"It should serve as a reminder to us all of the very real dangers of
proliferation and need to rededicate ourselves to prevent the spread of
weapons of mass destruction, particularly into the hands of a state or a
group with terrorist connections," Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S.
Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on April 25.
    [On Monday, Israel and the United States launched another round of
strategic talks in Washington. Officials said the two countries would focus
on Iran and its strategic cooperation with Syria.]
    The air strike was believed connected to the docking of a North Korean
ship at the Syrian port of Tartous. The sources said the ship was believed
to have contained equipment for the plutonium plant or for Iran's nuclear
program.
    "There is an assessment that Iran will or is using Syria for nuclear
weapons development," the source said. "This allows Iran to permit IAEA
[International Atomic Energy Agency] inspections and ward off U.S. pressure
while still maintaining its nuclear weapons program."
    The sources said Iran could deploy its first nuclear weapons in Syria.
They said North Korean nuclear scientists were developing facilities in both
Iran and Syria.
    Iran has also been supplying advanced ballistic missile and
non-conventional weapons technology to Syria. In July 2007, at least 15
Syrians were killed in an explosion during a test of a chemical warhead in
northern Syria.
    "There are a lot of other questions that are out there, questions about
how close was this [plutonium facility in Syria] to being operational?" Rep.
Peter Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence, said. "Who funded this for Syria? How close was
the North Korean/Syrian cooperation in this? And where else might North
Korea have been involved in proliferation?"