The U.S.-led drive to force Syria's beleaguered regime to surrender its chemical weapons has raised questions about the arsenal of chemical and biological arms Israel has reportedly stockpiled and the activities of the secretive Israel Institute for Biological Research near Tel Aviv.
Israel signed the Chemical Weapons Convention on Jan. 1, 1993, when the treaty took effect. But it has never ratified it, which would have committed the Jewish state to international inspections and refraining from violating the treaty. Syria, which reputedly has one of the world's most extensive chemical weapons arsenals, never signed the convention, but under international pressure now says it's prepared to do so.
Amid the international controversy over Syria's alleged use of deadly nerve agents the United Nations says killed more than 1,000 civilians Aug. 21, The Jerusalem Post reports the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is preparing in case Israel is asked to submit to inspection.
The Israelis have never admitted or denied having chemical weapons, and have maintained that ambiguity amid the furor over Syria's chemical arms.
Haaretz quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Vigal Palmor as saying Israel would not ratify the convention as long as other states in the region that have chemical weapons arsenals threaten it.
The U.S. journal Foreign Policy claimed Sept. 9 a newly discovered Central Intelligence Agency estimate written in 1983, and found in the Reagan Library states U.S. spy satellites found "a probable ... nerve agent production facility and a storage facility ... at the Dimona Sensitive Storage Area in the Negev Desert" south of Tel Aviv in 1982.
"Furthermore," the document says, "other [chemical weapons] production is believed to exist within a well-developed Israeli chemical industry."
It noted: "While we cannot confirm whether the Israelis possess lethal chemical agents, several indicators lead us to believe that they have available at least persistent and non-persistent nerve agents, a mustard agent and several riot-control agents ... with suitable delivery systems."
It has been widely believed for years that Israel's alleged chemical and biological weapons program is centered on the Israel Institute for Biological Research, a highly classified complex in Nes Ziona, 12 miles south of Tel Aviv. The fortress-like structure is ringed by high walls and orchards with state-of-the-art surveillance and warning systems manufactured by Israel Military Industries. Along with nuclear reactor at Dimona in the Negev, the institute is Israel's most top-secret installation. All mention by the Israeli media is banned.
http://www.spacewar.com/Syrian_chemical_arms_saga_raises_questions
Israel signed the Chemical Weapons Convention on Jan. 1, 1993, when the treaty took effect. But it has never ratified it, which would have committed the Jewish state to international inspections and refraining from violating the treaty. Syria, which reputedly has one of the world's most extensive chemical weapons arsenals, never signed the convention, but under international pressure now says it's prepared to do so.
Amid the international controversy over Syria's alleged use of deadly nerve agents the United Nations says killed more than 1,000 civilians Aug. 21, The Jerusalem Post reports the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is preparing in case Israel is asked to submit to inspection.
The Israelis have never admitted or denied having chemical weapons, and have maintained that ambiguity amid the furor over Syria's chemical arms.
Haaretz quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Vigal Palmor as saying Israel would not ratify the convention as long as other states in the region that have chemical weapons arsenals threaten it.
The U.S. journal Foreign Policy claimed Sept. 9 a newly discovered Central Intelligence Agency estimate written in 1983, and found in the Reagan Library states U.S. spy satellites found "a probable ... nerve agent production facility and a storage facility ... at the Dimona Sensitive Storage Area in the Negev Desert" south of Tel Aviv in 1982.
"Furthermore," the document says, "other [chemical weapons] production is believed to exist within a well-developed Israeli chemical industry."
It noted: "While we cannot confirm whether the Israelis possess lethal chemical agents, several indicators lead us to believe that they have available at least persistent and non-persistent nerve agents, a mustard agent and several riot-control agents ... with suitable delivery systems."
It has been widely believed for years that Israel's alleged chemical and biological weapons program is centered on the Israel Institute for Biological Research, a highly classified complex in Nes Ziona, 12 miles south of Tel Aviv. The fortress-like structure is ringed by high walls and orchards with state-of-the-art surveillance and warning systems manufactured by Israel Military Industries. Along with nuclear reactor at Dimona in the Negev, the institute is Israel's most top-secret installation. All mention by the Israeli media is banned.
http://www.spacewar.com/Syrian_chemical_arms_saga_raises_questions
No comments:
Post a Comment