IAEA Syria Denounces

The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted in Vienna a resolution by 17 votes in favor, six against and 11 abstentions. The Syrian regime violated its safeguards (controls) with the IAEA agreement. They are based on evidence gathered during almost three years; the Security Council has powers to issue sanctions against Syria. International Agency for Atomic Energy (IAEA) has complained to Syria to the Security Council of the UN to secretly build a nuclear reactor bombed by Israel in September 2007. According to the resolution adopted Thursday in Vienna at the Board of Governors with the votes of Western countries members, led by the US and the EU, the Syrian regime violated its safeguards (controls) with the IAEA agreement. The text received 17 votes in favor, six against and 11 abstentions, according to diplomats present at the vote. Russia and China, both with veto right in the Security Council, voted against, as well as Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Ecuador and Pakistan. The rest of Latin American countries, such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru, abstained in the vote, which helped the Western bloc to adopt the resolution.

Very likely the approved text is based on the Agency’s latest report on Syria, which ensures that according to gathered evidence for nearly three years, Damascus was to complete what likely was a clandestine nuclear reactor. The document points out that the undeclared construction of a nuclear reactor and the fact that it has not provided information on the design of the facility constitutes a violation of articles 41 and 42 of the Syria in relation to the NPT safeguards agreement (Treaty of non-proliferation). In addition, Syria would have breached its obligations under its safeguards agreement with the Agency in the context of article XII.C of the Statute of the Agency. Therefore, the Board has decided to inform the Member States of the IAEA and the Security Council on the breaches of Syria, a close ally of Iran, another country facing the international community on its nuclear activities. The United Nations Security Council has powers to issue sanctions against Syria to force greater cooperation by the Damascus Government. Source of the news: the IAEA denounces Syria before the UN to build a nuclear reactor in secret