Syria Open to International Inspections: ElBaradei

Syria has expressed a willingness to allow international inspectors to examine its nuclear activities, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said Saturday (see GSN, June 25).

“The Syrians told me they would be happy if we go and verify whatever we need to verify,” ElBaradei said during a flight to Moscow. “But we haven’t gotten any piece of information on why we should be concerned about Syria,” he said.

Citing diplomats, Reuters reported last week that the agency is considering whether Syria was a client of the international nuclear network headed by top Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan. ElBaradei said Saturday, though, that no evidence has yet been provided to indicate that Syria was involved in the network.

“This is something I read in the paper. Nobody came to us with any information (about Syria),” he said (Louis Charbonneau, Reuters, June 26).

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