WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Syrian must honor its international obligations and provide full support to inspectors seeking answers regarding alleged nuclear activity, U.S. officials said.
Mohammad ElBaradei, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Syria had yet to cooperate with inspectors seeking to determine the origin of uranium uncovered at the Dair Alzour facility near al-Kibar.
Israeli fighters bombed the site in 2007. Intelligence officials believed the facility was a nuclear reactor of North Korean design under construction since 2001.
Nuclear inspectors said they uncovered trace amounts of uranium at the site, though it was unclear if the particles were related to the facility. Syria claims the nuclear material was from the Israeli weapons, though the IAEA discredited those claims.
U.S. State Department officials said it was "unfortunate" that Syria was not cooperating with the IAEA and called on Damascus to honor its commitments to the international community.
"We believe that Syria must uphold its international obligations, including providing access to any site or information requested," said State Department spokesman Ian Kelly. "And we again reiterate our full support for the IAEA's investigation."
ElBaradei in his latest report urged Israel and other states to come forward with information to verify claims the al-Kibar site was used for nuclear activity.
