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Last update - 01:22 19/11/2008
Syria goes on defensive as IAEA prepares to release nuclear report
By The Associated Press and Haaretz Service
Tags: Syria, IAEA, Israel news 

Damascus on Tuesday launched a defensive media campaign to deflect charges of nuclear activity, the day before the International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to release a report in which it will confirm that enriched uranium was found in a suspected nuclear site in Syria.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohammed ElBaradei confirmed for the first time on Monday that samples taken from a Syrian site bombed by Israel last year, suspected to have been a nuclear facility, contained traces of uranium.

ElBaradei said that the UN nuclear watchdog needs more transparency from Syria and other nations to determine whether traces of uranium found at the site indicate Damascus was building a nuclear reactor there.
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"It's not highly enriched uranium. It could have come from so many different ways," ElBaradei told reporters in Dubai. "That's why we're looking at so many different scenarios."

Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem on Tuesday dismissed the report, and repeated Damascus' claim that the uranium was the result of the IAF bombing.

"The only scientific explanation for the finding of enriched uranium atoms at the site is the Israeli bombs that destroyed the building," Moallem said. He made a similar accusation last week.

Uranium can be found naturally in low concentrations and must be enriched before it can be used in either power plants or nuclear weapons. Highly enriched uranium is the type used in atomic bombs.

ElBaradei made the comments during and after a speech to business leaders in Dubai, days before the IAEA is expected to circulate a confidential report to board members outlining the status of his agency's investigation.

"We still have a lot of work to do. We haven't yet reached a conclusion whether that was a reactor or not a reactor," ElBaradei said.

Diplomats told the AP earlier this month that soil samples collected at the bombed site revealed minute traces of processed uranium.

Moallem said last week that the leaks to the media about the uranium were meant to put pressure on the country, which has denied any wrongdoing.

The IAEA chief called specifically for more cooperation from Damascus, saying it needs a lot of transparency on the part of Syria. He said he was hopeful that Syria would allow inspectors back into the country to carry out further tests.

But he also said Israel needs to provide more information to address Syrian allegations that the uranium may have come from Israeli bombs dropped on the site during the September 2007 raid.

Moallem last week said it was unclear what type of bombs targeted the site, adding that the United States has used bombs containing depleted uranium in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Foreign Ministry had no comment on the matter when asked last week.

ElBaradei also called on countries that have satellite images of the site to cooperate with the investigation.

"We need cooperation from everybody," he said. "We are not going to be able to reach a quick conclusion or jump the gun unless we have absolutely credible information."

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      1.   Peter williams 19:28  |  Axel 17/11/08
      2.   Enriched Uranium. Clear Enough? 19:29  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 17/11/08
      3.   Note again, Israel`s critics: IAEA chief confirms traces of ... 19:30  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 17/11/08
      4.   and just a reminder 19:31  |  Axel 17/11/08
      5.   The heart of the matter 20:50  |  Mark Lincoln 17/11/08
      6.   Axel and basic reading comprehension 21:27  |  SDHD 17/11/08
      7.   No, Axel, you are wrong 21:36  |  Jackie 17/11/08
      8.   Sources of Uranium 21:41  |  Rasmuncher 17/11/08
      9.   So you bring the Horseshoe and then you buy the horse 21:49  |  Native 17/11/08
      10.   Axel 22:10  |  Peter Williams 17/11/08
      11.   Three cheers for the UN - well if you hate Israel at least 22:39  |  Proud Israeli 17/11/08
      12.   # 19 peter 23:55  |  Axel 17/11/08
      13.   Regurgitating nuclear science know how 03:04  |  allang 18/11/08
      14.   Haaretz coverage of El Baradei comments heavily biased 04:01  |  Mark Lincoln 18/11/08
      15.   #2 - Maybe Israel supplied the "samples"! 04:27  |  PADDY 18/11/08
      16.   allang - isn`t it amazing 05:29  |  Mark Lincoln 18/11/08
      17.   Paddy - I do not know why THE sampels would be feared 05:33  |  Mark Lincoln 18/11/08
      18.   3 15 paddy, maybe 06:52  |  dan 18/11/08
      19.   Maybe and Just Maybe 06:58  |  Zain 18/11/08
      20.   #14 - Don`t you read the article before commenting? 08:00  |  JES 18/11/08
      21.   Putting his words together.... 08:22  |  Johnboy 18/11/08
      22.   #2 No, it isn`t clear at all, Ovadiah ben Avraham 08:30  |  Johnboy 18/11/08
      23.   DAN - And "MAYBE"... 08:35  |  PADDY 18/11/08
      24.   #8 Rasmuncher 08:43  |  Space 18/11/08
      25.   #18 - Wow Johnboy! 08:58  |  JES 18/11/08
      26.   Get ready for a heavily qualified report 08:59  |  Peter Williams 18/11/08
      27.   #20 - And maybe... 09:00  |  JES 18/11/08
      28.   Does IAEA Even Have a Sample of Israeli DU? 03:57  |  Reader 19/11/08
      29.   # 21 to johnboy re: anomalies 09:38  |  eric 19/11/08
      30.   Re: Mark Lincoln 22:00  |  Angel 19/11/08
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