Syrian source denies American naval inspection
Syria-USA, Politics, 1/14/2002

A well-informed Syrian source has ruled out reports saying that American naval vessels had inspected ships heading for Syria and Lebanon, considering the deployment of these vessels as they are not basically to monitor the Syrian or Lebanese coasts, rather is linked to the war waged by the US against terrorism, especially in Afghanistan.

The well-informed Syrian source told the United Arab Emirates UAE daily the al-Khaleij ( the Gulf) that the monitoring operations do not imply a certain position, especially under the war conditions, noting that the American vessels are not in the Syrian territorial water. The source explained that Israel's deployment of several naval pieces outside the Lebanese and Syrian territorial waters is in itself the actual escalation, considering that the question of the weapons ship seized by Israel in the Red Sea constitutes a reason for the increased Israeli escalation towards the ME region in general.

Replying to a question on claims put by the Israeli daily Haartez over American concern on Syrian attempts to own nuclear weapons, the Syrian source said that Israel's promotion of the question of the American concern over Syria's attempt to own a nuclear weapons intends to raise presumed issues so as to use the international circumstances to pressure the countries of the region.

The source indicted that the report stated by Haartez is an annual non secret report usually handed over to the intelligence committee of the US senate. A report which provides an initial evaluation about the strategic condition in the world, noting that the claims made on Syria's attempt to own mass destruction weapons are not new, but the timing of the report itself indicates new developments.

The report said that Damascus puts no importance to such reports regarding its relations with Israel especially as Syria was not officially notified about the question on the mass- annihilation weapons.

The well-informed Syrian source linked between what the Israeli paper had said and what was stated several months ago by the Israeli press on tests made by Syria at intermediate - range missiles, considering that what has been talked about in this regard reveals two things: ignoring Israel's non- joining of the NPT (non proliferation treaty) and therefore not subjugating the Israeli nuclear weapons to inspection, while Syria does not have nuclear firms and usually talks about her weapons always in the framework of political stances and pressures, according to the international condition.

He added that the second thing is that the attempt to draw a military framework for the region away from any balance in the military balance which always inclines in favor of Israel whose military arsenal is provided with most sophisticated weapons.

Previous Stories:
  Syrian, Lebanese ports monitored by American vessels in the Mediterranean   (1/12/2002)
  Al-Assad confers with the US Senate delegation   (1/9/2002)
  Al-Assad confers with US Senator   (1/8/2002)
  Syrian- US talks on defining terrorism   (1/3/2002)

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