SYRIA SMUGGLES MISSILES, WMD TO SUDAN

LONDON [MENL] -- Syria's Defense Ministry has been smuggling missile and
weapons of mass destruction components to Sudan in an apparent effort to
conceal them from Western inspection.
Western intelligence sources said the regime of Syrian President Bashar
Assad has been flying shipments of Scud C and Scud D extended-range missiles
as well as WMD components to warehouses in Khartoum since at least January
2004. The sources said the Syrian shipments to Khartoum were placed on
civilian airliners but authorized and directed by the Defense Ministry.

"There is widespread concern in the Syrian regime that Damascus will be the
next to face heavy U.S. and international pressure to open its WMD
facilities in the wake of the Libyan example," a senior intelligence source
said. "The Syrians have decided that they want to take some of their assets
out of the country."

The intelligence sources said the Sudanese regime of President Omar Bashir
was not informed of the Syrian missile and WMD shipments. They said the
Syrian material was sent to Khartoum as part of the increased trade
relations between the two countries and processed and stored by Sudanese
companies.
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