The Story of Operation Orchard: How Israeli F-15Is destroyed Syria's nuclear facility
Der Spiegel has an extensive article on how Israel found out and destroyed a secret nuclear facility being build in Syria with North Korea's help. The article stated that ten F-15Is took off from the Ramat David air base as part of an emergency exercise. Three were ordered to return to base and seven proceeded towards Syria from the Mediterranean.
They first destroy a radar station on the coast before proceeding to unleashed their AIM-65s and 500lb bombs on the complex at Al Kibar.
Iranian defector tipped off Syrian nuclear reactor
In an article in the Swiss daily Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Hans Ruehle, former chief of the planning staff of the German Defense Ministry, reported that a former Iranian general revealed Syria's nuclear plans to the West. Ruehle said Ali Reza Asghari, a retired general in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and a former deputy defense minister, "changed sides" in February 2007 and gave valuable information on how Iran was financing a secret nuclear project of Syria and North Korea.
U.S. says growing evidence showing Syria had covert nuclear program
Gregory Schulte, U.S. ambassador to the IAEA, said U.N. inspectors had found growing evidence of covert nuclear activity in Syria. Schulte said besides the compound that was bombed by Israeli warplanes, Syria has refused access to three other military sites.
View Larger Map The diplomats said that the new facility at the Al Kibar site appeared to be either a missile control center or an actual launching pad.
Syria "sanitised" alleged nuclear sites
The United States and the European Union last week questioned Syria's attempts to sanitized four sites that U.N. nuclear watchdog inspectors want to examine. U.S. Ambassador Gregory Schulte revealed satellite photos showing Syria had landscaped all four sites and removed objects after inspectors asked to see them.
Uranium came from Israeli missiles : Syria
Traces of uranium found at an alleged nuclear reactor site in Syria came from Israeli missiles, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said on Tuesday. "The traces of uranium found on the site come from Israeli missiles launched during the destruction of the building. It is the only plausible explanation," Muallem said.
View Larger Map Five F-15Is took off at 23:59 and spaced twenty seconds apart. They will fly up the Syrian coast and enter its airspace at the last moment north at the port town of Samadogi and then follow the border with Turkey. They would swing south to the Syrian desert town of ar-Raqqah beyond which they would begin the bombing run. The way out would be a high-altitude straight run between the Syrian towns of Hims and Hamah to the Mediterranean.
IAEA reportedly finds traces of enriched uranium in Syria
United Nations investigators have found traces of uranium at an alleged nuclear reactor building in Syria that was bombed by Israel last year. Diplomats in Vienna said the uranium found was processed and not in raw form and the finding merit further investigations.
IAEA work in Syria inconclusive
The International Atomic Energy Agency has failed to find any evidence that Syria was attempting to build a nuclear reactor that was later destroyed by an Israeli air raid. "Samples taken from the site are still being analysed and evaluated by the agency but so far we have found no indications of any nuclear material," IAEA Director Mohamed ElBaradei told a meeting of the agency’s 35-nation board of governors.
IAF only air force to hit 2 reactors
Israeli President Shimon Peres told a group of graduating IAF pilots that "this is the only air force in the world" that has hit two nuclear reactors. However Peres said the information on the Syrian air strike was based on foreign reports.
U.N. expert: Deeper Syrian nuclear inquiry needed
Olli Heinonen, a deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he was satisfied with his recent trip to Syria to inspected a suspected nuclear reactor site. However he added that the inspection is inconclusive and further checks are necessary.
U.N. nuclear team inspect bombed site in Syria
U.N. nuclear inspectors have examined the site in Syria that was bombed by Israel last year. A diplomat told Reuters the inspectors had reached the site and examined it on Monday. No further details were given.
Late U.S. tipoff hurts U.N. Syria probe: ElBaradei
Mohamed ElBaradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, hits out at Israel and United States for not sharing information on an alleged Syrian nuclear reactor. ElBaradei added that is was unacceptable for the U.S. to share the information seven months after the purported reactor was destroyed in an Israeli air strike.
Analysts say Washington chose not to release intelligence earlier because of the risk this might prompt Syria to retaliate against Israel, igniting a new Middle East war.
Syria to allow UN probe of alleged nuclear site
The International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday that Syria has allowed U.N. inspectors to probe allegations that a site destroyed in an Israeli air strike last year was a nuclear reactor being built secretly. IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei did not say whether inspectors would be granted access to the site during the planned Jun. 22-24 visit, but a senior diplomat with knowledge of the planned inquiry said they would be able to visit the facility.
