A
AirRaid
Guest
Yea North Korea shutting down their nuclear program so innocently?
Nope, they are proliferating, and I guarantee Syria isn't the only
place that got some from Kim Jong Mentally Il. Bombing this secret
nuke stash in Syria was pretty easy too. Iran will be next!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2461421.ece
>From The Sunday Times
September 16, 2007
Israelis 'blew apart Syrian nuclear cache'
Secret raid on Korean shipment
IT was just after midnight when the 69th Squadron of Israeli F15Is
crossed the Syrian coast-line. On the ground, Syria's formidable air
defences went dead. An audacious raid on a Syrian target 50 miles from
the Iraqi border was under way.
At a rendezvous point on the ground, a Shaldag air force commando team
was waiting to direct their laser beams at the target for the
approaching jets. The team had arrived a day earlier, taking up
position near a large underground depot. Soon the bunkers were in
flames.
Ten days after the jets reached home, their mission was the focus of
intense speculation this weekend amid claims that Israel believed it
had destroyed a cache of nuclear materials from North Korea.
The Israeli government was not saying. "The security sources and IDF
[Israeli Defence Forces] soldiers are demonstrating unusual courage,"
said Ehud Olmert, the prime minister. "We naturally cannot always show
the public our cards."
The Syrians were also keeping mum. "I cannot reveal the details," said
Farouk al-Sharaa, the vice-president. "All I can say is the military
and political echelon is looking into a series of responses as we
speak. Results are forthcoming." The official story that the target
comprised weapons destined for Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese
Shi'ite group, appeared to be crumbling in the face of widespread
scepticism.
Andrew Semmel, a senior US State Department official, said Syria might
have obtained nuclear equipment from "secret suppliers", and added
that there were a "number of foreign technicians" in the country.
Asked if they could be North Korean, he replied: "There are North
Korean people there. There's no question about that." He said a
network run by AQ Khan, the disgraced creator of Pakistan's nuclear
weapons, could be involved.
But why would nuclear material be in Syria? Known to have chemical
weapons, was it seeking to bolster its arsenal with something even
more deadly?
Alternatively, could it be hiding equipment for North Korea, enabling
Kim Jong-il to pretend to be giving up his nuclear programme in
exchange for economic aid? Or was the material bound for Iran, as some
authorities in America suggest?
According to Israeli sources, preparations for the attack had been
going on since late spring, when Meir Dagan, the head of Mossad,
presented Olmert with evidence that Syria was seeking to buy a nuclear
device from North Korea.
The Israeli spy chief apparently feared such a device could eventually
be installed on North-Korean-made Scud-C missiles.
"This was supposed to be a devastating Syrian surprise for Israel,"
said an Israeli source. "We've known for a long time that Syria has
deadly chemical warheads on its Scuds, but Israel can't live with a
nuclear warhead."
An expert on the Middle East, who has spoken to Israeli participants
in the raid, told yesterday's Washington Post that the timing of the
raid on September 6 appeared to be linked to the arrival three days
earlier of a ship carrying North Korean material labelled as cement
but suspected of concealing nuclear equipment.
The target was identified as a northern Syrian facility that purported
to be an agricultural research centre on the Euphrates river. Israel
had been monitoring it for some time, concerned that it was being used
to extract uranium from phosphates.
According to an Israeli air force source, the Israeli satellite Ofek
7, launched in June, was diverted from Iran to Syria. It sent out
high-
quality images of a northeastern area every 90 minutes, making it easy
for air force specialists to spot the facility.
Early in the summer Ehud Barak, the defence minister, had given the
order to double Israeli forces on its Golan Heights border with Syria
in anticipation of possible retaliation by Damascus in the event of
air strikes.
Sergei Kirpichenko, the Russian ambassador to Syria, warned President
Bashar al-Assad last month that Israel was planning an attack, but
suggested the target was the Golan Heights.
Israeli military intelligence sources claim Syrian special forces
moved towards the Israeli outpost of Mount Hermon on the Golan
Heights. Tension rose, but nobody knew why.
At this point, Barak feared events could spiral out of control. The
decision was taken to reduce the number of Israeli troops on the Golan
Heights and tell Damascus the tension was over. Syria relaxed its
guard shortly before the Israeli Defence Forces struck.
Only three Israeli cabinet ministers are said to have been in the know
? Olmert, Barak and Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister. America was
also consulted. According to Israeli sources, American air force codes
were given to the Israeli air force attach=E9 in Washington to ensure
Israel's F15Is would not mistakenly attack their US counterparts.
Once the mission was under way, Israel imposed draconian military
censorship and no news of the operation emerged until Syria complained
that Israeli aircraft had violated its airspace. Syria claimed its air
defences had engaged the planes, forcing them to drop fuel tanks to
lighten their loads as they fled.
But intelligence sources suggested it was a highly successful Israeli
raid on nuclear material supplied by North Korea.
Washington was rife with speculation last week about the precise
nature of the operation. One source said the air strikes were a
diversion for a daring Israeli commando raid, in which nuclear
materials were intercepted en route to Iran and hauled to Israel.
