World in brief

Two nuclear reports alarm experts

WASHINGTON - Two intelligence reports issued in recent days find that North Korea and Iran have sophisticated and long-running programs under way to master technologies necessary to build nuclear weapons, surprising nuclear experts and Western intelligence officials.

Overall, the reports support the expert view that North Korea is far ahead of Iran in the production of actual weapons, and poses more urgent proliferation problems for the Bush administration.

Yet Iran's program turns out to have been even broader and deeper than U.S. intelligence agencies suspected. A 30-page confidential report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency and sent to 20 governments Monday describes a program that reaches back at least 18 years and involved extremely complex technologies, including an exotic program to use lasers to enrich uranium.

The essence of the CIA report about North Korea is that the country is speeding up its weapons production. And Iran's decision to allow the international agency into facilities that were previously closed to inspectors may, diplomats said, blunt Bush's effort to seek some kind of sanctions in the United Nations, leaving Iran with an advanced nuclear infrastructure that could be restarted at a moment's notice.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef on Tuesday denied reports of arrests in a car bombing that killed at least 17, while a purported al-Qaida claim of responsibility blamed Arab victims of the attack for working with the Americans.

"Nobody was detained yet," Prince Nayef said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi security officials had earlier told the Associated Press that suspects were being held in connection with Saturday's bombing.

Also Tuesday, a purported al-Qaida operative was reported to have made the first claim of responsibility for the attack on the housing compound.

The claim of responsibility - the first for Saturday's blast - came in an e-mail from a purported al-Qaida operative, identified as Abu Mohammed al-Ablaj, to the London weekly Al-Majalla.

WASHINGTON - The Senate on Tuesday joined the House in voting to impose sanctions on Syria unless it ends its occupation of Lebanon, cuts ties to groups that the United States regards as terrorist organizations and stops developing chemical and biological weapons.

The Senate approved the measure, 89-4, virtually assuring its final approval before Congress adjourns for the year, possibly by the end of next week. The House voted 398-4 to pass a similar proposal two months ago.

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