U.N. Nuclear Chief Says No Proof Syria Has Banned Weapons

CAIRO, July 21 (AFP) - The head of the UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency said in remarks published Wednesday that there was no evidence Syria was trying to build banned weapons.
"We have no proof that Syria is trying to engage in nuclear activities in violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," Mohamed ElBaradei said in an interview with Egyptian state television.
"We have no information that Syria is involved in any prohibited nuclear activity," said ElBaradei, who is pushing for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons.
US President George W. Bush on May 11 slapped sanctions on Syria, which Washington accuses of supporting terrorism, seeking to produce arms of mass destruction and trying to destabilise neighbouring Iraq.