Others claimed they were destroyed in the attack.
There is no doubt, however, that North Korea is accused of nuclear
cooperation with Syria, helped by AQ Khan's network. John Bolton, who
was undersecretary for arms control at the State Department, told the
United Nations in 2004 the Pakistani nuclear scientist had "several
other" customers besides Iran, Libya and North Korea.
Some of his evidence came from the CIA, which had reported to Congress
that it viewed "Syrian nuclear intentions with growing concern".
"I've been worried for some time about North Korea and Iran
outsourcing their nuclear programmes," Bolton said last week. Syria,
he added, was a member of a "junior axis of evil", with a well-
established ambition to develop weapons of mass destruction.
The links between Syria and North Korea date back to the rule of Kim
Il-sung and President Hafez al-Assad in the last century. In recent
months, their sons have quietly ordered an increase in military and
technical cooperation.
Foreign diplomats who follow North Korean affairs are taking note.
There were reports of Syrian passengers on flights from Beijing to
Pyongyang and sightings of Middle Eastern businessmen from sources who
watch the trains from North Korea to China.
On August 14, Rim Kyong Man, the North Korean foreign trade minister,
was in Syria to sign a protocol on "cooperation in trade and science
and technology". No details were released, but it caught Israel's
attention.
Syria possesses between 60 and 120 Scud-C missiles, which it has
bought from North Korea over the past 15 years. Diplomats believe
North Korean engineers have been working on extending their 300-mile
range. It means they can be used in the deserts of northeastern Syria
? the area of the Israeli strike.
The triangular relationship between North Korea, Syria and Iran
continues to perplex intelligence analysts. Syria served as a conduit
for the transport to Iran of an estimated =A350m of missile components
and technology sent by sea from North Korea. The same route may be in
use for nuclear equipment.
But North Korea is at a sensitive stage of negotiations to end its
nuclear programme in exchange for security guarantees and aid, leading
some diplomats to cast doubt on the likelihood that Kim would cross
America's "red line" forbidding the proliferation of nuclear
materials.
Christopher Hill, the State Department official representing America
in the talks, said on Friday he could not confirm "intelligence-type
things", but the reports underscored the need "to make sure the North
Koreans get out of the nuclear business".
By its actions, Israel showed it is not interested in waiting for
diplomacy to work where nuclear weapons are at stake.
As a bonus, the Israelis proved they could penetrate the Syrian air
defence system, which is stronger than the one protecting Iranian
nuclear sites.
This weekend President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran sent Ali Akbar
Mehrabian, his nephew, to Syria to assess the damage. The new "axis of
evil" may have lost one of its spokes.
Nope, they are proliferating, and I guarantee Syria isn't the only
place that got some from Kim Jong Mentally Il. Bombing this secret
nuke stash in Syria was pretty easy too. Iran will be next!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2461421.ece
>From The Sunday Times
September 16, 2007
Israelis 'blew apart Syrian nuclear cache'
Secret raid on Korean shipment
IT was just after midnight when the 69th Squadron of Israeli F15Is
crossed the Syrian coast-line. On the ground, Syria's formidable air
defences went dead. An audacious raid on a Syrian target 50 miles from
the Iraqi border was under way.
At a rendezvous point on the ground, a Shaldag air force commando team
was waiting to direct their laser beams at the target for the
approaching jets. The team had arrived a day earlier, taking up
position near a large underground depot. Soon the bunkers were in
flames.
Ten days after the jets reached home, their mission was the focus of
intense speculation this weekend amid claims that Israel believed it
had destroyed a cache of nuclear materials from North Korea.
The Israeli government was not saying. "The security sources and IDF
[Israeli Defence Forces] soldiers are demonstrating unusual courage,"
said Ehud Olmert, the prime minister. "We naturally cannot always show
the public our cards."
The Syrians were also keeping mum. "I cannot reveal the details," said
Farouk al-Sharaa, the vice-president. "All I can say is the military
and political echelon is looking into a series of responses as we
speak. Results are forthcoming." The official story that the target
comprised weapons destined for Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese
Shi'ite group, appeared to be crumbling in the face of widespread
scepticism.
Andrew Semmel, a senior US State Department official, said Syria might
have obtained nuclear equipment from "secret suppliers", and added
that there were a "number of foreign technicians" in the country.
Asked if they could be North Korean, he replied: "There are North
Korean people there. There's no question about that." He said a
network run by AQ Khan, the disgraced creator of Pakistan's nuclear
weapons, could be involved.
But why would nuclear material be in Syria? Known to have chemical
weapons, was it seeking to bolster its arsenal with something even
more deadly?
Alternatively, could it be hiding equipment for North Korea, enabling
Kim Jong-il to pretend to be giving up his nuclear programme in
exchange for economic aid? Or was the material bound for Iran, as some
authorities in America suggest?
According to Israeli sources, preparations for the attack had been
going on since late spring, when Meir Dagan, the head of Mossad,
presented Olmert with evidence that Syria was seeking to buy a nuclear
device from North Korea.
The Israeli spy chief apparently feared such a device could eventually
be installed on North-Korean-made Scud-C missiles.
