Nature of Syrian facility unclear (Taipei Times)

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POSSIBLE ERRORS: Mistranslation and photos may have led Israelis to believe a Syrian air strike target was a nuclear facility. Authorities are examining the satellite images

AGENCIES, UNITED NATIONS
Sunday, Oct 21, 2007, Page 6

... On Friday, ABC News reported that before a Sept. 6 air strike, Israel had obtained detailed pictures of the Syrian complex from an apparent mole, which supported an Israeli belief the facility was nuclear and led to the strike.

Meanwhile, UN experts have begun analyzing satellite imagery of the site, diplomats said, disclosing what amounts to the first independent look at reports that Damascus was hiding a nuclear facility.

Earlier this week, Syria denied that one of its representatives told the UN General Assembly's committee that deals with disarmament on Tuesday that Israel had attacked a Syrian nuclear facility. It said the representative was misquoted, demanded a correction, and insisted that "such facilities do not exist in Syria."

After more than seven hours of investigation Wednesday, UN officials agreed the Syrian delegate was misquoted. UN associate spokesman Farhan Haq said "There was no use of the word nuclear" ...

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2007/10/21/2003384112

[leveymg]

1. "Israel urged the US to destroy the complex" - article

This article contains a couple pieces of information that I haven't seen before:

Israel urged the US to destroy the complex, but Washington hesitated because no fissionable material was found that would prove the site was nuclear, ABC said.

The network quoted the official as saying the facility was of North Korean design and that Syria must have had "human" help from North Korea.

Syria has said only that the site was a building under construction.

"It was unmistakable what it was going to be. No doubt in my mind," ABC quoted the official as saying.

The US had begun to consider ways to destroy the complex, such as a special forces raid using helicopters, ABC said. But it said the White House sent word the US would not carry out a raid and urged Israel not to do it either.

Meanwhile, UN experts have begun analyzing satellite imagery of the site, diplomats said.

It remained unclear where the material was obtained or what exactly it showed. One of the diplomats who is linked to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -- the UN nuclear watchdog examining the photos -- said IAEA experts were looking at commercial images, discounting suggestions from other quarters that the images had come from US intelligence.

Separately, a senior diplomat familiar with the issue indicated on Friday that agency experts were looking at several possible locations for the Israeli strike. Two other diplomats said initial perusal of the material had found no evidence that the target hit Sept. 6 was a nuclear installation. They emphasized, however, that it was too early to draw definite conclusions.

Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, cautioned that commercial satellite imagery "may not be of sufficient quality to figure out difficult questions."

Apparently, even the IAEA doesn't even know the location that was bombed. This incident is still a bowl of mush.