Foreign Policy Blogs

Update on Dair Alzour – Under the IAEA Lens

Longtime nuke journalist and now Senior Associate at Carnegie Mark Hibbs has written an update on the ongoing saga regarding the Dair Alzour site in Syria.  Readers will recall that the site was bombed four years ago by the Israeli military because it believed, along with the U.S., that the Syrians were hiding a DPRK-supplied plutonium production reactor there. Guess what?  They were right.  Last month, the IAEA agreed with them, stating that there was,thanks to evidence gathers by the IAEA safeguards inspectors, a covert reactor at the site.  Kind of a big deal, actually.

In his new Q&A, Mark, attending the IAEA Board of Governors meeting this week, provides some good insights into how the IAEA is likely to proceed.

Take it away Mark!

And for those who missed it, here is the IAEA’s report on the Syrian safeguards inspection which will be discussed during the BOG this week.

In his introductory statement to the Board on June 6th, IAEA DG Yukiya Amano formally transmitted that report to the 35-member Board, noting that “The Syrian Government was given ample time by the Agency to cooperate fully concerning the Dair Alzour site, but did not do so.”  Samples taken by inspectors during their limited June 2008 visit yielded particles of anthropogenic natural uranium, graphite and stainless steel.  Damascus claims that the material came from the missiles that destroyed the site.  And what of the pumping equipment and large quantities of graphite and barite that it sought to procure?  Those were for civilian and non-nuclear purposes.  Sure they were.

 

Author

Jodi Lieberman

Jodi Lieberman is a veteran of the arms control, nonproliferation, nuclear terrorism and nuclear safety trenches, having worked at the Departments of State, Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission. She has also served in an advisory capacity and as professional staff for several members of Congress in both the House and Senate as well as the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Jodi currently spends her time advocating for science issues and funding as the Senior Government Affairs Specialist at the American Physical Society. The views expressed in her posts are her views based on her professional experience but in way should be construed to represent those of her employer.