BICOM

Western officials have growing concerns about a suspected missing Syrian stockpile of 50 tonnes of uranium, which could aid the Iranian nuclear programme if it reached the country. According to a report in the Financial Times this morning, fears of missing uranium stem from the destruction in 2007 by Israeli jets of a secret Syrian nuclear reactor, believed to have been built with the help of North Korea. The destruction of the reactor left open the question of the fate of the uranium that was supposed to have fuelled it. The current chaos in Syria has increased fears that any Syrian uranium could fall into Iranian hands.

Western governments also remain concerned about the fate of Syrian chemical weapons. According to a report in the New York Times on Monday, intelligence presented by Israel to the US sparked an international alert at the end of November that Syria was preparing chemical weapons for use. This triggered an unusual international effort to press Assad not to use chemical weapons, with a public warning from President Obama backed by private pressure from Russia and others.

Meanwhile, the UK continues to play a significant role in promoting a transition in Syria, hosting a summit of officials from various countries and Syrian opposition leaders this week in an effort to galvanise planning for transition.

The fallout from the civil war in Syria continues to have a significant destabilising impact on Syria’s neighbours, with the UN saying that the number of refugees rose to 600,000 in the last month. Many more Syrians are internally displaced and in need of aid.