Syria Allows Uranium Plant Inspection

Syria has given the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to an additional site tied to the country's nuclear program, a move the agency characterized in a Feb. 25 report as a positive but insufficient step to address concerns about Syria's nuclear activities.

The report indicated that Syria agreed in February to allow inspection of a pilot plant near the city of Horns that produces a uranium concentrate called yellowcake through the purification of phosphoric acid. Yellowcake is a precursor in the production of fuel for nuclear reactors. In April 2008, the United States formally accused Syria of constructing a nuclear reactor at Dair al Zour for the purpose of …