Jane's Defence Weekly has provided proof that Syria and Iran are cooperating in the proliferation and development of weapons of mass destruction Monday night. The highly regarded British publication reports that dozens of Iranian scientist and 15 Syrian officerss died in a blast in Syria July 23. The blast was reported at the time but its cause, and any Iranian connection was not. The report from Jane's states the scientists were attempting to mount a chemical warhead atop a Scud missle when it exploded spreading lethal chemical agenst including serin nerve gas killing the scientists and officers.
The report comes on the heels of accusations by Syria that the US is spreading false accusations of Syrian nuclear cooperatoin with North Korea. Syria has claimed the US's motive is to gain acceptance for an Israeli air strike. These charges would seem diminished by the latest information.
Syria is a non-signer Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), - an international agreement banning the production, stockpiling or use of chemical weapons - or the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The country is considered to have the most advanced chemical weapons program in the Middle East.
And in related news...
Iran's deputy commander of the air force tells Fars, the Iranian news agency, that the country has drawn up plans to bomb Israel if the country attacks Iran.
"We have drawn up a plan to strike back at Israel with our bombers if this regime (Israel) makes a silly mistake," Gen. Mohammad Alavi was quoted as telling Fars in an interview.
This comes as the US ramps up pressure for new and greater sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. In a not so subtle shift emphasising increasing European anxiety over the Iranian nukes, the French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said at a news conference that if Iran makes a nuclear bomb the nation would have to prepare for the worst. Asked what the worst was, Kouchner said "war".
More happy times in the Middle East. Plan your holidays accordingly...
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