North Koreans May Have Died in Israel Attack on Syria, NHK Says
Japan's NHK reported that ten North Koreans may have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a Syrian nuclear reactor. The ten had been helping with the construction of the reactor and NHK said some North Koreans may have survived.
Congressional calculus triggered Syria disclosures
The Bush administration decided to brief Congress on North Korea's alleged help in building a Syrian nuclear reactor in order to gain support from Congress for a deal with North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program. North Korea had demanded that Washington remove it from the U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list and the U.S. Trading With the Enemy Act.
Syria Update III: New information about Al Kibar reactor site (PDF)
The Institue for Science and International Security, the guys that first release satellite photos of the bombed Syrian nuclear facility, has revealed how they first located the installation on their own.
IAEA to probe Syria atomic plant report
The International Atomic Energy Agency says it will fully investigate on what Washington says was a nuclear reactor being built secretly in Syria with help from North Korea. The director general, Mohamed ElBaradei, criticized the United States for delaying the release of intelligence and Israel for bombing the alleged nuclear facility site seven months ago.
Analysts says the lack of a reprocessing plant needed to convert spent fuel from the plant into bomb-grade plutonium gives little credibility that the reactor was being used as a weapons facility.
Meanwhile, the United States said Friday it did not trust nuclear-armed North Korea.
"We are not yet to the trust part, we are still working on the verify part," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
Syria denies N Korea nuclear link
Syria's ambassador to Washington, Imad Moustapha, has denied U.S. allegations that his country was building a nuclear reactor with help from North Korea.
Moustapha asked Al Jazeera why there were no anti-aircraft defenses, no fences or even a guard house if the site is a nuclear reactor.
CIA video on Syrian nuclear reactor site
Here is the full copy of the narrated video shown to members of the House intelligence committee and the media by U.S. intelligence officials of an alleged nuclear reactor in Syria built with help from North Korea.
Top U.S. intelligence officials who briefed reporters said the reactor was weeks or months away from being functional when it was bombed by Israel in September.
The officials said the U.S. military was not involved in the attack, and the U.S. government, although informed in advance, did not provide the green light.
Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha, said in an interview on CNN that the U.S. accusations are "a fantasy" and the Bush "administration has a proven record about fabricating stories about other countries' WMDs."
Senate to hold debate on Syria-N.Korea nuke ties next week
The U.S. Congress will hear details on Israel's air strike on a Syrian compound last year behind closed doors on Israel's request. Israel is afraid that any leaked from the Apr. 22 hearing will raise tensions between the country and Syria.
Military Hackers Turn To Commercial Electronic Attack Tools
The Israeli phantom raid into Syria by shutting down their Russian-built air defenses has the U.S. electronic warfare community thinking on how such attacks can be replicated on the Chinese air defense. China’s air defense utilizes cheap commercial technologies that is flexible, easy to upgrade and tough to exploit.
New Construction At Syrian Site (PDF)
New satellite images analyzed by the Institute for Science and International Security showed that the Syrians have build a new building over the site bombed by Israel in September. New images also show trenches and pipes leading east away from the site to a possible water treatment facility.
Bush Privately Lauds Israeli Attack on Syria
U.S. President George W. Bush privately commended Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for the IAF attack in Syria on Sept. 6 last year. Bush describe the action an important preventive action, according to an Israeli official briefed on the high-level exchange.
Israel 'plotted to blow up freighter'
A former Israeli spy told The Yomiuri Shimbun that Israel plotted to blow up a ship suspected of smuggling missiles from North Korea to Syria in 1991. The plan was abandoned at the last minute due to pressures from Washington.
The former agent of Mossad said he worked with another colleague to plant a palm-szied tracking device on the ship while it anchored at Casablanca for refueling.
The man, who identified himself as Michael Ross, said methods used during Israel's recent air strike in Syria resembled the 1991 operation.
Not a reactor - something far more vicious
Tel Aviv University chemistry professor Uzi Even, who worked in the past at Israel's Dimona nuclear reactor, said the Syria installation strike by Israel is not a reactor but a plant for assembling a nuclear bomb. Even points to the absence of cooling towers and chimneys which are characteristic of reactors.
U.S. Electronic Surveillance Monitored Israeli Attack On Syria
United States provided Israel with electronic intelligence during its Sept. 6 raid into Syria, Aviation Week reports. According to the report, a Syrian radar site at Tall al-Abuad near the Turkish border was attacked prior to the main attack.
