Israel was accused by Syria here today of threatening proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East through its atomic research. The charge was voiced in the General Assembly’s top committee, the committee dealing with major political and security problems, by Bachir Sadek, Syria’s representative in the 117-member body.
Supporting a Soviet resolution which calls for an international treaty to prohibit further dissemination of nuclear weapons, Mr. Sadek told the committee: “My delegation deems it a sacred duty to draw attention to the fact that, in our Middle East region, the danger of proliferation outlines itself clearly on the horizon. All the information we have been able to obtain, despite efforts of Israel authorities to mask the secret of their nuclear research, clearly indicates that the already-built Dimona reactor is capable of producing plutonium used in atomic bombs.”
The Syrian quoted American press reports claiming that the Dimona reactor is “capable of producing annually enough plutonium for a couple of relatively small atomic weapons.” He charged that Israel has not permitted either the United States or the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect or control its Dimona reactor.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
