 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
US, Israel shared intel before Syria raid: report
Washington (AFP) Sept 21, 2007 Israel warned the United States that North Korea might be sharing nuclear know-how with Damascus before it carried out an air strike deep inside Syria, the Washington Post reported Friday. Washington was "deeply troubled" by the Israeli intelligence showing North Korean nuclear personnel were in Syria, but US President George W. Bush decided against an immediate response out of concern it could derail delicate talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to abandon its own nuclear program, the Post said, citing unnamed US officials. After Israel shared its intelligence with the Bush administration in recent months, which included satellite imagery, the United States provided Israel with some confirmation of the original information before Israel went ahead with the night air raid on September 6, the Post reported. The quality of the Israeli intelligence, the nature of North Korea's assistance and the seriousness of Syria's atomic activities remained uncertain, the Post wrote. President George W. Bush on Thursday declined to comment on the reported Israeli raid against a suspected nuclear site in Syria. The White House on Friday referred reporters back to his position. "I think I know when to follow the lead of the boss and I think when he says 'no comment' it means 'no comment,'" said spokesman Tony Fratto. "There are lots of things that we know about and learn about in this building that we don't share with you from this podium," he added. On Thursday, Bush warned North Korea against supplying nuclear know-how to other countries, saying key multilateral talks with Pyongyang could only succeed if it met all its pledges. "We expect them to honor their commitment to give up weapons and weapons programs and to the extent that they are proliferating, we expect them to stop their proliferation," Bush told reporters. He also warned against states sharing "information and/or materials" linked to nuclear weapons. In a landmark six-nation deal brokered in February, the communist regime in Pyongyang agreed to dismantle all its nuclear facilities and programs in exchange for diplomatic concessions, energy and other aid. The reported air strike against Syria has been shrouded in secrecy and the Israeli government has kept up a wall of silence. Israel's media and politicians on Thursday denounced former premier Benjamin Netanyahu for becoming the first official to say Israel was behind the recent air strike deep inside Syria.
earlier related report The Sunday Times quoted well-placed sources as saying the commandos seized the material from a compound near Dayr az-Zwar in northern Syria and that tests of it in Israel showed it was of North Korean origin. Israel had been surveying the site for months, according to Washington and Israeli sources quoted by the newspaper which gave no date for the commando raid or details about the material seized. An unidentified senior American source quoted by The Sunday Times added that the US government sought proof of nuclear-related activities before allowing the air strike by F-151 warplanes to go ahead. The raid by the elite Sayeret Matkal was personally directed by Ehud Barak, Israel's defence minister who once commanded the unit, the newspaper said. It said he had been preoccupied with the site since assuming his post on June 18. The White House insisted Friday that it was "clear-eyed" about North Korea as it stonewalled questions about an Israeli strike allegedly sparked by nuclear cooperation between Pyongyang and Syria. If true, transfers of atomic technology from the Stalinist state would cast a dark cloud over US policy towards North Korea, which US President George W. Bush, weighed down by the unpopular war in Iraq, has hailed as a success story. North Korea has angrily denied sharing atomic know-how with Damascus, and some news reports have suggested that Israel's target was actually tied to missile exports from the cash-strapped regime to Syria. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino flatly refused to confirm or deny media reports that Israel struck a nuclear site but sharply rejected suggestions that the incident showed Washington had been naive about Pyongyang's intentions. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Gates asks for outside probe into nuke transfer: Pentagon
Washington (AFP) Sept 20, 2007US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked a former air force chief of staff to conduct an independent investigation into the unauthorized transfer of nuclear weapons aboard a B-52 bomber last month, his spokesman said Thursday. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
