Israel, U.S. reach deal to secure nuclear material from secret site in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to soon remove nuclear material from a secret site in Syria under an agreement reached with the Syrian transitional government, following discussions between the United States and Israel, U.S. and Israeli officials said on Monday.
According to U.S. and Israeli officials cited by the American news site Axios, the material is stored at a facility known as “Site 99,” which Israeli officials say was used by the former al-Assad regime to store material linked to its secret nuclear program and the al-Kibar reactor.
Israel destroyed the al-Kibar reactor in 2007, but several sites connected to Syria’s nuclear activities remained. The material at Site 99 includes yellowcake, a uranium ore product, as well as other residues from the al-Kibar project, according to a U.S. official.
The material cannot be used to produce a nuclear weapon but could potentially be used in a “dirty bomb,” which spreads radioactive material through a conventional explosion.
Israel has closely monitored the site and bombed its entrances after the fall of the al-Assad regime to prevent access, according to Israeli officials. Israel also warned that it could strike the site again if the material was not removed or if Syrian authorities attempted to access it.
The U.S. and Israel eventually agreed that securing cooperation from the Syrian transitional government and involving the IAEA was the best way to address the issue.
Several weeks ago, Israeli monitoring detected movements near the site that raised concerns that Syrian authorities might be attempting to access the material, with Israel also suspecting possible Turkish involvement, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.
The U.S. urged Israel not to act and brought the IAEA into the discussions. The agency and the Syrian transitional government signed an agreement three weeks ago to remove the material.
The material has not yet been removed, but U.S. officials said the operation could begin soon and is expected to be completed before the end of the year.