WASHINGTON Ñ The United States has reiterated concern over what it
terms Syria's search for nuclear weapons.
U.S. officials said the regime of President Bashar Assad continues to
negotiate with former East Bloc states and North Korea for nuclear expertise
and components. They said Assad wants to build a nuclear infrastructure in a
strategy similar to its ally Iran.
"We remain concerned about Syria's intentions regarding nuclear
weapons," CIA strategic and nuclear programs officer Robert Walpole said.
So far, Walpole told a Senate subcommittee hearing last week, Syria has
succeeded in weaponizing chemical agents on Scud-class missiles. Damascus
has also advanced its biological weapons program.
Syria appears to be seeking to expand its strike range and could
purchase intermediate range missiles from North Korea. Officials dismissed
the prospect that Damascus would have intercontinental ballistic missile
capability before 2017.
"Syrian regional concerns may lead Damascus to seek a longer-range
ballistic missile capability, such as North Korea's No Dong's medium-range
missile," Walpole said. "Foreign assistance will remain critical to Syrian
efforts to increase its production capabilities and to gain access to
export-controlled components and technology."
On Tuesday, Assistant Secretary of State Carl Ford told the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee that Syria has" vigorously pursued the
development of chemical Ñ and to a lesser extent biological Ñ weapons to
counter Israel's superior conventional forces and nuclear weapons. Syria
believes that its chemical and missile forces deter Israeli attacks."
Ford, responsible for State Department intelligence and research, said
Syria is likely to launch an effort to improve its infrastructure for
producing and storing chemical agents. Syria has refused to sign the
Chemical Weapons Convention but has signed the Biological Weapons
Convention.
"It now probably has weaponized sarin into aerial bombs and Scud missile
warheads, giving Syria the capability to use chemical agents against Israeli
targets," Ford said.
