Syria dismisses NKorea nuclear links

Updated April 25, 2008 15:37:39

The United States claims the Syrian facility, which was later destroyed by an Israeli airstrike, was built with North Korean help. [Reuters]

Syria has dismissed accusations from the United States that North Korea was helping it build a nuclear reactor that could produce plutonium.

The United States has formally accused North Korea of assisting Syria in its efforts to build a covert nuclear reactor, which could be used to produce plutonium.

The accusation came after intelligence officials briefed members of Congress on what they called 'strong supporting evidence.'

A White House official read out a statement which also alleged that North Korean technology had been used in the reactor, which was bombed by Israeli jets last year.

Several politicians and analysts have greeted the timing of the announcement with skepticism, because it comes as negotiations over denuclearisation with North Korea reach a critical stage.

Scott Bruce, of the Nautilus Institute in the United States has told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program if the allegations are true, it's most likely because of North Korea's failing economy.

"North Korea and Syria have a largely established trade in missile technology, but the north is in a very desperate economic situation right now," he said.

"And it is likely that if this agreement happened, it was for economic reasons with the north attempting to support its economy through the transfer of its nuclear technology or information."

Washington has taken its case to nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, alleging that Damascus has violated its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

It also says North Korea's help was "a dangerous and potentially destabilizing development for the region and the world".

Scott Bruce says the allegations against North Korea are likely to have an impact on the latest round of negotiations over North Korea's nuclear programs.

"It remains to be seen if this will put more pressure on the north to come clean about its programs, or if this will cause the United States to withdraw from the six-party talk process," he said.

Syria has denounced the charges, with its Ambassador to the US pointedly linking the supposed US evidence to Washington's weapons-of-mass-destruction case for invading Iraq.

Syria's ambassador to Britain has called the allegations "political manipulation" designed to put pressure on North Korea in talks about Pyongyang's nuclear programme.