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| Syria Fires Scud Missiles at Insurgents, U.S. Says | Syria Fires Scud Missiles at Insurgents, U.S. Says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have fired Scud missiles at rebel fighters in recent days, Obama administration officials said on Wednesday. | WASHINGTON — Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have fired Scud missiles at rebel fighters in recent days, Obama administration officials said on Wednesday. |
| The move represents a significant escalation in the fighting, which has already killed more than 40,000 civilians in a nearly two-year-old conflict that has threatened to destabilize the Middle East, and suggests increased desperation on the part of the Assad government. | |
| One American official, who asked not to be identified because he was discussing classified information, said that missiles had been fired from the Damascus area at targets in northern Syria. | One American official, who asked not to be identified because he was discussing classified information, said that missiles had been fired from the Damascus area at targets in northern Syria. |
| “The total is number is probably north of six now,” said another American official, and that the targets were in areas controlled by the Free Syrian Army, the main armed insurgent group. | “The total is number is probably north of six now,” said another American official, and that the targets were in areas controlled by the Free Syrian Army, the main armed insurgent group. |
| It is not clear how many casualties resulted from the attacks by the Scuds — a class of Soviet-era designed missiles made famous by Saddam Hussein of Iraq during the first Gulf War. But it appeared to be the first that the Assad government had fired the missiles at targets inside Syria. | It is not clear how many casualties resulted from the attacks by the Scuds — a class of Soviet-era designed missiles made famous by Saddam Hussein of Iraq during the first Gulf War. But it appeared to be the first that the Assad government had fired the missiles at targets inside Syria. |
| American officials did not say how they had monitored the missile firings, but American intelligence has been closely following developments in Syria through aerial surveillance and other methods, partly out of concern that Mr. Assad may resort to the use of chemical weapons in the conflict. | American officials did not say how they had monitored the missile firings, but American intelligence has been closely following developments in Syria through aerial surveillance and other methods, partly out of concern that Mr. Assad may resort to the use of chemical weapons in the conflict. |
| The Obama administration views the Assad government’s use of Scud missiles as a “significant escalation” of the conflict, said a senior official. It also shows, he said, the increasing pressure on Mr. Assad, since Scuds are primarily defensive weapons, being used by the government offensively against a counterinsurgency. | |
| “Using Scuds to target tanks or military bases is one thing,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Using them to target rebels hiding in playgrounds at schools is something else.” | “Using Scuds to target tanks or military bases is one thing,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Using them to target rebels hiding in playgrounds at schools is something else.” |
| Military experts said that move may reflect the Assad government’s worries that its aircraft have been vulnerable to rebel air defenses. In recent weeks, rebel forces have captured Syrian military bases, seized air-defense weapons and used some of them to fire at Syria warplanes. But one expert said that the government may have decided to use large missiles in order to wipe out military bases — and the arsenals they hold — that had been taken over by the opposition. | |
| The Obama administration has yet to comment publicly on the missile attacks, but a senior administration official alluded to the development in a briefing for reporters on Tuesday. | The Obama administration has yet to comment publicly on the missile attacks, but a senior administration official alluded to the development in a briefing for reporters on Tuesday. |
| “The Syrian regime has used aircraft,” the administration official said. “It has used artillery, and it appears that it has even used missile to attack the Syrian population and to attack what was a peaceful protest movement.” | “The Syrian regime has used aircraft,” the administration official said. “It has used artillery, and it appears that it has even used missile to attack the Syrian population and to attack what was a peaceful protest movement.” |
| There have been other indications of Syrian government use of missiles. The Local Coordinating Committees, an anti-government activist network in Syria, reported from its Damascus office in an e-mail late Tuesday that "Regime forces are firing land missiles that are capable of carrying chemical warheads." The group did not elaborate on what the missiles were or where the information came from. | There have been other indications of Syrian government use of missiles. The Local Coordinating Committees, an anti-government activist network in Syria, reported from its Damascus office in an e-mail late Tuesday that "Regime forces are firing land missiles that are capable of carrying chemical warheads." The group did not elaborate on what the missiles were or where the information came from. |
| The developments came as representatives of more than 100 countries and organizations that support the anti-Assad movement met in Morocco and endorsed a newly formed insurgent coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. President Obama formally acknowledged that coalition, known as the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, in an interview on Tuesday with ABC. | The developments came as representatives of more than 100 countries and organizations that support the anti-Assad movement met in Morocco and endorsed a newly formed insurgent coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. President Obama formally acknowledged that coalition, known as the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, in an interview on Tuesday with ABC. |
| But the leader of the freshly minted coalition took issue with a decision by the Obama administration to classify the militant Al Nusra Front — one of several armed groups fighting Mr. Assad — as a foreign terrorist organization and urged the United States to review that decision. | But the leader of the freshly minted coalition took issue with a decision by the Obama administration to classify the militant Al Nusra Front — one of several armed groups fighting Mr. Assad — as a foreign terrorist organization and urged the United States to review that decision. |
| The coalition leader, Sheik Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib, said “the logic under which we consider one of the parts that fights against the Assad regime is a terrorist organization is a logic one must reconsider.” | The coalition leader, Sheik Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib, said “the logic under which we consider one of the parts that fights against the Assad regime is a terrorist organization is a logic one must reconsider.” |
| He also said: “We love our country. We can differ with parties that adopt political ideas and visions different from ours. But we ensure that the goal of all rebels is the fall of the regime.” | He also said: “We love our country. We can differ with parties that adopt political ideas and visions different from ours. But we ensure that the goal of all rebels is the fall of the regime.” |
| He was speaking after the Moroccan organizers of the conference said a declaration recognizing the new coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people had been adopted by the 114 representatives at the gathering. News reports said the draft declaration adopted by the meeting also called on Mr. Assad to “stand aside” to permit a “sustainable political transition” after the months of revolt and bloodshed that have claimed tens of thousands of lives and sent hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing into neighboring countries. | He was speaking after the Moroccan organizers of the conference said a declaration recognizing the new coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people had been adopted by the 114 representatives at the gathering. News reports said the draft declaration adopted by the meeting also called on Mr. Assad to “stand aside” to permit a “sustainable political transition” after the months of revolt and bloodshed that have claimed tens of thousands of lives and sent hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing into neighboring countries. |
| The document also warned against any use by government forces of chemical or biological weapons, saying such action would be met by a “serious response.”. The Syrian authorities have denied that they would use chemical weapons against their own people. | The document also warned against any use by government forces of chemical or biological weapons, saying such action would be met by a “serious response.”. The Syrian authorities have denied that they would use chemical weapons against their own people. |
Aida | Reporting was contributed by Mark Landler from Washington, Aida Alami from Marrakesh, Morocco, Alan Cowell from London and Anne Barnard from Beirut, Lebanon. |