Syria's President is in negotiations with Iran to send over some of the Iraqi nuclear scientists that were sent to Damascus last year before the beginning of the Iraq war. Via The Telegraph

Western intelligence officials believe that President Asad is desperate to get the Iraqi scientists out of his country before their presence prompts America to target Syria as part of the war on terrorism.

...

A group of about 12 middle-ranking Iraqi nuclear technicians and their families were transported to Syria before the collapse of Saddam's regime. The transfer was arranged under a combined operation by Saddam's now defunct Special Security Organisation and Syrian Military Security, which is headed by Arif Shawqat, the Syrian president's brother-in-law.

The Iraqis, who brought with them CDs crammed with research data on Saddam's nuclear programme, were given new identities, including Syrian citizenship papers and falsified birth, education and health certificates. Since then they have been hidden away at a secret Syrian military installation where they have been conducting research on behalf of their hosts.

So that's where the Iraqi nuclear scientists from my last entry ran off too. Remember that Syria is run by a Baathist regime, the same type Saddam was associated with. This gets scarier.

They have also uncovered evidence that Damascus has acquired a number of gas centrifuges - probably from North Korea - that can be used to enrich uranium for a nuclear bomb.

This after recent news of the Iranians enriching Uranium in to gas and a U.N. resolution setting a November 25th deadline for them to cease Uranium enrichment.

I tell ya things are getting really itchy over there.

Hat tip: Captains Quarters, with an assist by Ace Of Spades

Others Talking:
The Politicker
Pink Flamingo
Cabal Of Doom In The Bullpen