THE UNITED NATIONS’ nuclear watchdog has voted to report Syria to the UN Security Council for violating its safeguard agreements, citing Syria’s undeclared construction of a covert nuclear reactor and refusal to supply information.

The move by the International Atomic Energy Agency comes amid political protests in Syria, but Washington and its allies insist the timing of the recommendation has nothing to do with the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters and is separate from an effort by European nations to have the Security Council condemn Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime.

“The resolution is a necessary and appropriate step in light of the troubling findings in the IAEA’s latest report, including Syria’s refusal of the last three years to cooperate with the investigation,” Glyn Davis, the chief US envoy, told IAEA told reporters after the vote.

Ministers of the IAEA’s 35 governing members have been meeting since Monday to discuss a raft of issues ranging from the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima I nuclear power plant to a lack of satisfactory cooperation from member states, including Syria and Iran.

Although the vote on taking action against Syria passed, it proved divisive. Seventeen members voted in favour, while six opposed the measure, based on the findings of IAEA chief Yukiya Amano.

However, 11 nations abstained, meaning they did not contribute to the tally. One member was absent from the vote.

Potential roadblocks

In Washington, White House press secretary Jay Carney said the vote marks a “significant action by the international community to uphold the nonproliferation rules of the road.”

He said Syria for years has “stonewalled and obstructed” the IAEA’s efforts and pledged that the U.S. will stand with its partners and allies around the world to ensure that countries meet their responsibilities or be held accountable for their actions.

China and Russia voted against the recommendation, meaning it could face stiff opposition in the UN Security Council, where those nations hold veto power.

Before the vote, the Russians called the referral “untimely and not objective.” They said the evidence against Syria was hypothetical and based on “possible alleged insufficiencies.”

Indeed, the recommendation is the first from the IAEA that was based on an interpretation of evidence gathered against Syria. Amano acknowledged that while the agency did not have “absolute proof,” it was solid enough to justify taking action against Damascus.

AP