--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the spring of 2007, Israeli…" description: "\"In the spring of 2007, Israeli intelligence brought to Washington proof that the Assad regime in Syria was building a nuclear reactor along the Euphrat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/elliott-abrams-1577_along_in-the-spring-of-2007-israeli-intelligen_2274248.jpg" --- # In the spring of 2007, Israeli intelligence brought to… ![“In the spring of 2007, Israeli intelligence brought to Washington proof that the Assad regime in Syria was building a nuclear reactor along the Euphrates - with North Korean help. This reactor was a copy of the Yongbyon reactor the North Koreans had built, and was part of a Syrian nuclear weapons…” quote by Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/elliott-abrams-1577_along_in-the-spring-of-2007-israeli-intelligen_2274248.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/elliott-abrams-1577_along_in-the-spring-of-2007-israeli-intelligen_2274248.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/elliott-abrams-1577_along_in-the-spring-of-2007-israeli-intelligen_2274248.jpg) > “In the spring of 2007, Israeli intelligence brought to Washington proof that the Assad regime in Syria was building a nuclear reactor along the Euphrates - with North Korean help. This reactor was a copy of the Yongbyon reactor the North Koreans had built, and was part of a Syrian nuclear weapons program.” [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Israeli intel showed Syria, aided by North Korea, was building a nuclear reactor similar to Yongbyon. **In simple terms:** Syria attempted a nuclear program with NK help, per Israeli evidence. Key Takeaway Recognize proliferation risks from Syrian-NK collaboration. Themes security nonproliferation geopolitics intelligence Mood urgent analytical Type policy strategic When to use this quote - diplomatic negotiations - sanctions - military planning Key Concepts nuclear technology foreign policy regional stability Questions to Reflect On - What are the implications for regional security? - How should the U.S. respond to such proliferation? A Different Perspective Evidence may be contested or incomplete. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Along](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/along/) [Brought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brought/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Building Nuclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-nuclear-1463879/) [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Built Syrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built-syrian-5282893/) [Copy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copy/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Israeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israeli/) [Korean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korean/) [Koreans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/koreans/) [North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north/) [North korean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korean/) [Nuclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear/) [Nuclear weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear-weapons/) [Part](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/part/) [Program](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/program/) [Proof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proof/) [Reactor Euphrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reactor-euphrates-5282892/) [Regime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regime/) [Spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spring/) [Syria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syria/) [Syrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syrian/) [Syrian Nuclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syrian-nuclear-2809885/) [Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [Yongbyon Reactor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yongbyon-reactor-5282891/) ## Related quotes > [Israel bombed the Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007. What the Syrians did in response, nothing. Israel has killed a number of terrorist leaders in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-bombed-the-syrian-nuclear-reactor-in-2007-what-the-syrians-did/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Buying the right computer and getting it to work properly is no more complicated than building a nuclear reactor from wristwatch parts in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/buying-the-right-computer-and-getting-it-to-work-properly-is-no-more/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [We are one with God and He loves us. Now if that isn't a hazard to this country-How're we gonna keep building nuclear weapons?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/we-are-one-with-god-and-he-loves-us-now-if-that-isn-t-a-hazard-to/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [We're not building a nuclear reactor here. We're not drilling a mile beneath the surface of the ocean with no plan in case something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/we-re-not-building-a-nuclear-reactor-here-we-re-not-drilling-a-mile/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [There will be no support in the island of Ireland for building a nuclear power station.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hain/there-will-be-no-support-in-the-island-of-ireland-for-building-a/) [Peter Hain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hain/) > [The courage of the Syrian protesters is remarkable, for they face prison, torture, or death every time they lift a banner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-courage-of-the-syrian-protesters-is-remarkable-for-they-face/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [President Bush was disgusted by the Assad regime's oppression of the Syrian people as well as its support for terrorism, interference in Lebanon, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-bush-was-disgusted-by-the-assad-regime-s-oppression-of-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The best-armed and best-trained divisions of the Syrian army are Alawite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-best-armed-and-best-trained-divisions-of-the-syrian-army-are/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Extreme Islam is not just an Iraqi or Syrian problem. It is a problem for the Western and industrialized world, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haim-saban/extreme-islam-is-not-just-an-iraqi-or-syrian-problem-it-is-a-problem/) [Haim Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haim-saban/) > [Under Syrian law, a journalist is not allowed to report on military matters. This may be wrong or right, but that's just the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/under-syrian-law-a-journalist-is-not-allowed-to-report-on-military/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [“However, since the Syrian regime is even less transparent than the NGOs, we have no way of knowing that, either.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-bradley/however-since-the-syrian-regime-is-even-less-transparent-than-the/) [John R. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-bradley/) > [I believe the United States should make the protection of Syrian civilians from war crimes and crimes against humanity a higher priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-casey-jr/i-believe-the-united-states-should-make-the-protection-of-syrian/) [Bob Casey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-casey-jr/) > [When the bombs rain down, the Syrian Civil Defense rush in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/when-the-bombs-rain-down-the-syrian-civil-defense-rush-in/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [Lebanon is a Syrian protectorate. The Lebanese dare not do anything without the approval of Damascus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/lebanon-is-a-syrian-protectorate-the-lebanese-dare-not-do-anything/) [Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/) > [“This Syrian circus/crisis we are going through is hilarious... 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Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) ## More by Elliott Abrams > [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The story of the Jews in the Bible is replete with incidents of their ingratitude to God for His gifts to them: incidents that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-story-of-the-jews-in-the-bible-is-replete-with-incidents-of-their/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [From its earliest days in the nineteenth century, and until the Holocaust, the Orthodox rabbinate in eastern Europe was not enthusiastic about the Zionist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/from-its-earliest-days-in-the-nineteenth-century-and-until-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Pope is not a political figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-pope-is-not-a-political-figure/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Israel and the Palestinians had been at the table together for decades until the Obama/Mitchell/Rahm Emanuel decision to demand a total end to Israeli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-and-the-palestinians-had-been-at-the-table-together-for/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Pundits are used to analyzing the gap between what our ideals suggest and what our security interests require.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/pundits-are-used-to-analyzing-the-gap-between-what-our-ideals-suggest/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Egyptian military and the government of Israel have long had a common interest in maintaining order and fighting terrorism in Sinai.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-egyptian-military-and-the-government-of-israel-have-long-had-a/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [In 2007, early in the improbable presidential candidacy of Barack Obama, the young first-term senator began a series of foreign-policy speeches that seemed too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/in-2007-early-in-the-improbable-presidential-candidacy-of-barack/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Terrorists that kill Americans don't get released.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/terrorists-that-kill-americans-don-t-get-released/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Refusing to lift sanctions and adopting tougher rhetoric toward Iran would not be partisan issues. 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What the Syrians did in response, nothing. Israel has killed a number of terrorist leaders in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-bombed-the-syrian-nuclear-reactor-in-2007-what-the-syrians-did/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) [Explore all 226 Elliott Abrams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) ## More Along quotes > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. 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It was good casting, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-west/it-would-have-been-an-interesting-run-if-we-hadn-t-gotten-along-it/) [Dominic West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-west/) > [Defense spending as a share of the economy dropped significantly during the early 1990s, and that was one of the things, along with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orszag/defense-spending-as-a-share-of-the-economy-dropped-significantly/) [Peter Orszag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orszag/) > [Just remember: to be grateful and thank the people who are there and support you along the way is a great start to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-davis/just-remember-to-be-grateful-and-thank-the-people-who-are-there-and/) [Meryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-davis/) > [We feel that, with Sidney, we have a great opportunity over the next few years to put a great team on the ice. 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