Syria Renews Nuclear Program; America Concerned

by Maayana Miskin

(IsraelNN.com) Syria has renewed its nuclear program, according to the Arabic-language daily A-Sharq al-Awsat. The report was based on information from anonymous sources within the IDF. Iranian experts visited the country last month to provide aid.

According to the report, Syria began rebuilding its program following Israel's attack on a Syrian nuclear site in September 2007. Syria is now following the lead set by Iran and has scattered its nuclear development program over several sites, in order to make it difficult to thwart with a single attack.

North Korea is assisting in the project, the sources said, and Iranian experts visited the country last month to provide aid as well. The sources warned that Israel will not allow Syria to develop a nuclear weapon and will act to stop the program if necessary.

U.S. Concerned by Syrian Policies
United States officials have expressed concern over Syria's support for terrorism, according to senior American diplomats. America is particularly concerned by weapons smuggling between Syria and Lebanon and by Syrian cooperation with Iran, they said. The international community expects Syria to stop its support for terrorism, expel terrorist leaders from its territory, cooperate with international investigators regarding its nuclear program, and end its cooperation with Iran.

An anonymous U.S. diplomat quoted in the Arabic London-based newspaper Al-Hayat said America had recently warned Syria not to interfere in Lebanon. Washington is concerned by the buildup of Syrian forces on the Lebanese border, the source said. Syrian forces have clashed with Lebanese terrorist groups in the area and Syria blames the groups for recent terrorist attacks within Syrian territory.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice met with Syrian foreign Minister Walid Moallem last week and expressed America's dislike of certain aspects of Syrian policy. Moallem told her that Syria has restricted the freedom of senior terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Syrian diplomats said. Hamas spokesmen denied the report.