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White House Had Extensive Discussions with Israel Before Airstrike on Syrian Reactor

[New York Times] David E. Sanger - The Bush administration released detailed photographic images on Thursday to support its assertion that the building in Syria that Israel destroyed in an airstrike last year was a nuclear reactor constructed with years of help from North Korea. The administration said it withheld the pictures for seven months out of fear that Syria could retaliate against Israel and start a broader war in the Middle East. A senior administration official said the White House had extensive discussions with Israel before the airstrike. The White House raised the possibility of confronting Syria with a demand that it dismantle the reactor or face the possibility of an attack. But that idea never gained traction with the Israelis or some in the administration, and in the end, the official said, Israel cited satellite evidence to declare that the Syrian reactor constituted "an existential threat" to Israel because it might soon be ready for operation. The official added that Israel's attack proceeded "without a green light from us." "None was asked for, none was given." A senior intelligence official said the U.S. agreed that Syria was "good to go" in turning on the reactor, though it would have been years before it could have produced weapons fuel.
2008-04-25 01:00:00
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