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FSA: Syrian chemical weapons moved to borders
DEBKAfile July 24, 2012, 9:50 AM (GMT+02:00)
In a special statement, the rebel Free Syrian Army said Tuesday the government has moved chemical weapons to airports on its borders, along with equipment for mixing chemical components. Monday, the Syrian government threatened to use chemical weapons against “outside aggressors.” The FSA said: "We in the joint command of the Free Syrian Army inside the country know very well the locations and positions of these weapons.” In the FSA’s view, “The regime that has not fired a single bullet against Israel for three decades is certainly not going to use chemical weapons against that country.”
and recall.....
http://www.rt.com/news/syria-chemical-weapons-plot-532/
and.....
http://digitaljournal.com/article/326462
A media report claims armed Syrian rebels have taken possession of chemical weapons from Libya and plan to use them against civilians, then pin the blame on the Bashar al-Assad regime.
RT reported that the claim was made by the Syrian DamPress. According to the opposition groups are being trained in the use of the plundered chemical weapons in Turkey. In January Digital Journal reported an army of Wahhabi fighters was being trained on the Syrian-Turkish border, with the intent of regime change in Syria.
The report comes as Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, Israel's deputy military chief, warns that "Syria has the biggest chemical weapons stocks in the world."
Last week British journalist Alex Thomson accused Syrian rebels of setting him and his team up in a death trap. Writing on the Channel 4 News blog he described how Syrian rebels led his team to be set up and shot in Syria's "no man land." He said "I’m quite clear the rebels deliberately set us up to be shot by the Syrian Army. Dead journos are bad for Damascus."
Read more: http://digitaljournal.com/article/326462#ixzz21bPcX4kU
In a special statement, the rebel Free Syrian Army said Tuesday the government has moved chemical weapons to airports on its borders, along with equipment for mixing chemical components. Monday, the Syrian government threatened to use chemical weapons against “outside aggressors.” The FSA said: "We in the joint command of the Free Syrian Army inside the country know very well the locations and positions of these weapons.” In the FSA’s view, “The regime that has not fired a single bullet against Israel for three decades is certainly not going to use chemical weapons against that country.”
and recall.....
http://www.rt.com/news/syria-chemical-weapons-plot-532/
and.....
http://digitaljournal.com/article/326462
A media report claims armed Syrian rebels have taken possession of chemical weapons from Libya and plan to use them against civilians, then pin the blame on the Bashar al-Assad regime.
RT reported that the claim was made by the Syrian DamPress. According to the opposition groups are being trained in the use of the plundered chemical weapons in Turkey. In January Digital Journal reported an army of Wahhabi fighters was being trained on the Syrian-Turkish border, with the intent of regime change in Syria.
The report comes as Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, Israel's deputy military chief, warns that "Syria has the biggest chemical weapons stocks in the world."
Last week British journalist Alex Thomson accused Syrian rebels of setting him and his team up in a death trap. Writing on the Channel 4 News blog he described how Syrian rebels led his team to be set up and shot in Syria's "no man land." He said "I’m quite clear the rebels deliberately set us up to be shot by the Syrian Army. Dead journos are bad for Damascus."
Read more: http://digitaljournal.com/article/326462#ixzz21bPcX4kU
http://www.debka.com/article/22205/IDF-Syrian-chemical-threat-targets-Israel-Obama-warns-Assad-against-%E2%80%9Ctragic-mistake%E2%80%9D
IDF: Syrian chemical threat targets Israel. Obama warns Assad against “tragic mistake”
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 23, 2012, 11:09 PM (GMT+02:00)
Fighting in Aleppo, Syria's second city
Senior Israeli military officers, referring to the Syrian foreign ministry statement Monday, July 23, that Syria would only use chemical weapons against “external aggression,” found in it a direct threat by the Assad regime to turn those weapons against Israel. It was Syria’s rejoinder to Israel’s vow to use force against those chemical weapons to prevent them from reaching Hizballah’s hands in Lebanon.
Tensions between Syria and Israel, like its other neighbors - especially Jordan and Turkey – rose to a new pitch in the wake of the new Syrian statement.
Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said plainly Sunday that preventing Syria’s chemical weapons from “falling into the wrong hands” was a key to Israeli security, while Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he had ordered the Israeli military to prepare for a possible attack on Syria’s weapons arsenal, because “Israel cannot accept the transfer of advanced weapons from Syria to Lebanon.”
Tensions between Syria and Israel, like its other neighbors - especially Jordan and Turkey – rose to a new pitch in the wake of the new Syrian statement.
Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said plainly Sunday that preventing Syria’s chemical weapons from “falling into the wrong hands” was a key to Israeli security, while Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he had ordered the Israeli military to prepare for a possible attack on Syria’s weapons arsenal, because “Israel cannot accept the transfer of advanced weapons from Syria to Lebanon.”
Monday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague, catching onto Syria’s veiled threat, called it unacceptable: “This is typical of the complete illusion of this regime that they are the victims of external aggression.”
A few hours later, the UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon said in New York that he was “very concerned” that “Syria may be tempted to use chemical weapons.”
A few hours later, the UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon said in New York that he was “very concerned” that “Syria may be tempted to use chemical weapons.”
He was followed by Pentagon press secretary George Little who told reporters: “They should not think one iota about using chemical weapons,” he said. “We have been very strong in our statements inside the US government on the prospective use of chemical weapons and it would be entirely unacceptable.”
Finally, US President Barack Obama said Monday that “Assad will be held accountable if he makes the tragic mistake of using chemical weapons.
Finally, US President Barack Obama said Monday that “Assad will be held accountable if he makes the tragic mistake of using chemical weapons.
