Obama warns Assad over chemical weapons
US: President Barack Obama warned Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad on
Monday not to make the “tragic mistake” of deciding to unleash his
stockpile of chemical weapons.
Assad's beleaguered regime had earlier threatened to use such weapons
if Syria faced international military intervention, although it vowed
not to turn them against its own civilians.
“Given the regime's stockpile of chemical weapons, we will continue
to make it clear to Assad and those around him that the world is
watching,” Obama told an audience of US veterans in the western state of
Nevada.
“They will be held accountable by the international community and the
United States should they make the tragic mistake of using those
weapons,” he said.
Earlier, Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi had warned
Syria could use chemical weapons if attacked by outsiders, although he
back-tracked later to clarify that he was not confirming Damascus has
such arms.
“Syria will not use any chemical or other unconventional weapons
against its civilians, and will only use them in case of external
aggression,” he said.
Syria is in the grip of a 16-month-long conflict triggered by Assad's
brutal repression of a pro-democracy revolt. Western and Arab powers
have called for him to step down and allow an orderly transition of
power.
US officials also demanded that the Assad regime act responsibly and
safeguard any such unconventional arms.
Denouncing Makdissi's words as “horrific and chilling,” State
Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said “that any possible use of
these kinds of weapons would be completely unacceptable.” “The Syrian
regime has a responsibility to the world, has a responsibility first and
foremost to its own citizens to protect and safeguard those weapons,”
she insisted to reporters.
“That kind of loose talk just speaks to the kind of regime that we're
talking about.” Pentagon press secretary George Little also warned
Syria: “They should not think one iota about using chemical weapons.
AFP
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