Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

Assad says facility Israel bombed not nuclear-paper
27 Apr 2008 13:15:10 GMT
 Source: Reuters
DUBAI, April 27 (Reuters) - The Syrian site Israel bombed in September was not part of a nuclear weapons programme, but was a military facility under construction, President Bashar al-Assad said in remarks published on Sunday.

Last week, Washington released intelligence alleging Syria had built a nuclear reactor with North Korean help before an Israeli air strike destroyed the facility on Sept. 6.

"Is it logical? A nuclear site did not have protection with surface to air defences? A nuclear site within the footprint of satellites in the middle of Syria in an open area in the desert?" Assad asked Qatar's al-Watan newspaper in an interview conducted before the U.S. accusations were made.

At that stage, he was commenting on media reports that said the target was a nuclear site. "The truth is that the raid was at a military site under construction," Assad said in the interview. "We are against mass destruction weapons for Israel, Iran or others."

Assad said it was illogical for Syria to seek a nuclear bomb. "Where would we use it? On Israel it would kill the Palestinians. I do not see this as logical."

Speaking after the U.S. accusations, Syria's ambassador to the United States dismissed as "a fantasy" the U.S. allegations.

Assad said he did not know why Israel, officially at war with Syria since the 1973 Middle East conflict, bombed the site.

"Why did they raid it, we do not know what data they had, but they know and they see through satellites; they have raided an incomplete site that did not have any personnel or anything. It was empty," he added.

BILATERAL RELATIONS

Asked about Syria's response, Assad said: "Retaliation does not mean a missile for a missile, a bomb for a bomb or a bullet for a bullet ... They (Israelis) understand what we mean. We do not say that we will retaliate, i.e. we will bomb."

"You have to ask a different question; had Syria not been harming Israeli policy would Israel have carried out an operation of this sort? The truth is that we have the means to respond, but in our own way."

"We understand Israel wants to provoke Syria and possibly to drag Syria into war while we do not seek war. We have been clear about this point. We have other means and we do not necessarily have to declare them."

Assad refused to answer a question about reports that Syria was seeking to acquire Russian missiles.

"If there was a door open, even if it was small, for peace you should not seek war but you should seek to defend yourself. Now are you prepared or not, psychologically we are always ready and constantly prepare ourselves, but in terms of results no one knows results until the battle itself."

Watan ran part of the interview on Thursday in which he said Damascus was ready to negotiate with Israel through Turkey to "find common ground" for peace, but any direct talks must wait until a new U.S. president is elected.

Syria says it received word from Turkey that Israel was willing to give back the occupied Golan Heights in full in return for peace with the Arab state -- a key issue that led decade-long negotiations to falter in 2000. (Reporting by Summer Said; writing by Inal Ersan)


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

NGO latest

•  Fuel crisis in Gaza: MSF is forced to scale back its medical activities
MSF International

•  Canadian funding to ease medical crisis in Palestinian Territories
CLWR - Canada

•  Climate Measures Can Reduce Displacement
NRC - Norway

•  Keep it green: Re-building after disaster is a chance to 'build it right'
CWS

•  ADRA SHOWCASES SUCCESS STORY AT UNITED NATIONS
ADRA - International

MORE >>

Latest news

•  Assad says facility Israel bombed not nuclear-paper

•  Afghan president escapes assassination bid

•  ISRAEL-OPT: West Bank farmers face ruin after trees uprooted

•  Opposition should lead any Zimbabwe unity govt - US

•  Gunmen storm police station in Niger Delta, kill 5

MORE >>

AlertNet news is provided by

Related articles

Breaking stories
Assad says facility Israel bombed not nuclear-paper (1 minute ago)

Afghan president escapes assassination bid (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
MEDIAWATCH: Tensions rising in South Caucasus (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
Fuel crisis in Gaza: MSF is forced to scale back its medical activities (1 minute ago)

Blogs
Post-Katrina New Orleans takes the good with the bad (1 minute ago)

Maps
MAP: Global flood locations week ending April 11 ,2008 (1 minute ago)


Country information

Facts & figures
Syria Israel United States of America Russia

Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-27T104108Z_01_SJS02_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SJS02.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-27T103754Z_01_SJS01_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SJS01.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-26T121336Z_01_TAL02_RTRIDSP_2_ESTONIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/TAL02.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-26T114541Z_01_MOS21-_RTRIDSP_2_RUSSIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/MOS21..htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-26T114053Z_01_MOS20-_RTRIDSP_2_RUSSIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/MOS20..htm

Palestinian refugees take part in a protest calling on Israel to end the blockade to the Gaza Strip April 27, 2008. The banner reads "Let us live like the rest of ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Sun Apr 27 13:12:30 2008