International Atomic Energy Agency (potato) head Mohamed ElBaradei has followed his confirmation that traces of uranium were found at a Syrian site bombed by Israel with confirmation that he is not an honest broker.
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog said Monday the agency needs more transparency from Syria and other nations to determine whether traces of uranium found at a site reportedly bombed by IAF planes indicate Damascus was building a nuclear reactor there.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei confirmed that the radioactive material was found at the site, but said the source was inconclusive.
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ElBaradei made the comments during and after a speech to business leaders in Dubai, just days before the IAEA is expected to circulate a confidential report to board members outlining the status of his agency’s investigation.
“We still have a lot of work to do. We haven’t yet reached a conclusion whether that was a reactor or not a reactor,” ElBaradei said.
Diplomats told the AP earlier this month that soil samples collected at the bombed site revealed minute traces of processed uranium.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said last week that the leaks to the media about the uranium were meant to put pressure on the country, which has denied any wrongdoing.
The IAEA chief called specifically for more cooperation from Damascus, saying it needs “a lot of transparency on the part of Syria.” He said he was hopeful that Syria would allow inspectors back into the country to carry out further tests.
But he also said Israel needs to provide more information to address Syrian allegations that the uranium may have come from Israeli bombs allegedly dropped on the site during the September 2007 raid.
Why do I get the feeling the only evidence ElBaradei will accept as proof of a Syrian or Iranian nuclear reactor is this?