"This was supposed to be a devastating Syrian surprise for Israel,"
said an Israeli source. "We've known for a long time that Syria has
deadly chemical warheads on its Scuds, but Israel can't live with a
nuclear warhead."
An expert on the Middle East, who has spoken to Israeli participants
in the raid, told yesterday's Washington Post that the timing of the
raid on September 6 appeared to be linked to the arrival three days
earlier of a ship carrying North Korean material labelled as cement
but suspected of concealing nuclear equipment.
The target was identified as a northern Syrian facility that purported
to be an agricultural research centre on the Euphrates river. Israel
had been monitoring it for some time, concerned that it was being used
to extract uranium from phosphates.
According to an Israeli air force source, the Israeli satellite Ofek
7, launched in June, was diverted from Iran to Syria. It sent out
high-
quality images of a northeastern area every 90 minutes, making it easy
for air force specialists to spot the facility.
Early in the summer Ehud Barak, the defence minister, had given the
order to double Israeli forces on its Golan Heights border with Syria
in anticipation of possible retaliation by Damascus in the event of
air strikes.
Sergei Kirpichenko, the Russian ambassador to Syria, warned President
Bashar al-Assad last month that Israel was planning an attack, but
suggested the target was the Golan Heights.
Israeli military intelligence sources claim Syrian special forces
moved towards the Israeli outpost of Mount Hermon on the Golan
Heights. Tension rose, but nobody knew why.
At this point, Barak feared events could spiral out of control. The
decision was taken to reduce the number of Israeli troops on the Golan
Heights and tell Damascus the tension was over. Syria relaxed its
guard shortly before the Israeli Defence Forces struck.
Only three Israeli cabinet ministers are said to have been in the know
? Olmert, Barak and Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister. America was
also consulted. According to Israeli sources, American air force codes
were given to the Israeli air force attach=E9 in Washington to ensure
Israel's F15Is would not mistakenly attack their US counterparts.
Once the mission was under way, Israel imposed draconian military
censorship and no news of the operation emerged until Syria complained
that Israeli aircraft had violated its airspace. Syria claimed its air
defences had engaged the planes, forcing them to drop fuel tanks to
lighten their loads as they fled.
But intelligence sources suggested it was a highly successful Israeli
raid on nuclear material supplied by North Korea.
Washington was rife with speculation last week about the precise
nature of the operation. One source said the air strikes were a
diversion for a daring Israeli commando raid, in which nuclear
materials were intercepted en route to Iran and hauled to Israel.
Others claimed they were destroyed in the attack.
There is no doubt, however, that North Korea is accused of nuclear
cooperation with Syria, helped by AQ Khan's network. John Bolton, who
was undersecretary for arms control at the State Department, told the
United Nations in 2004 the Pakistani nuclear scientist had "several
other" customers besides Iran, Libya and North Korea.
Some of his evidence came from the CIA, which had reported to Congress
that it viewed "Syrian nuclear intentions with growing concern".
"I've been worried for some time about North Korea and Iran
outsourcing their nuclear programmes," Bolton said last week. Syria,
he added, was a member of a "junior axis of evil", with a well-
established ambition to develop weapons of mass destruction.
The links between Syria and North Korea date back to the rule of Kim
Il-sung and President Hafez al-Assad in the last century. In recent
months, their sons have quietly ordered an increase in military and
technical cooperation.
Foreign diplomats who follow North Korean affairs are taking note.
There were reports of Syrian passengers on flights from Beijing to
Pyongyang and sightings of Middle Eastern businessmen from sources who
watch the trains from North Korea to China.
On August 14, Rim Kyong Man, the North Korean foreign trade minister,
was in Syria to sign a protocol on "cooperation in trade and science
and technology". No details were released, but it caught Israel's
attention.
Syria possesses between 60 and 120 Scud-C missiles, which it has
bought from North Korea over the past 15 years. Diplomats believe
North Korean engineers have been working on extending their 300-mile
range. It means they can be used in the deserts of northeastern Syria
? the area of the Israeli strike.
The triangular relationship between North Korea, Syria and Iran
continues to perplex intelligence analysts. Syria served as a conduit
for the transport to Iran of an estimated =A350m of missile components
and technology sent by sea from North Korea. The same route may be in
use for nuclear equipment.
But North Korea is at a sensitive stage of negotiations to end its
nuclear programme in exchange for security guarantees and aid, leading
some diplomats to cast doubt on the likelihood that Kim would cross
America's "red line" forbidding the proliferation of nuclear
materials.
Christopher Hill, the State Department official representing America
in the talks, said on Friday he could not confirm "intelligence-type
things", but the reports underscored the need "to make sure the North
Koreans get out of the nuclear business".
By its actions, Israel showed it is not interested in waiting for
diplomacy to work where nuclear weapons are at stake.
As a bonus, the Israelis proved they could penetrate the Syrian air
defence system, which is stronger than the one protecting Iranian
nuclear sites.
This weekend President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran sent Ali Akbar
Mehrabian, his nephew, to Syria to assess the damage. The new "axis of
evil" may have lost one of its spokes.
