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Syria threatens to use chemical weapons on outside forces Syria insists chemical weapons would only be used against outside forces
(about 2 hours later)
Syria has threatened to use deadly chemical or biological weapons if it is attacked by outside forces and rejected a call by the Arab League for President Bashar al-Assad to step down to end the country's escalating crisis.
Under mounting international pressure, the Damascus government scored what observers ridiculed as a devastating own goal on Monday by effectively admitting that it possessed an arsenal of the banned weapons – the source of recent concern as the situation has deteriorated. Syria has made it clear that it would only use deadly chemical or biological weapons if it was attacked by outside forces and flatly rejected a call by the Arab League for President Bashar al-Assad to relinquish power to end the country's escalating crisis.
Jihad Makdissi, the foreign ministry spokesman, was responding to public and private warnings from Israel and the US by insisting that these weapons would only be used in case of a foreign attack on Syria and not against its own people. Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, added his voice to a chorus of alarm over the issue as the Damascus government scored what observers ridiculed as a damaging own goal on Monday by admitting for the first time that it possessed an arsenal of the banned weapons.
"No chemical or biological weapons will ever be used, and I repeat, will never be used ... no matter what the developments inside Syria," Makdissi said. "All of these types of weapons are in storage and under security and the direct supervision of the Syrian armed forces and will never be used unless Syria is exposed to external aggression." "It would be reprehensible if anyone in Syria would use weapons of mass destruction," Ban told reporters during a visit to Serbia. "Threatening to use chemical weapons is monstrous," said Germany's foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle.
William Hague, Britain's foreign secretary, seized on the statement to attack Assad. "This is typical of the complete illusion of this regime that they are the victims of external aggression," he said. "What is actually happening is their own people are rising up against a brutal police state. It is nothing to do with any aggression from anywhere else in the world and, in any case ,it is unacceptable to say that they would use chemical weapons under any circumstances." Jihad Makdissi, the Syrian foreign ministry spokesman, was responding to public and private warnings from Israel and the US by insisting that the weapons would only be used in case of a foreign attack on Syria and not against its own people, as the opposition has warned could happen.
Until now, Syria has never officially confirmed it has chemical weapons, though it is no surprise that it does. Like Israel, it not a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the treaty which outlaws production. Israel also has a large but undeclared arsenal of nuclear weapons outside the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. "No chemical or biological weapons will ever be used, and I repeat, will never be used … no matter what the developments inside Syria," he said at a press conference, reading from a prepared statement. "All of these types of weapons are in storage and under security and the direct supervision of the Syrian armed forces and will never be used unless Syria is exposed to external aggression."
Syria also rebuffed the Arab League's call from the Qatari capital Doha for Assad to go and for opposition forces to set up a transitional government of national unity. "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," Makdissi said. "All their statements are hypocritical." Makdissi sought to link Syria to Iraq's experience before the 2003 US-led invasion by claiming that the issue was being raised to "justify and prepare the international community's military intervention in Syria under the false pretext of WMD [weapons of mass destruction]".
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are leading supporters of the Free Syrian Army, the opposition's main armed wing. But William Hague, Britain's foreign secretary, seized on the remarks to attack Assad. "This is typical of the complete illusion of this regime that they are the victims of external aggression," he said. "What is actually happening is their own people are rising up against a brutal police state. It is nothing to do with any aggression from anywhere else in the world and in any case it is unacceptable to say that they would use chemical weapons under any circumstances."
Qatar's prime minister Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani urged Assad to take the "courageous" decision to surrender power in order to save his country, where fierce fighting continued to rage between government troops and rebels. An estimated 17,000-19,000 people have been killed in the last 16 months. Until now, Syria has never officially confirmed it has chemical weapons, though it is no surprise that it does. Like Israel, it is not a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the treaty banning production. Israel also has a large, undeclared arsenal of nuclear weapons outside the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
In a sign that Iran, Syria's main ally in the region, is also acknowledging the pressure on Assad, its influential parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani, proposed that Syria hold presidential elections as a way to end the civil war. Assad's enemies insist he must go at once, without conditions. Syrian opposition sources said the regime had been rattled by warnings from Israel that it would act to prevent weapons being transferred to Hizbullah in Lebanon or falling into the hands of jihadi-type groups fighting Assad.
Syria also quickly rebuffed the Arab League's call from the Qatari capital, Doha, for Assad to go in return for "safe passage" for him and his family and for opposition forces to set up a transitional government of national unity.
"If the Arab nations who met in Doha were honest about wanting to stop the bloodshed they would have stopped supplying arms and stop their instigation and propaganda," Makdissi said. "All their statements are hypocritical."
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are leading supporters of the Free Syrian Army, the opposition's main armed wing. Qatar's prime minister, Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani, urged Assad to take the "courageous" decision to surrender power in order to save Syria, where fierce fighting continues to rage between government troops and rebels. An estimated 17,000-19,000 people have been killed in the last 16 months.
Last week's bomb attacks in Damascus, which killed four of Assad's top security advisers, combined with fighting in the capital and Aleppo, have been widely seen as a turning-point for the regime.
In Brussels, European Union foreign ministers voted to tighten sanctions and to require all member states to search aeroplanes and ships suspected of carrying weapons or banned equipment into Syria. The decision added 29 names to a list of more than 170 individuals and companies associated with repression or benefiting from Assad's regime.