Syria Says Will Use Chemical Weapons Only Against Foreign Attack
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Syria will not use chemical or other unconventional weapons except in the case of a foreign attack, foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said on Monday.
"Syria will not use any chemical or other unconventional weapons against its civilians, and will only use them in case of external aggression," Makdissi told a media conference in Damascus.
"Any stocks of chemical weapons that may exist, will never, ever be used against the Syrian people," he said, adding that in the event of foreign attack, "the generals will be deciding when and how we use them."
Fears have been rising that President Bashar Assad's regime might be prepared to use the country's arsenal of chemical weapons in the repression of a 16-month insurgency after reports his stocks were being moved around the country.
Makdissi also said Syria rejects a call by the Arab League for Assad to give up power.
"We are sorry that the Arab League has descended to this level concerning a member state of this institution," he said. "This decision only concerns the Syrian people, who are the sole masters of fate of their governments."
"If the Arab nations who met in Doha were honest about wanting to stop the bloodshed they would have stopped supplying arms... they would stop their instigation and propaganda," he said. "All their statements are hypocritical."
The Arab League on Monday called on Assad to swiftly step aside in order to end the fighting that has swept across the country.
"There is agreement on the need for the rapid resignation of President Bashar Assad," Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani told journalists at the end of the ministerial meeting in Doha.
The Arab League also urged the rebel Free Syrian Army to form a transitional government of national unity.
"We call on the opposition and the Free Syrian Army to form a government of national unity," Sheikh Hamad said as he delivered the results of the Arab League meeting.
He urged Assad to take the "courageous" decision in order to save his country where fierce fighting continued to rage between government troops and rebels.
Syria also vowed to regain control of several border posts that rebel forces seized along the frontier with Iraq and Turkey within days.
The rebels "will not hold onto them and they will be gone in a few days," Makdissi told the news conference.
23 July 2012, 13:45
07
the syrian regime is doomed and its days are numbered.
I suggest you read the following article which summarises the mood of the shia in Lebanon these days:
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=421798
23 July 2012, 15:21
15
Ya Assad ya hmar, take few millions dollars, your family and leave now...sooner or later you will be leaving and the more people you kill the more revenge on you and yours...
23 July 2012, 15:22
25
Les conseilleurs ne sont pas payeurs. Perhaps you should do the same instead of going all in with cheap FPM propaganda ^^
23 July 2012, 16:32
15
FT
you are a desperate traitor who has a problem believing his master is going down with the syrian regime.
you have a problem realizing your MPs are a failure and a disgrace to Lebanon, and still you follow them blindly like apuppet.
from your desperation and frustration comes to the surface your aggressivity towards any opinion different than yours.
if you want it there is a remedy: find the number of a shrink and take an appointment :)
23 July 2012, 16:49
03
Geha why waste your time on someone (thing) that only sees black or white. Yes it is a nuisance to read such trash but then again there are plenty like him who still have the wool pulled over their eyes.
23 July 2012, 17:50
04
Bigsami
you know what is the problem?
the problem we will soon face is all those disillusioned shia and fpm with high depression rate, committing suicide after suicide for being so blind till now, when they realize how stupid they were following such murderors and traitors.
23 July 2012, 18:07
04
It's amazing how religion which in essence should teach/represent love & peace is the source of conflict/hatred/wars. Go figure.
23 July 2012, 19:08
14
Who nowadays actually believes any statements coming from spokespersons of this doomed regime.
Forget their unwillingness to listen to the UN, EU, USA, UK etc etc, but when the Arab League turns on them in one united statement, then perhaps it is about time that they took notice. Are 19,000 Syrian graves not enough for them?
23 July 2012, 22:09
02
Well, that's comforting, the assad regime will break out the WMD only if they are attacked by foreign powers. Only two problems with this "assurance":
1). The regime is already saying that the FSA in infiltrated with foreign mercenaries. They famously showed off ordinance that had printed on it "made in America".
2). The Assad Regime lies. They are a mendacious group that uses the truth and misinformation interchangeably as conditions may require.
Result: the purpose of the news item is to confirm worries already expresses in the press by Natanyahu's government that Assad will use his WMD if he has to.
Isre
Ale is doing all that it can to hold Assad in place.
23 July 2012, 22:49
00
Even if NATO forces attack,By the time the Syrian regime realizes what's going on, the sites where the chemical weapons are stored would be destroyed along side it's military..Syria does not stand a chance.
Funny how Syria didn't use it's chemical weapons on Israel in 2007 when Israel bombed Syria :p
Syria's all talk and no action
24 July 2012, 04:33
00
There is not chemical weapon more potent than the sting of the filthy crazy Sunnis. Where is the Pif-Paf? Where is the DDT? Where?
24 July 2012, 08:36
00
FlameThrower speaks nothing but truth, without syria lebnan will rumble, not because of syria itself but what america/israel would do once it has the green light,
why dont people understand and learn from mistakes made, look at libya, iraq, Afghanistan open your eyes if anything happens to syria unfortunately well have to say goodbye to lebanon
