According to a London Sunday Times report, North Korean, Syrian and Iranian engineers have been working in concert towards the construction of a nuclear facility in Syria. The report states that Syrian and Iranian engineers this past summer traveled to North Korea, where they observed missile launches, leading to a joint Iranian Syrian missile project carrying a $500 million price tag. The project involves the development and construction of missiles in Syria.

In the meantime, visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Saturday with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, in his role as a third-party mediator in the hope of jump-starting talks between Damascus and Yerushalayim.

According to an Al-Jazeera report, Erdogan presented a number of Israeli offers to Assad, hoping to bring both sides to the negotiating table.

In Yerushalayim, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given Erdogan the green light to act as an emissary of Israel towards persuading the Syrians to enter into peace talks but while the Turkish leader is seeking a meeting between the two leaders, Olmert at present is supporting lower-level talks that would lead to a meeting of the leaders if their bear fruit.

In yet another contradictory statement, Syrian media reports that also present at the meeting was Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, who denied and proposal from the Israelis was presented to Assad towards bringing Syria to the negotiating table.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)