Israel on alert for Syria airstrike
Israel has been put on alert over a possible counterstrike by Syria on its Dimona nuclear reactor. A battery of Patriot missiles have been moved there to protect the reactor and its crew were allowed to talk to the media on the deployment.
How Israel Whacked Syria: Part Two
According to David A. Fulghum, several new Israeli technologies were employed in the strike of a Syrian facility in September. This includes the Ofeq-7 satellite that was launched in June and Litening targeting pods that provided EO images which are then matched with satellite photos taken by the Ofeq-7 by the F-16I mission computer.
Finally the Spice missile used in the strike use the image for scene matching for precision targeting.
Syria nuclear probe may be inconclusive
The International Atomic Energy Agency's probe into a suspected nuclear facility in Syria is inconclusive. A diplomat close to the matter said the IAEA cannot draw any conclusions from the satellite photos and questions posed to Syria have not been answered.
Yet Another Photo of Site in Syria, Yet More Questions
New York Times quoted analysts who examined satellite photos of the suspected Syria nuclear site and concluded that the building's construction could have started back in 2001.
IAEA chief criticizes Israel over Syria raid
International Atomic Energy Agency head, Mohamed ElBaradei, has criticized Israel on Sunday for attacking a suspected Syrian nuclear site. "But to bomb first and then ask questions later, I think it undermines the system and it doesn't lead to any solution to any suspicion," ElBaradei told CNN's "Late Edition."
His condemnation was quickly endorsed by Syria on Monday and said the international community had been slow to condemn the attack.
Suspected Reactor Site Dismantled (Pictures)
The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) has published photos taken from commercial satellites showing the alleged Syrian nuclear site struck by Israel has been razed clean of any debris.
Images released by the group shows the site was before and after the Sept. 6 air raid.
Another image obtained by U.S. News shows the site to be at least four years old.
Israel had mole inside Syrian facility strike by Israel
ABC News reported that Israel had a spy inside the Syrian facility that was bombed by the IAF. The mole was able to take pictures from the ground showing that it was a North Korean design used for nuclear materials. A senior U.S. official told ABC News the Israelis first discovered a suspected Syrian nuclear facility early in the summer, and the Mossad — Israel's intelligence agency — managed to either co-opt one of the facility's workers or to insert a spy posing as an employee.
The Washington Post reported Friday that Syria had started dismantling the ruins of the site.
This is to prevent international inspectors from finding out the true nature of the site.
Meanwhile, The Associated Press says UN inspectors are reviewing satellite images of the bombed site.
Diplomats familiar with the issue says the International Atomic Energy Agency first examination of the photos does not show the site was a nuclear facility but examinations are continuing.
UN watchdog asks Syria about "undeclared" atom plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency has approached Syria and ask the country to provide information about an undeclared nuclear facility in Syria that was strike by Israel recently. The New York Times said on Sunday the nuclear reactor was partially built and apparently modelled on one in North Korea used for stockpiling atomic bomb fuel.
Meanwhile U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli officials declined Sunday to confirm or deny the report.
Turkish official to discuss defense on reciprocal visit
Turkish Chief of Staff, General Yasar Buyukanit, will be visiting Israel next week but he is unlikely to bring up the matter of how two Israeli external fuel tanks landed in Turkish soil. Political sources in Jerusalem said that the visit is a sign that there is no tension between the two countries over this issue.
Israel used electronic attack in air strike against Syrian mystery target
Our readers out there were very interested in the Aviation Week article by David A. Fulghum and Douglas Barrie on how the Israelis employed electronic attack during Operation Orchard. Here is a copy of the entire article.
High Level Debate Stalled Syria Air Strike
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that Israel had originally planned to strike Syria on Jul. 14 but was dissuaded by the Bush administration.
The Americans wants the Israelis to "confront Syria before attacking."
The intelligence material provided by the Israelis shocked U.S. officials as it raised questions as to why U.S. intelligence had not previously picked up on the facility.
Why Syria's Air Defenses Failed to Detect Israelis
Several news outlets are carrying the story by David A. Fulghum in the Ares blog on how Israel hacked into the Syrian air defense network to strike a target in Syria last month. Fulghum says U.S. aerospace industry and retired military officials told him that Israelis have something similar to the U.S.-developed "Suter" airborne network attack system developed by BAE Systems.
