Obama: Syria to Be Accountable for Any Use of Chemical Arms
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."
Source: Agence France Presse
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