Tuesday, September 18, 2007

N. Korea Denies Nuclear Ties With Syria

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea strongly denied Tuesday that it has provided Syria with secret nuclear cooperation, claiming the charge was fabricated to block progress in the North's relations with the United States.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said the country has upheld a pledge made last October, when it conducted its first-ever nuclear test, that it would be "a responsible nuclear weapons state" and not transfer any nuclear material out of the country.

The North "never makes an empty talk but always tells truth," the ministry said in the statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The comments were the first by the government in Pyongyang on the issue since suspicions arose after an alleged Israeli air raid earlier this month on unknown Syrian targets.

A senior U.S. nuclear official said Friday that North Koreans were in Syria, and that Syria may have had contacts with "secret suppliers" to obtain nuclear equipment.........

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