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Israel: Syria stashing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, December 26, 2002

JERUSALEM Ñ Israel has accused Syria of harboring Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Israeli officials said Syria has agreed to store Iraqi biological and chemical weapons over the last few months. They said the regime of President Bashar Assad responded to an Iraqi request that sought to hide the WMD assets from United Nations inspectors.

The Iraqi assets were said to have included mobile biological facilities as well as chemical munitions. Officials said some of the assets are located along the Iraqi-Syrian frontier, Middle East Newsline reported.

"What we believe, and I say that we have not yet confirmed it conclusively, is that weapons he wants to hide Ñ chemical and biological weapons Ñ have indeed been sent to Syria," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said. "Saddam Hussein wanted to hide his weapons, and I think that the Americans know that."

Later, a senior Israeli intelligence official said Sharon had played down evidence of Syrian complicity in Iraq's WMD deployment. The official said the United States has already examined evidence provided by Israel. "We have solid evidence," the official said. "This is not a hunch or speculation."

In a television interview, Sharon said Iraqi scientists are helping develop a nuclear weapons infrastructure in Libya. He did not elaborate.

"Iraqi experts and scientists are working in the nuclear industry in Libya," Sharon said.

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