"Israel" Rejects Syria Joins IAEA Board

Source: Al-Manar TV, 03-10-2008

‘Israel' will be carefully watching Friday's meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference in Vienna to see whether the UN's atomic watchdog will admit Syria to its Board of Governors, Haaretz said.

Syria is reportedly determined to push forward with its attempt to get on the board, representing the Middle East and South Asia regional group. Syria's bid got a boost when Iran dropped out of the running on Wednesday.

Officials in ‘Israel', the region's sole if undeclared nuclear armed state, point out that most of the decisions of the 35-member board are taken by consensus and that Syria's presence there would make it more difficult to pass resolutions against Damascus, as well as against Iran.

The members of the IAEA board of governors are picked each year by the General Conference, the IAEA's governing body. While most decisions are taken by consensus, if there is no consensus then the matter goes to a vote.