ElBaradei lashes out at Israel over bombed site in Syria (Roundup)

Jun 18, 2009, 12:16 GMT

Vienna - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei clashed with Israel Thursday over the country's lack of cooperation in uncovering the truth about an alleged nuclear reactor in Syria.

Israel bombed the suspected al-Kibar nuclear site in 2007 without first informing the IAEA. The nuclear agency has repeatedly called on Israel to share intelligence information, while Israel has urged the IAEA to step up its efforts.

'We would appreciate that you would stop preaching to us,' Director General ElBaradei told Israeli ambassador Israel Michaeli at a meeting of the IAEA's governing board, according to a participant.

His comments were sparked by Michaeli's call on the director general 'to avoid political bias in dealing with Syria's file,' according to the text of the Israeli diplomat's statement.

The bombing was a 'clear violation of international law,' ElBaradei said.

The United States has provided the nuclear agency with intelligence suggesting Syria was close to finishing work on a reactor that was not declared to the IAEA.

Syria has so far only permitted one visit by IAEA inspectors at the bombed site and claims al-Kibar was a conventional military installation.

Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons, but has never confirmed it. The country is not part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that limits the global spread of nuclear weapons.

'You are not even a member of the regime to tell us what to do,' participants quoted ElBaradei as saying.

At their only visit to al-Kibar, agency experts found particles of man-made uranium which were not part of the nuclear material declared to the IAEA.

In addition, the organization is investigating the origin of additional traces of man-made uranium found at a small scientific reactor in Damascus.

Syria maintains the traces at the bombed site came from Israeli munitions, but the IAEA said in a report in February the probability for such a scenario was low.

However, the Egyptian IAEA chief has been trying to get information from Israel to help exclude such a possibility.

While Michaeli said his country had responded in good faith to the agency's questions, ElBaradei said the information provided was brief - 'almost an insult.'

Michaeli also claimed ElBaradei had refused to meet with Israeli officials on this matter.

The United States on Thursday noted that Damascus had 'chosen to hinder the agency's efforts' and called on Syria to cooperate fully 'without delay,' said the US statement obtained by the German Press Agency dpa.