SYRIA: Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem says his country is against the use of nuclear military weapons

Record ID: 279565

  • Title: SYRIA: Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem says his country is against the use of nuclear military weapons
  • Date: 15th November 2010
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (NOVEMBER 14, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WALID AL-MOUALEM SHAKING HANDS WITH THE SYRIAN CONSULS VIEW OF MEETING OF THE HONORARY CONSULS CAMERA MOUALEM TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WALID AL-MOUALEM, SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SAYING: "Our brothers in Iran assured us over and over again that their nuclear program is peaceful and th
  • Embargoed: 30th November 2010 12:00
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  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3DF3Q76S3YF322GWVE0NX9MYE
  • Story Text: Syria re-iterated its nuclear weapons stance on Sunday (November 14) when foreign minister Walid al-Moualem said the country was against any use of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.
    Syria has in the past challenged Israel and Western countries to allow weapons inspectors into Israel and the other countries of the region to ensure that no country has the capability of launching deadly attacks. Moualem said Damascus was reassured by allies Tehran that Iran's nuclear projects are entirely peaceful.
    "Our brothers in Iran assured us over and over again that their nuclear program is peaceful and they joined our call for Middle East to be a nuclear weapon-free region. They know that Syria stands against any military use of nuclear capabilities," said Moualem to a room full of journalists.
    His comments follow on from the United Nations' nuclear chief who said on Tuesday (November 9) that he was reluctant to request a special inspection in Syria. IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano said there was no longer a site to investigate.
    Syria has allowed inspectors to visit an old research reactor in Damascus where they have been checking whether there is a link with Dair Alzour after discovering unexplained particles of processed uranium at both sites.
    The IAEA last resorted to requesting a special inspection in 1993 in North Korea, which still withheld access and later developed nuclear bomb capacity in secret.
    Syria is seen as unlikely to permit a special inspection.
    Diplomats and analysts believe the IAEA will refrain from escalating the dispute as tensions rise with Iran, which the West suspects of seeking nuclear weapons.
    If Syria were to reject a request for a special inspection, the 35-nation IAEA board could vote to refer the issue to the U.N. Security Council, as it did with Iran's dossier four years ago. The board next convenes in early December.
    During the Syrian Consuls meeting Moualem also touched on the Middle East peace process, saying there is no 'Israeli partner' with which to make peace.
    On Thursday (November 11) Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said there was no possibility of concluding a peace deal with Syria while President Bashar al-Assad remained in power.
    Almost 10 years of U.S.-supervised negotiations collapsed in 2000, several months before the death of Assad's father, President Hafez al-Assad.
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