N or c?

The Times of London purports to report on the details of the Israeli raid into Syria including a new “detail” that Israel seized some nuclear material.
But as Hot Air and Israel Matzav point out, the reporter has been known for flights of fancy. (via memeorandum)

I wrote on Friday that there seemed to be more evidence to suggest that the target was chemical not nuclear weaponry and news reports are ignoring that angle.

The New York Times does suggest that the suggestion of nuclear material comes from Israel.

Even though the Israelis are whispering that there was a nuclear connection to the Sept. 6 attack, so far there has been no hard evidence that the North has ever tried to sell elements of its two nuclear programs. One of those programs, involving plutonium, is quite advanced, enough to produce six to a dozen nuclear weapons. But selling that fuel would be enormously risky, and perhaps easily detectable.

I guess, that “whispering” might mean off the record. I still haven’t seen a report that explicitly tied the nuclear charge to Israel. The Times does provide some interesting background though.

American officials are also studying at least two technology trade agreements between Syria and North Korea that were signed over the summer, trying to determine whether the arrangements may be designed for nascent nuclear cooperation between the two countries.“One has to balance the skepticism that the Syrians can build an indigenous nuclear program with the very sobering assessment that North Korea is the world’s No. 1 proliferator and a country willing to sell whatever it possesses,” said a former senior Bush administration official who once had full access to the intelligence about both countries, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was discussing intelligence assessments.

Though it has long sold its missile technology — to Syria, Iran, Pakistan and other customers — North Korea has never been known to export nuclear technology or material. Last Oct. 9, hours after the North tested its first nuclear device, Mr. Bush went in front of cameras in the White House to issue the North a specific warning that “the transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or nonstate entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States, and we would hold North Korea fully accountable of the consequences of such action.”

The problem with this story is that there are a lot of dogs not barking. And the one dog who did bark, was Bibi Netanyahu. Netanyahu spoke up to credit the government and (cynically) grab some of the credit himself. But why would he speak up if the raid wasn’t significant? Or was the significance simply that Israel was demonstrating its capabilities regarding Syria to forestall any more mischief to the north? Given the seeming complexity of the operation, I’d have to think that this was more than just a show of force. Which is why I have to believe that there was something more than missile parts involved.

Blue Crab Boulevard has a nice summary:

So, is it true? I have no idea. Neither, I suspect, do the reporters. What we do know is this: the Israeli government is not saying much of anything. In a country where leaking to the press is considered an art form – nothing. What is even more important: Syria, after a brief bit of whining, has shut up completely. They are silent about this whole incident. If they were innocent, they would be screaming from the rooftops. But, no, they are quiet.Logically, the conclusion then is that something very, very important was hit by the Israelis. Syria does NOT want the world to hear about what exactly got pounded. So this could be the real deal. Maybe yes, maybe no. But it is – completely – plausible.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

israel, syria.