US: No policy barring nuke scientists

[toomuchtime_]

The Obama administration on Friday rejected media reports that the US had implemented a new policy denying visas to Israeli scientists connected to the Dimona nuclear reactor.

“The report is inaccurate. There has been no change in administration policy regarding visa issuance to scientists from Israel,” a State Department official told The Jerusalem Post.

“We value greatly our academic and scientific exchanges with Israel and will continue to promote these important exchanges.”

The story, which first appeared in Ma’ariv last week, said that Israeli professors affiliated with the nuclear reactor were recently denied visas because of their work in Dimona as part of a new policy.

But State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in response that “we continue to issue visas to Israeli scientists, including nuclear scientists, on a regular basis.”

“We’ve actually improved processing times for visas for scientific exchanges with Israel,” he added.

US: No policy barring nuke scientists