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From The Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East

Anthony H. Cordesman
Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy
March 15, 2004

Page 57-58, on Syria

Nuclear Weapons

- Ongoing low-level research effort seems likely.

- No evidence of major progress in development effort.

- Announced nuclear reactor purchase plans including 10 megawatt research reactor from Argentina. Discussions with Argentina were resumed in the mid-1990s, but plans to build a Syrian reactor were scrapped under US pressure.

- Syria tried to obtain six power reactors (for a total of 6000 megawatts of generating capacity) in 1980s from a number of countries, including the Soviet Union, Belgium and Switzerland, but plans were never implemented.

- The Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies quotes a Jane’s Intelligence Review article from 1993 claiming Syria attempted to purchase “large (thousand ton) quantities” of yellowcake from Namibia.70

- In December 1991 Syria purchased a 30 kilowatt neutron-source research reactor from China, reactor is not suitable for weapons production. The Atomic Energy Commission of Syria received 980.4 g of 90.2% enriched Uranium 235 as part of the deal.

- Russia and Syria have approved a draft of a plan for cooperation on civil nuclear power, which is expected to provide opportunities for Syria to expand its indigenous nuclear capabilities.71 Reports surfaced in January of 2003 indicating that Syria and Russia had reached an agreement on the construction of a $2 billion facility that would include a nuclear reactor. Although within several days, Russian Foreign Ministry officials had indicated that no reactor would be sold.72


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