Nato warns Syria not to use chemical weapons
The warning from Nato secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen came as the US government obtained information that Syria was making what could be seen as preparations to use its chemical arsenal.
Syrian forces, meanwhile, bombarded rebel districts near Damascus in a sustained counter-attack to stem rebel gains aroundAssad’s power base as the insurgency may be entering a decisive phase.
International concern over Syria’s intentions has been heightened by reports that its chemical weapons have been moved and could be prepared for use.
“The possible use of chemical weapons would be completely unacceptable for the whole international community and if anybody resorts to these terrible weapons I would expect an immediate reaction from the international community,” Rasmussen told reporters before a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Brussels.
The chemical threat made it urgent for the alliance to send Patriot anti-missile missiles to Turkey, he said.
France’s foreign ministry referred to “possible movements on military bases storing chemical weapons in Syria” and said the international community would react if they were used.
US President Barack Obama told Assad on Monday not to use chemical weapons, without saying how the US might respond. The foreign ministry in Damascus said it would never use such weapons against Syrians.
The US has collected what has been described as highly classified intelligence information demonstrating that Syria is making what could be construed as preparations to use elements of its extensive chemical weapons arsenal.
One source said that there was no question that the US “intelligence community” had received information pointing to “preparations” under way in Syria related to chemical weapons.
Meanwhile, the state news agency said that 28 students and a teacher were killed near the capital when rebels fired a mortar bomb on a school. Rebels have targeted government-held residential districts of the capital.
The mainly Sunni Muslim rebel forces have made advances in recent weeks, seizing military bases, including some close to Damascus, from forces loyal to Assad, who is from Syria’s Alawite minority linked to Shi’ite Islam. Assad has increasingly resorted to air strikes against the insurgents.
The United Nations and European Union both said they were reducing their presence in Syria in response to the escalated violence around the capital. A spokesman for UN humanitarian operations said the move would not stop aid deliveries to areas which remained accessible to relief convoys.
— Reuters
