not comment on such reports but this time we felt we had to clarify the matter...If we had a problem like that we would have to report to the [35-nation IAEA governing] board ... That has not happened because this alleged event did not take place." [70]

* On July 30 2007, inspectors from the IAEA spent five hours at the Arak complex, the first such visit since April. Visits to other plants in Iran were expected during the following days. It has been suggested that access may have been granted in an attempt to head off further sanctions.[71]

* In late October 2007, according to the International Herald Tribune, the head of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, stated that he had seen "no evidence" of Iran developing nuclear weapons. The IHT quoted ElBaradei as saying "We have information that there has been maybe some studies about possible weaponization. That's why we have said that we cannot give Iran a pass right now, because there is still a lot of question marks. . . . But have we seen Iran having the nuclear material that can readily be used into a weapon? No. Have we seen an active weaponization program? No." The IHT report went on to say that "ElBaradei said he was worried about the growing rhetoric from the U.S., which he noted focused on Iran's alleged intentions to build a nuclear weapon rather than evidence the country was actively doing so. If there is actual evidence, ElBaradei said he would welcome seeing it."

Not again. The Pipe to Haifa from Iraq needs to be completed.. can't waste all the US military resouces protecting a oil pipe that's simply ends at the border of Syria.. can we.

As I recalled. The Israelis bombing , what looked like a small cement plant in Syria, is called a "secret nuclear plants" is unbelievable. At that time when the Isrealis released a "Before and After" photo of their alledge cliams... the whole bombed area was as clean as a cut out hill top. I don't even see a bomb crater, a cooling pool nor any radiation being said to be detected. You just can't clean up a bombed nuclear facilities in a week.

I mean seriously, the released footage of the nuclear facilities has only korean looking technician operating it, and not one Arab. Imagine my shock..... where the footage was taken from... north korea... no no... syria. Has to be Syria... I guess. No question asked.

The last 45 days has been very interesting. First you have Fallon, probably the last person to voice his opinion about going to war with Iran retire. Petraeus speaking on capital hill, saying Iran is the greatest threat to our current situation in Iraq. Petraeus named as Fallon's replacement. This North Korea-Syria connection over the "target" Israel took out last September that both nations were very hush hush about. It is now being reported that site was a nuclear reactor that was "not meant for peaceful purposes". Now you have our military saying Iran is still supplying arms in Iraq, on the heels of Bush saying that if Iran didn't stop it's support, we would take measures to ensure the safety of our troops and our interests in the area.


[edit on 25-4-2008 by StephenF]

Here is what I don't understand. Correct me if I am wrong - but isn't bombing a building in someone else's sovereign country considered an act of war?

Moreover, if Israel was so concerned about this plant to the point where they were willing to commit an act of war, wouldn't they have reported it to the IAEA or to the UN and had inspectors or even spies to go in there and catch Syria red handed?

My point is that if the US and Israel are truly trying to make a case to go to war with Iran via Syria, wouldn't it make sense to get into Syria and really take a look at this plant instead of destroying the evidence?

The next logical question would then be, if there was no radiation on the site to prove that it was indeed a nuclear plant, then why isn't Syria crying bloody murder? IMO, those pictures did little to show that it was what Israel and th US are saying it is, so Syria could have really gotten some sympathy. Instead they chose to stay quiet.

This is so weird.

Your right, this whole thing doesn't make sense. Israel did indeed commit an act of war against Syria by bombing them last year. But why Syria and Israel never traded blows after that, everything was kept hush hush, I don't know. If it wasn't a nuke plant why didn't Syria get anyone and everyone in there to see it and prove Israel was in the wrong instead of not saying a word. However if it was a nuke site why didn't Israel get the word out then?

Syria had good reason to keep their mouths shut. They weren't going to get any international sympathy for getting their illegal reactor blown up and they can't take Israel on in an all out war. Israel has a 'tradition' of bombing it's neighbors nuclear plants, they did the same thing to Iraq at about the same stage of development - just before they were ready to fuel up.

Iran is a much bigger risk for Israel to act on, they have more ways to reach out and touch Israel. We'll be doing the dirty work on that one.

Here's a very good summary and analysis of current press reports on this by Dan Froomkin in today's WaPo: What Are They Up to Now?

Froomkin could easily become member here in re: his suspicions of the administration's motives in announcing this now.

The most damning element of the article: it was Darth Cheney who pushed to release this info now, to derail the North Korean talks and whip up the war drums in the ME.

Other important points: the Syrians didn't have any capabilities to purify the plutonium to weaponize it, or any infrastructure to create a bomb.

Bizarre incident, from beginning to end.