IAEA chief hits out at US, Israel over Syrian reactor claims

VIENNA, April 25 (AFP) -

The UN atomic watchdog hit out Friday at the United States for withholding intelligence that Syria had been building a secret nuclear reactor with North Korea’s help. The IAEA also criticized Israel for acting on the allegations and bombing the purported reactor in a raid last September without giving IAEA inspectors an opportunity to investigate.The agency insisted it was taking seriously the allegations that were passed on by the United States on Thursday. “(We) will treat this information with the seriousness it deserves and will investigate the veracity of the information,” it said in a statement.