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| Nuclear inspectors in Syria probe | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| UN nuclear inspectors have arrived in Syria to investigate claims that it was building a nuclear reactor. | |
| The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) four person team will spend three days examining the al-Kibar site in the desert in northern Syria. | The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) four person team will spend three days examining the al-Kibar site in the desert in northern Syria. |
| The site was bombed by Israeli jets in September 2007. The ruins were bulldozed after the attack. | The site was bombed by Israeli jets in September 2007. The ruins were bulldozed after the attack. |
| Israel and the US have said the installation was a nuclear plant in the making - a charge denied by Damascus. | Israel and the US have said the installation was a nuclear plant in the making - a charge denied by Damascus. |
| Speaking on his departure, the deputy chief of the IAEA, Olli Heinonen - who is leading the team of inspectors - said they would meet their Syrian counterparts on Sunday evening. | |
| After that, he said, they would start "looking for the facts". | |
| Syria has welcomed the inspection but insists that it will be limited to the al-Kibar site. | |
| SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 6 Sept 2007: Israel bombs site in Syria 1 Oct 2007: Syria's President Assad tells BBC site was military24 Oct 2007: New satellite images taken show site bulldozed clear 24 April 2008: US claims Syrian site was nuclear reactor Will site mystery be solved?Images of suspected siteFull text: US allegations | SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 6 Sept 2007: Israel bombs site in Syria 1 Oct 2007: Syria's President Assad tells BBC site was military24 Oct 2007: New satellite images taken show site bulldozed clear 24 April 2008: US claims Syrian site was nuclear reactor Will site mystery be solved?Images of suspected siteFull text: US allegations |
| In April, Washington released pictures purporting to show North Korean experts inside the construction, which it said closely resembled a North Korean reactor at Yongbyon. | In April, Washington released pictures purporting to show North Korean experts inside the construction, which it said closely resembled a North Korean reactor at Yongbyon. |
| Syria has repeatedly denied it has any nuclear weapons programme, or any such agreement with North Korea. | Syria has repeatedly denied it has any nuclear weapons programme, or any such agreement with North Korea. |
| Syrian officials have said the bombed site was an unused military facility under construction, but deny that it had anything to do with a nuclear programme. | Syrian officials have said the bombed site was an unused military facility under construction, but deny that it had anything to do with a nuclear programme. |
| IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has criticised both what he saw as a US delay in releasing information on the Syrian site and Israel's bombing of the site before his agency could inspect it. | IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has criticised both what he saw as a US delay in releasing information on the Syrian site and Israel's bombing of the site before his agency could inspect it. |
| Ahead of the visit, Mr ElBaradei called on Syria to show "absolute transparency" and to give the inspectors access to all sites they wished to see. | Ahead of the visit, Mr ElBaradei called on Syria to show "absolute transparency" and to give the inspectors access to all sites they wished to see. |
| In an interview with Al-Arabiya television, he said: "We have no evidence that Syria has the human resources that would allow it to carry out a large nuclear programme. | |
| "We do not see Syria having nuclear fuel." |