PREVIEW: Syria censure on the cards at IAEA meeting

By Albert Otti Jun 3, 2011, 15:03 GMT

Vienna - Western countries are seeking to censure Syria for its secret nuclear programme at next week's board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

But it is unclear if the issue will be sent to the UN Security Council just yet.

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano concluded in his report last month that Syria very likely was secretly building a nuclear reactor, which was bombed by Israel in 2007.

'I think we have to face our responsibilities and find Syria in non-compliance with its obligations and refer the matter to New York,' a senior Western official said Friday, referring to Syria's binding inspection agreement with the IAEA.

Syria has allowed IAEA inspectors to visit the desert site known as Dair Alzour - or al-Kibar - only once, and maintains it was not a reactor but a conventional military installation.

But Syrian nuclear energy chief Ibrahim Othman has nevertheless made a last-minute offer to cooperate with the Vienna-based nuclear agency.

Although the letter he sent to the IAEA was vague, he also held a meeting with IAEA fficials this week, just before the board meeting that starts on Monday.

The senior Western official acknowledged that the move has led some on the 35-country board to call for giving Syria more time.

Diplomats acknowledged that the resolution's proponents might have to settle for declaring Syria in breach of its inspection agreement, and to leave the referral to the Security Council in New York for a later date, if there was not enough support for such a move.

China's and Russia's reactions to the plan for censuring Syria had been 'pretty cautious' so far, another diplomat said.

Although some developing countries do not support the resolution, diplomats feel confident that they have a majority.

They stress that the unrest in Syria that reportedly cost the lives of 1,100 since mid-March should be seen as a separate issue and should not deter the IAEA board from taking the country to task.

'A lot of us feel it would not be the right decision for us at the moment to say, okay, the director general has reached his conclusion, but it's all a bit difficult now,' the diplomat said.

Amano might use his tactic of carefully collecting evidence to make his case also for Iran at coming board meeting later this year, according to European and Western diplomats.

The nuclear agency has provided only evidence but no conclusion that the Islamic republic is involved in nuclear weapons development, although the IAEA board has already referred the issue to the Security Council.

However, Amano provided additional details in his latest Iran report on research and experiments in seven technical areas, which have little or no purpose other than nuclear arms.

Iran has disputed such analysis, but the Western official said: 'I think there is a very well-supported case that the agency is building.'

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