The system will invade communications networks, see what enemy sensors see and even take over as systems administrator so sensors can be manipulated into positions so that approaching aircraft can’t be seen.
J'lem not consulted on revealing raid
Israel's cabinet was not consulted on the decision to lift the censorship on its September raid in Syria by the censor. Officials in the Prime Minister's Office said they felt a sense of "discomfort" over the censor's decision.
Israel lifts veil of silence over Syria strike
Israel's army radio has confirmed that IAF fighters bombed a military target deep inside Syrian territory on Sept. 6. However nothing much else was announced including key details like the target of the raid, which forces participated in the mission and whether the operation was successful.
The censorship was lifted after Syria's president, Bashar Assad, confirmed the air strike in a televised interview with BBC.
Ynet news added that former Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu's admission on TV also lead to the lifting of censorship.
Syrian 'research station' says shocked to hear of attack on its facility
The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) in Syria says its shock that the media claims that its site was bombed by Israeli warplanes last month. The center added that it would be happy to organize a tour of its property for the international press.
Netanyahu under fire for Syria strike comments
Israeli Opposition Leader and former Premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday became the first official to admit that Israeli warplanes have strike deep inside Syria. "When a prime minister does something that is important in my view and necessary to Israel's security ... I give my backing. And here, too, I was a partner in the issue from the start, and I gave my backing," he said during an interview with Channel 1 news on Wednesday.
Israelis 'blew apart Syrian nuclear cache'
F-15Is from IAF's 69th Squadron destroyed a cache of nuclear materials from North Korea during the recent strike in Syria, the Sunday Times says. The nuclear materials were offloaded from a North Korean freighter three days before the strike at the Syrian port of Tartous, according to The Telegraph.
An Israeli on-line data analyst, Ronen Solomon, found an internet trace for the 1,700-tonne cargo ship, Al Hamed, which showed the vessel started to off-load what Syrian officials categorised as "cement" on Sept 3.
The only comments from Israel so far were from military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin, who boast that Israel had now recovered its "deterrent capability" following the 2006 war against Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Israel 'Will Pay a Price'
Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha, talks to Newsweek about the mysterious Israeli air raid and discusses whether Syria will retaliate. Newsweek : So Israel will pay a price.
Moustapha : It will. And there will always be a price for everything.
U.S. Confirms Israeli Strikes Hit Syrian Target Last Week (Free Registration Required)
The New York Times reported that a Bush administration official said Israel had recently carried out reconnaissance flights over Syria, taking pictures of possible nuclear installations. Israeli officials believed that North Korea might be unloading some of its nuclear material on Syria.
Syria complains to U.N. about Israeli airstrike
CNN reports that the Israeli incursion into northern Syria last week was to conduct an air strike against weapons that were destined for the Hezbollah.
The strike was confirmed by a U.S. defense official that they are happy to have Israel carry the message to both Syria and Iran that they can get in and out and strike when necessary.
Why Did Israeli Planes Enter Syria?
Time magazine reported that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had sent a "calming message" to Syria via a top EU official hours before IAF fighters intruded into Syrian airspace.
Report: Israeli aircraft had Russian missile system in sights
Another source has reported that Israel sent its fighter jets deep into Syria to destroy the recently delivered Pantsyr-S1E air defense system. Al-Arabiya news channel reported on Saturday that the information came from an anonymous Israeli Air Force official.
Advanced Russian Air Defense Missile Cannot Protect Syrian and Iranian Skies
Here is a news twist to the ongoing Israeli incursion into Syria. Debka says the flights were actually meant to test the Pantsyr-S1E air defense system being deployed. The report says the Pantsyr-S1E failed in its first operational test and Israeli fighters were able to jam the system.
Israeli flights into Syria : Possible reasons
Several possibilities have been put forward on the reason behind Israel's incursion into the north of Syria. One was that the Israelis were on a reconnaissance mission to monitor Syrian long-range missiles pointed at Israel.
Another possible reason put forward was that the Israelis are testing a possible route to strike Iran. This route will take them across Kurdish Iraq which are unlikely to stop the overflights.
The third possibility is that it was a probe of Syrian defenses to prepare Israel for any possible future conflict.
Syria Says It Shot at Israeli Aircraft
Syria says it has shot at Israeli warplanes on Thursday near Tall al-Abyad in the north of the country after the planes dropped "munitions" overnight. The news has drawn a muted response from Israel and United States. However the news has shocked those in Syria after it was announced 12 hours after the incident.
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