Tom Baldwin in Washington
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The White House yesterday broke seven months of silence over why Israel bombed a building in the Syrian desert last year, saying that it was convinced North Korea was helping to build a nuclear plant at the site.
In a statement issued last night, President Bush’s press secretary declared the collaboration between Syria and North Korea represented “a dangerous and potentially destabilising development for the world” because the facility was unlikely to have been for “peaceful purposes”. Syria described the accusation as “absurd”.
Hours earlier the CIA had finally given Congress sight of videotapes and other “extremely compelling” evidence which, it believes, indicates that North Korea was helping Syria. The nuclear plant was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on September 6 that has since been the focus of world-wide speculation.
Intelligence officials showed committees on Capitol Hill a video taken inside the Syrian al-Kibar facility in which Korean faces were said to be visible. The design of the plant is alleged to resemble the North Korean reactor at Yongbyon, including a similar configuration and number of holes for fuel rods.
The CIA believes the facility would have been capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons but was destroyed by the Israelis just weeks before it became operational. The air strike last year has been compared to the raid on Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981. The videotape is understood to have been provided by Israeli intelligence hoping to overcome US scepticism, but the CIA yesterday stressed it had material from different sources that also pointed to North Korean involvement.
Syria’s Ambassador to the US condemned the disclosures and insisted once again that his country never had a nuclear programme. Imad Moustafa said: “This is exactly the same story as Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction. There is a proven record of this [US] Administration to fabricate lies.”
But both the US and Israel feared that if the Syrian reactor had become operational, not only would an Arab nation have developed nuclear capability for the first time but also that the regime the Washington accuses of supporting terrorism could have obtained weapons of mass destruction.
Yesterday’s disclosures came at a sensitive time for relations between the US and North Korea. The US State Department is pressing Pyongyang to come clean about the full extent of its nuclear programme – including exporting such technology – before lifting sanctions against a country which Mr Bush once proclaimed was part of an “axis of evil”.
But national security hawks have criticised the US Administration for watering down previous demands that North Korea publicly admit to having a nuclear weapons programme and helping Syria.
Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, is among those believed to be concerned that North Korea is being rewarded for “bad behaviour”, and there has been speculation that the release of intelligence material is designed to wreck the six-party talks on disarmament that represent one of the few achievements of multilateral diplomacy in recent years.
Congressional resistance to the compromise deal with North Korea probably prompted yesterday’s disclosures. Peter Hoekstra, the senior Republican on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, complained repeatedly about the “unprecedented veil of secrecy” thrown around the September airstrike.
Yesterday he appeared little mollified, saying that by waiting so long to reveal intelligence material “the Administration has made it much more difficult – if they do reach some kind of agreement with the six-party talks – for them to go through the Congress and get these agreements approved”.
Both the US State Department and the North Korean Government said that talks in Pyongyang on the nuclear issue this week were making progress despite the latest row.
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Andrewsan: The BBC also "reported" there were no coalition troops at Baghdad airport - while other news channels had embedded reporters live on camera, standing there surrounded by those troops.
I want Israel armed but not Syria, as I would France but not Germany in WWII. Double standard? So be it.
James, Perth, Scotland
Totally impossible. Please consider this key point. The raid occurred 6 September - BBC reported on 26 October that 24 October satellite photos showed no facilities. I can assure you that it most positively would not even be possible to get the necessary heavy equipment to that site and remove a nuclear facility in that timescale. Nuclear facilities have extremely complex, heavy above and underground structures - they would take many months to remove. Check it out...!
Andrewsan, Yokohama, Japan
China invented the silk route but unfortunately it has become the hub of proliferation. Australia -> China -> North Korea -> Pakistan -> Iran. It is the new silk route or should I say "proliferation route" with political correctness?
Rick, NY, US
I find the alleged nuclear link between North Korea and Syria highly credible. Unfortunately after the web of lies the Bush and Blair administrations weaved to justify invading Iraq it will be very easy for many to dismiss such a link no matter what evidence is presented.
