IAEA Needs Further Analysis on Syrian Construction of Nuclear Reactor

    2011-04-28 22:49:20     Xinhua       Web Editor: Guo

The facility destroyed by Israel in Syria was "a nuclear reactor under construction," but further analysis was in need, the International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Yukiya Amano said Thursday at a press conference in Paris.

"...... a facility, which was later destroyed by Israel, was a nuclear reactor under construction. The reactor under construction does not produce ... totally, but we need now to give further analysis on this issue," Amano confirmed at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

This is the first time that the IAEA chief clearly spoke out the nature of the destroyed facility.

The suspected facility was destroyed by Israeli warplanes five years ago and previous IAEA reports have suggested the nature of the target structure linked with nuclear utility, but Syria denies the accusation, insisting it didn't hide secret atomic activities.

Amano was in Paris for a conference on policy discussion of nuclear safety. OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria and OECD's specialized Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Director-General Luis Echavarri were also present at the press conference.