Reform party of Syria
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Unclassified CIA Report on Syria's Weapons Program
Washington DC, November 27, 2004/RPS News/ -- The Central Intelligence Agency has unclassified recently a report that was sent to Congress on the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions. In it the CIA accuses Syria of promoting a nuclear, chemical and biological programs.
The report states: " Nuclear. Syria-an NPT signatory with full-scope IAEA safeguards-has a nuclear research center at Dayr Al Hajar. Russia and Syria have continued their long-standing agreements on cooperation regarding nuclear energy, although specific assistance has not yet materialized. Broader access to foreign expertise provides opportunities to expand its indigenous capabilities, and we are monitoring Syrian nuclear intentions with concern.
Ballistic Missile. During 2003, Damascus continued to seek help from abroad to establish a solid-propellant rocket motor development and production capability. Syria's liquid-propellant missile program continued to depend on essential foreign equipment and assistance-primarily from North Korean entities. Damascus also continued to manufacture liquid-propellant Scud missiles. In addition, Syria was developing longer-range missile programs, such as a Scud D, and possibly other variants with assistance from North Korea and Iran.
Chemical and Biological. Syria continued to seek CW-related technology from foreign sources during the reporting period. Damascus already held a stockpile of the nerve agent sarin, but apparently has tried to develop more toxic and persistent nerve agents. Syria remained dependent on foreign sources for key elements of its CW program, including precursor chemicals and key production equipment. Syria probably also continued to develop a BW capability.
Advanced Conventional Weapons. Damascus's Soviet-era debt to Moscow and inability to fund large purchases continued to hamper efforts to purchase the large quantity of equipment Syria requires to replace its aging weapons inventory.
Syria, who imprisons Internet users, is host to Arab Information Society Summit
Washington DC, November 27, 2004/RPS News/ -- According to KurdishMedia.com, Reporters Without Borders today expressed concern that several countries that harshly cracked down on use of the Internet were members of a working group on Internet governance that met in Geneva from 23 to 25 November in the run-up to next year’s World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis. It also noted that another such country, Syria, was at the same time (22-23 November) hosting a summit preparatory meeting to set up a partnership to build an "information society" for the Arab world. "Holding a summit in Tunisia about the free flow of online information is already absurd," it said, "but holding a preparatory meeting in a country like Syria, where an Internet user is in prison for simply e-mailing a newsletter, is chilling. Does this mean the Internet policies of these regimes are acceptable choices for the rest of the world ?" Membership of the working group, WGIG, was decided during the first WSIS summit in Geneva in December 2003. The group is supposed to recommend to the Tunis summit a draft Internet regulation proposal defined as a shared notion of the roles and responsibilities of governments, intergovernmental and international organisations, the private sector and civil society. The group’s work will affect the free flow of material on the Internet. Of the WGIG’s 40 members (half of them civil society representatives) are Cuba, China, Iran, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, which are some of the world’s most repressive countries of freedom of expression. Pakistan, Russia and Egypt, which also crack down on Internet activity, belong to the group as well.
Reform Party of Syria
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