Cameron Gill, Bridgetown, Barbados
Without a common standard of honesty and integrity, who can say whether this is information or misinformation, lies or the truth?
Hugh Croft, Sassenheim, Netherlands
If the dumbies in this country fall for this propanda bit I'm leaving this place. Or if John McCain wins I gotta get out as well, he is Bush 3
Brian, Portland, USA
Let me guess they also have nerve gas and can lunch wmd in 45 minutes.
Forget any support for this conflict... you can fool some of the people some of the time etc etc
Iraq the BIG LIE means the USA has zero credibility & trust with the rest of the world....sad but true.
andy murray, reading, uk
Does this craziness of the Bush administration born again bible reading Americans in foreign policy positions at the White House mean they are going to bomb all Muslims and Arabs to death. The demographics in the Mideast are against Israel. Not talking to what they call terrorists could mean intimately the death of Israel. An eye for an eye has led us nowhere. This is the real crime in my opinion.
Art, Lubec Maine, USA
Does anyone have the co-ordinates for this site so that I can Google Earth/Map it. I can't find it.
Micky, Thetford,
Israel needs to do this to protect herself. I wouldn't be surprised if Iran had some involvement in this development of nuclear weapons.
rozkadir, Kingston, UK
How anyone can believe anything the American gevernment say is totally beyond me. In case anyone has forgotten, they lied about WMD, which caused the destruction of Iraq and its people and has created yet more hatred for America (as if it needed anymore!).
kim, london,
You Lefties - You can throw as much rubbish on the US as you want... The truth is though that, when something goes wrong in the world , everyone runs to the US for help. Suddenly, America is everybody's favourite mommy and daddy. So go on- bark bark...Oh- and I hope Iran will be next!!
Steven D., Glasgow, UK
To Bob from Blackburn, UK,
I would feel very bad if they would bomb Israeli's nuclear facilities. But, I think you should try to look at the action from our point of view, which means, what should we do so we won't be wiped off the map (as the Iranian leader promised).
Michael, Hertzelia, Israel
Didn't the US show us "pictures" of weapons of mass distruction in Iraq. Not sure a US kodak moment should be trusted
Guy, London, UK
Who can believe CIA, any more? Mor incompetence.
Bhupinder , Nashville, USA
I have absolutely no idea why people are so incredulous about this. Whether Syria was developing a Nuclear Reactor for peaceful purposes (as if!) or whether it was intending to develop nuclear weapons makes no difference. The fact the North Koreans were there is evidence enough.
Robin Laundon, London, UK
To Andrew T from UK.
Bomb Iran? They have already thought a lot about it. I don't think there is anything the 'allies' can do about it. If they bomb Iran, Iran in response will close the straight of Hormuz, where vast quantities of oil pass through. The price of oil will double in less than 24 hours
Chris, blackburn, uk
It seems to me that the only axis of evil is America, who not only want to bomb everyone and everything in the middle east but also want to scare its people into submission with cries of 'we are doing it to protect your way of life'. Wake up America!
kim, london,
More "WMDs" ...and Hayden can hide behind his "experts" - the same people who will say anything for money and influence (see last week's New York Times on the propaganda network that the present US administration has constructed to get public opinion onside for ANY military adventure). Not credible.
Julia Iskandar, London, England
I very much doubt that credibility of that syrian reactor report, it probably was a military facility of some importance and had to be bombed so to pre-empt any criticism fabricate a report to say it was a nuclear reactor, voila.
The US must be dumb to think abyone can believe that lie again.
Heath, cairo, Egypt
As an American, I would take this article and rip it up and throw it in the bin, as you say in England. Complete rubbish, worthy of only the deepest, darkest bin liner bag! If you believe this after Iraq, you're fools.
Krista, Austin,TX., USA
Why do they keep quiet about the Israeli nuclear facilities? Are they allowed to have such facilities? And who are the ones to allow these facilities?
