UN criticises Israel and US over bombing of Syrian facility

THE head of the UN nuclear monitoring agency angrily criticised Israel yesterday for bombing an alleged Syrian nuclear facility, and chastised the US for withholding information on the site.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei was not provided with information about the site until Thursday, the same day US officials briefed members of the House Intelligence Committee about evidence, including dozens of photographs taken from ground level and footage of the interior of the building gathered by spy satellites after the Israeli strike seven months ago.

ElBaradei was briefed by telephone by John Rood, the US undersecretary of state for arms control.