World News Story

08 January 2009 22:53 BST

US accuses Syria of building covert nuclear reactor

The United States is calling on Syria to "come clean" about what it claims are "illicit nuclear activities" assisted by North Korea.

Yesterday administration officials briefed Congress on their belief that until September 6th 2007 Syria was building a covert nuclear reactor in its eastern desert.

They said this reactor was capable of producing plutonium, a key component of nuclear weapons, and had not been declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The reactor is believed to have been destroyed by an Israeli air strike last September.

"We are convinced, based on a variety of information, that North Korea assisted Syria's covert nuclear activities," a statement from the US president's press secretary said.

"We have good reason to believe that reactor… was not intended for peaceful purposes."

The statement accuses Syria of supporting terrorism, including allowing the transit of some foreign fighters into Iraq.

IAEA officials have been briefed by the US, which says it has chosen to deal with problem through the six party framework.

The US also announced its determination to end nuclear activities in North Korea and Iran.

"The international community must take further steps, beginning with the full implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions dealing with Iranian nuclear activities.

"The United States calls upon the international community to redouble our common efforts to ending these activities and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction in this critical region."

Syria has dismissed the US accusations, saying they are designed to use Syria to put pressure on North Korea.

"They just want to exert more pressure on North Korea. This is why they are coming up with this story," Syria's ambassador to Britain, Sami al-Khiyami, told the Reuters news agency.

"This is political manipulation ahead of the talks with North Korea to exert more pressure on them."