Andy, EXETER, uk
i dont believe a thing the cia says particularly when it comes to israels neighbors. israel is the aggressor in the region and will fabricate information as an excuse to start another local war...we all know why we invaded iraq...oil? feh!...the aggressor supported by uncle sam...
tk, london,
I've worked in Syria for many months (for the EU) and met with many Ministers as well as the Prime Minister. I think there is far too great a hastiness and crediting the American line and would suggest we hold judgment much more carefully.
Maggie Stanfield, Edinburgh, Scotland
To Michael in Israel.
How would you feel if Syria destroyed the nuclear installations in Israel?
bob, blackburn, uk
"More lies from the United States. For how long are we going to believe them?"
Indeed-until mushroom clouds appear of Tel Aviv or LA.Still Obama will be there to save the day.
Let me ask a question-who many of you have read the Iraq Survey Groups Report ?
K Thomas, Seaford, UK
Israel has more nuclear weapons! Another case of "we are allowed them, but your not". Double standards!
So we now bomb whatever we like if we think it's a threat, no talk or anything, just bomb it, killing people!
This is to get it accepted in the mind of public for when they bomb Iran!!!!!!!!
Andrew T, England,
Israel,India and Pakistan all have nuclear weapons.Presumably with the help and blessing of the U.S.
They were never threatened by sanctions or attack.
Why are they treated differently from other countries?
Who gave the U.S. the sole power to decide?
Allan Orchard, Lincolnshire, U.K.
The intelligence came from MI6. That's been known for several months. They passed it to the Israelis
sandy, London, UK
Anyone who has read Tom Weiner's Pullitzer Prize winning Legacy of Ashes, or who has worked with the CIA, and still believes a word they say is either a knave or a fool. As Weiner's very readable book makes clear, the CIA is an inept organsiation running out of control.,
Roddy Beaufort, Chippenham, UK
To Bryan from Houston.
I fell about laughing when I read your comments.
I mean the US and Israeli intelligence is infallible isn't it??
Well, all except the one minor glitch of Iraq having WMDs and being within 20 minutes of striking the west!!
Joe, London,
This is old news. It has been in the blogosphere for months.
Terry Hamblin, Bournemouth,
Bryan, Houston: "They [the Israelis] wouldn't have bombed the place in the first place if the intelligence wasn't conclusive"? You're very trusting.
And the invasion of Iraq and the WMD?
Either a) they might, or b) it's a pity the US (and the UK) aren't as discerning.
Jon, Winchester,
why is the US so interested in the nuclear programs of other sovereign states? This just proves that the only reason is the maintainance of military superiority.
Carlos Kleiber, London,
Israel would never risk our soldiers in such a dangerous mission if it wasn't sure that this construction is a nuclear construction or a construction that belongs to the mass destruction industry.
Michael, Hertzelia, Israel
Given the Syrian response to the bombing, which was quite tame compared to previous incursions - I think in this instance they may have acted correctly... Obviously more evidence would help us provide a more informed rant!
Graham, Maidstone, Great Britain
David, This intelligence came from Israel. They wouldn't have bombed the place in the first place if the intelligence wasn't conclusive.
Bryan, Houston, USA
Another WMD from GB and the other in Washington.
Seems that I have seen one of those pictures a log time ago.
I do not trust the adminstration at all .Thank your group will be out office soon.
joe G, Phx, usa
maybe those are some civil building constructions,which is resemble the North Korean reactor at Yongbyon, including a similar configuration and number of holes for fuel rods at it happens.
Jack , Beijing, China
more lies from the United States. For how long are we going to believe them?
David Brown, Barcelona, Spain
Didn't Pakistan help North Korea build its nuclear facilities? A simple resemblance between the two facilities is sufficient evidence to prove a connection. And considering the Weapons of Mass Destruction debacle, I would suggest we wait for the new administrative before listening to the US again.
john, Kent, England
Department of Homeland Security officials today declared 33-year-old Rozita Swinton a person of interest. Her mouth is clearly a Weapon of Mass Deception that is able to trigger emergency government responses.
BaadNews remember it is not against the law to distort the news.
George, Houston, America