Israel Matzav: Syria snubs its nose at the IAEA

Syria snubs its nose at the IAEA

Outgoing IAEA director Mohamed ElBaradei complained on Thursday that Syria is not cooperating with his agency's investigation of its destroyed nuclear facility. The facility was destroyed in an Israeli air raid in September 2007. Syria is unconcerned about ElBaradei's complaints.

“The UN cannot just say ‘we will visit this site, or we will go to that place’, they do not have the power under international law,” said an official from the ruling Baath party, on condition of anonymity. Smartly dressed in a well-cut suit and red tie, he appeared unperturbed by the ongoing nuclear controversy.

IAEA inspectors would certainly not be given permission to carry out new searches for evidence on Syrian military bases, he said. They had been allowed one set of inspections and, as far as Syria was concerned, that meant it had fully met its obligation to co-operate.

“These are issues of sovereignty and self-determination,” the Baathist insisted. “It’s a question of dignity.”

Syria has not forgotten how supposedly independent UN weapons inspectors in Iraq during the 1990s were, in fact, reporting back to western intelligence agencies, something Damascus – still at war with Israel – does not want to let happen in its case.

The IAEA is already overstressed with Iran and North Korea. Look for the Syrian case to be put on a back burner.

What could go wrong?

Israel Matzav: Syria snubs its nose at the IAEA