Obama: Syria to Be Accountable for Any Use of Chemical Arms
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday warned the Damascus regime it would be held accountable for any use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria in a move which would spark an international response.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Obama said the use of chemical agents against the Syrian people would be a "grave and tragic mistake" and a "game-changer."
"The Assad regime must understand they will be held accountable," he said.
His remarks came a day after the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad traded accusations with rebel forces over the use of chemical weapons in a deadly attack in the northern province of Aleppo on Tuesday which killed 31 people.
On Tuesday, Damascus accused rebel forces of launching a missile "containing chemical materials," with its allies Russia and Iran condemning opposition forces over the alleged attack.
Opposition forces denied using chemical weapons, instead accusing the regime of having itself used the banned munitions.
But Obama said he was highly doubtful about claims the rebels had used chemical agents.
"I am deeply skeptical of any claim that in fact it was the opposition that used chemical weapons," he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, during a joint news conference in Jerusalem with Obama, Israeli President Shimon Peres warned against chemical arms falling into the wrong hands.
"Fortunately the Syrian nuclear capacity was destroyed but unfortunately the arsenal of chemical weapons remain. We cannot allow those weapons to fall into terrorists' hands -- it could lead to an epic tragedy," Peres said.
Washington said there was no evidence that rebels had fired chemical weapons, but said it would consult its allies on claims that the regime had used them.
Israel has consistently raised the alarm over Damascus's stockpiles of chemical weapons, raising fears they could fall into the hands of Hizbullah or other militant groups operating in Syria.
"On our northern border Iran's proxy Hizbullah continues to stockpile arms and threaten our civilians while they target innocent people across the world," Peres said.
"Hizbullah is destroying Lebanon and supporting the brutal massacre of the Syrian people by President Assad," he charged.
But Peres said the biggest danger remained Iran's nuclear program, which Israel and much of the West believes is a guise for a weapons drive.
"The greatest danger is a nuclear Iran ... We trust your policy which calls first to try by non-military means with a clear statement that there are other options on the table," he said, expressing a confidence which is rarely expressed by Israeli officials.
"You made it clear that your intention is not to contain but to prevent."
Obama did not comment on the content of their discussions, but said it had given him a chance to talk with Peres on a whole range of topics "from the historic changes that are taking place across the region, to the perils of a nuclear-armed Iran, to the imperatives of peace between Israelis and Palestinians."
20 March 2013, 19:48
46
"Hizbullah is destroying Lebanon and supporting the brutal massacre of the Syrian people by President Assad," he charged.
he isnt wrong here!
20 March 2013, 21:12
42
lol.... pure FPM stupidity... no surprise. not even worth commenting.
20 March 2013, 22:45
00
They are both destroying each other, and this is what your enemy wants. Hopefully, the affected people in the region can go to sleep with the confidence that their respective religions are looking for their best interest and will keep them safe.
21 March 2013, 06:32
21
FT is right on this. It means nothing that sakr was a journalist... Ga3ga3 was a dentist. Bashar was gonna b an eye doctor.
Anyway, sakr is the go between for saad. Hariri was the PM, I'm sure he knows enough mokhabarat for the both of them. Sakr is the link inside turkey, while harriri raises funds in Saudi.
Idk why anyone denies this. It's common sense, and should be expected. ... Hizballah (Shia) are helping Assad n Iran, while Mostaqbal and other Sunni groups r helping fsa n Saudi. Why are u surprised?
20 March 2013, 20:59
16
If Hezbollah is a brain tumor for Lebanon. Israel is a Leukemia or the the entire region. They're both killers and a nuisance for a healthy people.
20 March 2013, 21:10
33
Yes.....didn't expect anything more out of your rear/mouth/posts ya diaperboy. Sho ghaleez! You think you are contributing anything with these lame posts other than your high level of stupidity and immaturity!
21 March 2013, 00:01
22
poor FT... he keeps justifying what the syrian regime does but does not want other to say he is defending it... he s got a real issue. hypocrisy it is called...
really in desperate need to see a shrink all the more urgent as he suffers from a superiority complex typical of FPMers...
he is getting stupider by the day but entertains us like the fool of a king.
21 March 2013, 00:09
22
by supporting aoun his sheep followers support the one that always said that till the assad stay in power it will never bring any good to lebanon but now lick his boots.
by supporting aoun they support the one who always said that hezbollah was a terrorist party and now licks their boots...
many more documented and easily verifiable facts can be said on this man who turn his back on what he has always been saying for years when it was in his interests and now that his interests changed also changes his views...
FPMers are just supporting a liar, a hypocrit and weak minded man....
and they criticizejoumblatt for changing his mind? LOL aoun is ten times worse! LOL
that is why they do not deserve any respect and they support a man that does not respect what he has been saying for years and for what many of his followers died.. they are just stabbed a second time by him...
21 March 2013, 00:14
22
what is treacherous in helping syrian rebels fighting for freedom and wanting to overthrow a regime that we know how evil it is? even hamas the ally of hezbis said that....
what is noble in helping assad?
can any M8ers tell us?
21 March 2013, 01:23
22
lol... nothing more to add to your stupidity when your posts just say the contrary to what you are trying to justify...
and you d better get your facts straight about aoun and read carefully his previous speeches about syria and stop twisting them to suit your stupid FPM propaganda...
but maybe your brain cannot handle the fact that his present behavior contradicts totally what he kept saying before... i pity your idiocy poor lost FPMer...
you should be proud to stab a second time all the aounists who believed in him and died for him because of your beloved assad regime that you keep defending... proud to support a hypocrit who told the mothers of those disappeared in the syrian jails to forget about it and turn the page!!
that s what "going forward" means in an FPM mouth... you are just disgusting.
21 March 2013, 02:13
12
i just pity you more and more poor FT... though you are as entertaining as your aoun clown, no wonder you adore him to the point of defending his radical change in opinions just to satisfy his greed of power...
the worse thing in your pathetic and desperate support is that all you say to defend him can easily be denied by facts, speeches, reports, interviews he made previously! whatever you say make you even more ridiculous!
if speaking with emotions as you put it to recall you how many aounist died in the hands of your syrian friends make you laugh then you have even less dignity than i thought to spit on those poor patriots in the sake of your propaganda... you give us the true image of FPMers: nothing to do with those who defended aoun before he allied with M8...
that is what make you look so stupid and disgusting :)
21 March 2013, 02:19
12
oh Poor FT: i am precisely sticking to the point and commenting your pathetic attempts to spit on those who help the fsa...but you failed to see it and understand...
i am just supporting what aoun always supported before he allied with his new pimps: the departure of the assad regime... he always wanted that before but now those who want it you call them traitors...
aoun was a hero to want that at the time but those who want that now are traitors, ironic no?
very short memory, very convenient LOL!
see how stupid you are....
21 March 2013, 02:22
12
syria is still meddling in lebanese affairs but FPMers refuse to see that and support it when they used to denounce it before 2005... hypocrisy at its best