An Israeli officer told DEBKAfile that the Syrian foreign ministry’s statement was tantamount to a declaration that the Assad regime holds all the cards on when and against whom to use its chemical weapons. America, Israel, Jordan and Turkey have no say in the matter. Assad alone will decide if and when to wage chemical warfare against such enemies as Israel and Jordan, although he may be expected to follow Iran in refraining from going after American targets at this time.
He has, in other words, given himself carte blanche for resorting to chemical warfare at a time of his choosing by reiterating that his government is subject to external Arab and Western aggression.Israeli sources point out that the Syrian statement omitted any mention – certainly no denial - of the possible transfer of those weapons to Hizballah in Lebanon. The Assad regime must therefore be understood to reserve to itself that option, too, thereby laying Israel wide open to a direct threat. Israel and its military were alone in expressly vowing to prevent this transfer.
He has, in other words, given himself carte blanche for resorting to chemical warfare at a time of his choosing by reiterating that his government is subject to external Arab and Western aggression.Israeli sources point out that the Syrian statement omitted any mention – certainly no denial - of the possible transfer of those weapons to Hizballah in Lebanon. The Assad regime must therefore be understood to reserve to itself that option, too, thereby laying Israel wide open to a direct threat. Israel and its military were alone in expressly vowing to prevent this transfer.
“We understand the Syrian ruler to be preparing to expand the Syria war into Lebanon whence his troops can threaten northern and Mediterranean areas of Israel,” said a US military source.
Another development Monday portending the further exacerbation of the Syrian crisis was the announcement by Aeroflot that it was suspending flights to Damascus in two weeks “for economic reasons.”
It looks as though Moscow foresees a further downturn in the Syrian conflict and estimates that by early August intensified air force activity in Syrian skies will reach a dangerous level.
Sunday, July 22, DEBKAfile’s exclusive military sources outlined the military dilemma facing Israel with regard to the Syrian chemical weapon threat.
Another development Monday portending the further exacerbation of the Syrian crisis was the announcement by Aeroflot that it was suspending flights to Damascus in two weeks “for economic reasons.”
It looks as though Moscow foresees a further downturn in the Syrian conflict and estimates that by early August intensified air force activity in Syrian skies will reach a dangerous level.
Sunday, July 22, DEBKAfile’s exclusive military sources outlined the military dilemma facing Israel with regard to the Syrian chemical weapon threat.
and......
Monday tweets pertaining to WMD .....
Two hours for Syrian chemical weapons to reach Lebanon. Four armies prepared
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 22, 2012, 10:47 PM (GMT+02:00)
Syrian WMD-capable missiles
The IDF, the Turkish and Jordanian armies and US Middle East forces have switched to preparedness mode in the last few hours in case the Syrian chemical weapons arsenal starts moving west toward Lebanon,DEBKAfile’s military sources report. Acting in unison, those armies are on the ready for instantaneous action because it would take no more than two hours to cover the distance from Syria to the Hizballah-controlled Bakaa Valley of east Lebanon. Their arrival there, unless thwarted, would mean a war on Hizballah.
Therefore Israeli and US military chiefs prefer to stop the arsenal in its tracks before it moves across the border. This would call for surgically precise, rapid action against a target going to extreme lengths to stay concealed.
In the view of a senior US military source quoted by DEBKAfile, the risk is solid but it comes from a different direction. He stressed that “President Assad has not decided to hand over his chemical weapons to Hizballah, nor has Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah decided to accept them.”
The chemical stockpile is kept at the al-Safira base northwest of Damascus in the care of the president’s personal guard unit which takes orders from Bashar Assad and no one else. If the heads of that guard saw the regime suddenly collapse – as it was expected to do last Wednesday when assassins murdered the men closest to the president - the American official says, “It is impossible to predict how they will act or what use they will make of the weapons systems under their guard.”
“They may decide to sneak out of Syria to Lebanon and take with them the entire arsenal as insurance for their safety and future,” he suggested.
According to our military sources, the arsenal which could be spirited across to Lebanon contains a lot more than chemical weapons. It also includes Scud C and Scud D surface missles capable of delivering chemical warheads and also the Russian-made advanced Pantsyr-S1 (NATO codenamed SA-22 Greyhound) anti-air missiles, which have been guarding the chemical stocks.
According to our military sources, the arsenal which could be spirited across to Lebanon contains a lot more than chemical weapons. It also includes Scud C and Scud D surface missles capable of delivering chemical warheads and also the Russian-made advanced Pantsyr-S1 (NATO codenamed SA-22 Greyhound) anti-air missiles, which have been guarding the chemical stocks.
This background accounts for the words used by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak Sunday, July 22, to make their intentions clear:
“Israel would have to act if the Syrian regime collapsed without changing and if there’s a risk Syria’s chemical weapons and missiles could fall into the hands of military groups,” such as Hizballah or al Qaeda, Netanyahu said.
“Israel would have to act if the Syrian regime collapsed without changing and if there’s a risk Syria’s chemical weapons and missiles could fall into the hands of military groups,” such as Hizballah or al Qaeda, Netanyahu said.
Asked if Israel would act alone, he said that Syria’s stockpile was a “common concern” – hinting at the coordination in place between the Israeli, Turkish and Jordanian armies and US regional forces.
Barak was more specific: “I’ve ordered the Israeli military to prepare for a situation where we would have to weigh the possibility of carrying out an attack against Syrian weapons arsenals.” He told reporters.
Barak was more specific: “I’ve ordered the Israeli military to prepare for a situation where we would have to weigh the possibility of carrying out an attack against Syrian weapons arsenals.” He told reporters.
”The state of Israel cannot accept a situation where advanced weapons systems are transferred form Syria to Lebanon.”
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