Syria: Assad regime 'ready to use chemical weapons'

[gilliam]

The most senior Syrian politician to defect to the opposition has told the BBC the regime will not hesitate to use chemical weapons if it is cornered.

Nawaf Fares, ex-ambassador to Iraq, said unconfirmed reports indicated such weapons might have already been used.

He also said that major bombings across Syria had been orchestrated by the regime in collaboration with al-Qaeda.

Meanwhile, UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan is due to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Syria.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18864629

[SaintPatrick333]

Let's pray for for those living in such a nightmare right now, for their ordeal to end (prayerfully before chemical weapons are used). This is a very volatile situation. I just pray other countries outside of the u.s. will act swiftly to bring peace and stabilization to the region (not hating on the u.s. but we tend to stay longer than necessary to impose our style of government on people we free then subsequently subjugate).

[Trebor135]

Originally Posted by gilliam

He also said that major bombings across Syria had been orchestrated by the regime in collaboration with al-Qaeda.

This sounds fishy. If any party is working with al-Qa'ida members in Syria--who would be among the rebels, though (we hope) a small segment--it's the Gulf Cooperation Council states, with Saudi Arabia at the helm.

Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1970 to 2000, was renowned for his cunning realpolitik. So, who knows if son Bashar inherited that trait environmentally (living in the ruling strongman's household) or politically (relying on his father's advisers) in a sufficient dosage that Damascus could pull something like this off...?

[gilliam]

Originally Posted by Trebor135

This sounds fishy. If any party is working with al-Qa'ida members in Syria--who would be among the rebels, though (we hope) a small segment--it's the Gulf Cooperation Council states, with Saudi Arabia at the helm.

Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1970 to 2000, was renowned for his cunning realpolitik. So, who knows if son Bashar inherited that trait environmentally (living in the ruling strongman's household) or politically (relying on his father's advisers) in a sufficient dosage that Damascus could pull something like this off...?

Here is what the defector said on the topic:

IVAN WATSON: The Syrian government often accuses the opposition of being members of al Qaeda, terrorists, and yet Syria was accused for many years of allowing jihadis and Al Qaeda to cross through Syria to Iraq to carry out suicide bombings. You had to represent Syria in Iraq. Some people say it’s a cruel irony that now Syria’s being hit by suicide bombs, the kind that were seen in Baghdad?

NAWAF AL FARES: It’s lying. In 2003 after the American invasion of Iraq and the toppling of the Iraqi regime, the Syrian regime felt threatened. So they coordinated with Al Qaeda. They had an agreement to keep the road open to Iraq. So militants started coming from all over the world through Syria, under the eyes of the Syrian secret police who are directly responsible for the killing of thousands of Iraqis and Americans and coalition forces.

Al Qaeda was an ally of Bashar al Assad after 2003. He trained and provided shelter and built safe havens for Al Qaeda to hide in.

I remember one of those safe havens was in al Sukariya in Abu Kamal. The Americans raided it [in 2008] and captured prisoners. This was a hiding place for Al Qaeda on the border with Iraq. And it was under the control of Assif Shawkat, the brother in law of the president.

WATSON: You saw with your own eyes that Assif Shawkat was leading this Al Qaeda in Iraq operation?

FARES: One hour after the raid, Assif Shawkat was there at the location. A conversation took place between me and him… And he was angry about the attack made against Al Sukariya, and he was kind of scared.

The Al Qaeda in Syria and the one that worked in Iraq have a strong relationship with Bashar al Assad. But he scares the West by showing them that the only successor to the regime in Syria would be Al Qaeda. And he scares the Syrian people that if he leaves, Al Qaeda will come.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/15/world/...html?hpt=hp_t1

[Dale_M]

Syria believed to be moving "some" chemical weapons

The United States believes Syria has moved "some" chemical weapons in recent days, a U.S. official told CNN on Friday.

The stockpile is believed to be is under the control of regime forces, the source said.

The official, who would only speak anonymously because the source was speaking about intelligence matters, said the reason behind the movement is unclear. The source could not say what types of chemical stockpiles were involved or how much was moved.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/13/world/...ons/index.html

The Pentagon has refused comment. The US State Department announced that "the international community" will hold the Syrian government responsible for any use of these weapons

[Scott_Lafrance]

Originally Posted by Dale_M

Syria believed to be moving "some" chemical weapons


http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/13/world/...ons/index.html

The Pentagon has refused comment. The US State Department announced that "the international community" will hold the Syrian government responsible for any use of these weapons

I wonder where Assad got these stockpiles of chemical weapons......

[SamH]

Originally Posted by Scott_Lafrance

I wonder where Assad got these stockpiles of chemical weapons......

I have an idea where some of them came from.

[Trebor135]

Originally Posted by gilliam

Here is what the defector said on the topic:

After fiascos like "Curveball" that helped lead to the war in Iraq, I'm skeptical about what this guy has to say.

But we can expect the Ba'athists in Damascus to be ruthless in following through on their zeal to stay in power. At this point, we'll only know for sure whether Fares is telling the truth or tall tales if/when we get our hands on the regime's internal documents.

[Dale_M]

Originally Posted by Scott_Lafrance

I wonder where Assad got these stockpiles of chemical weapons......

The Soviet Union is believed to have helped Syria develop its chemical weapons program.

Syria is not a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention and denies having a chemical or biological weapons programs. But Western intelligence agencies believe Syria began developing a nonconventional arsenal in the 1980s with the assistance of the Soviet Union in a bid to achieve strategic parity with arch-enemy Israel.

They believe Syria has amassed sizable quantities of blistering agents, such as mustard gas – widely used in World War I and in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war – as well as Sarin and VX. The chemical agents are designed to be fitted to an array of delivery systems, from Scud-D short-range ballistic missiles to a projectile as small as an artillery shell.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middl...ecure-are-they

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it is possible that Russia continued to help its long time ally.