Syria's Alleged Nuke Site Gone in Puff of Smoke

A Syrian military facility bombed in an Israeli air strike last month has been quickly—and mysteriously—razed and cleared, according to a new photograph taken by a commercial satellite. The Syrian government had been accused of building a nuclear reactor on the site capable of producing weapons, the Washington Post reports, though Damascus has denied the allegations.

"They are clearly trying to hide the evidence," said one analyst. "It is a trick that has been tried in the past and it hasn't worked." The tall building visible in earlier satellite images has been replaced by a dirt lot, and trucks and construction equipment are gone, too. The IAEA had expressed interest in visiting the site, which may explain the prompt disappearance. (More Syria stories.)