A suspected nuclear site has reportedly been identified in a residential area near the capital Damascus, using commercial satellite photos. The installation is said to be a uranium conversion plant, the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said. The institute published photos of the site in a report which indicates that Syria's nuclear program was much more advanced than previously thought. ISIS said the location and contours of the building suggested that it housed equipment that is used to produce nuclear fuel. The facility, in a town called Marj as Sultan, is on the outskirts of Damascus.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors in 2008 found traces of processed uranium at the al-Kibar site, which Syria denies was a nuclear installation. ISIS also published photos that apparently show Syria attempting to disguise the activities of that site after an air attack against it in 2007 (which has been attributed to Israel). The IAEA believes there are three other storage installations related to the bombed reactor. According to the report, the nuclear installation in the photo was built to process uranium yellowcake into uranium tetra fluoride that could be used for the al-Kibar reactor.
The German newspaper ‘Süddeutsche Zeitung’ reported in December 2010, that new sites related to the one bombed in 2007 had been discovered. Since 2008, Syria has prevented IAEA inspectors from visiting the sites. Damascus's rejection of inspections could result in Syria being declared noncompliant with its international commitments and referred to the UN Security Council for censuring.
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