U.N. investigators have located traces of uranium at a Syrian site Washington says was a secret nuclear reactor almost built before Israel bombed the target last year, diplomats said on Monday. According to Reuters, they said the minute uranium particles turned up in some environmental swipe samples U.N. inspectors took at the site in a visit last June.
They said the finding was not enough to draw conclusions but raised concerns requiring further clarification. Word of the finding leaked hours after IAEA officials confirmed Director Mohamed ElBaradei was preparing a formal written report on Syria for the first time.
Moreover, Syria has been made an official agenda item at the year-end November 27-28 meeting of the U.N. watchdog's 35-nation board of governors, unlike previously when IAEA officials said initial inquiries were inconclusive.
Syria denies U.S. intelligence alleging it was building a reactor with North Korea. Damascus says the unverified intelligence was fabricated.
