Uranium Conversion Plant Identified in Syria
A small uranium conversion site has been spotted in Syria near Damascus, believed to be connected to the North Korean-built reactor destroyed by the Israelis in 2007. It is one of three nuclear-related sites the Assad regime is currently forbidding IAEA access to. Satellites detected significant activity at this site in July 2008 after it requested to inspect it, specifically the pouring of an unidentified material onto the ground.
This is more evidence that Syria was seeking nuclear weapons capabilities (or at least, as some have alleged, the ability to produce radiological dirty bombs) before the airstrike in 2007. It is not known if the Syrian reluctance to give access to its nuke sites is to disguise current activity or past transgressions. Whatever the case, we need to view this as an extension of Iran’s nuclear program and not view it in isolation.
