Syria says chemical or biological weapons could be used if there is "external aggression"

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi speaks at a news conference in Damascus, Syria, July 15, 2012. / AP/SANA

(CBS/AP) BEIRUT, Lebanon - The Syrian regime acknowledged for the first time Monday that it possessed stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and said it will only use them in case of a foreign attack and never internally against its own citizens.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said the stockpiles are secure, in an apparent response to widespread international concerns that they could fall into the hands of the disparate bands of rebel forces fighting the government.

"No chemical or biological weapons will ever be used, and I repeat, will never be used, during the crisis in Syria no matter what the developments inside Syria," he said in conference broadcast on state TV. "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 is believed to have nerve agents as well as mustard gas, Scud missiles capable of delivering these lethal chemicals and a variety of advanced conventional arms, including anti-tank rockets and late-model portable anti-aircraft missiles.

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Makdissi also dismissed the latest overture from the Arab League, which offered Assad "safe exit" for him and his family if were to step down.

"This is wishful thinking," said Makdissi. "This is a blatant, immoral interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state." It was the second offer for safe exit for Assad which the regime has flatly rejected in recent weeks.

Israel has said it fears that chaos following Assad's fall could allow the Jewish state's enemies to access Syria's chemical weapons, and has not ruled out military intervention to prevent this from happening.

A senior U.S. intelligence official said the Syrians have moved chemical weapons material from the northern end of the country, where the fighting was fiercest, apparently to both secure it, and to consolidate it, which U.S. officials considered a responsible step.

But there has also been a disturbing rise in activity at all the installations, so the U.S. intelligence community is intensifying its monitoring efforts to track the weapons and try to figure out whether the Syrians are trying to use them, the official said. A surge of satellite mapping was evidenced by the release of dozens of unclassified images of Syria on Friday.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the still-evolving investigation.

[MagnaCartaUK]

Well I'll say one thing for your government, its military may get things wrong from time to time, but that's better than the Russians and Chinese who merely stand back, don't condemn, and in doing so ensure that they continue to sit on the fence and profit from their inaction. At least the U.S. condemns - and despite the international clamour for appeasement - they at least try to resolve things diplomatically first, and through force last of all. Don't knock your own country, regardless of who's President it may get things wildly wrong at times, and may allow too much corporate influence, but there's a great many nations who do nothing when a crisis erupts, and in doing so, do far worse. The U.S. is still a force for good, granted they're cavalier about it at times, but nevertheless still a force for international good. A great many are glad they were and still are.

[John782011]

Actually think it is time for the Spetnatz to do a mission into Syria and secure the weapons as peacefully as the Spetnatz are known for (Take fewer prisoners)

[inickat]

GWBush senior understood the region. He took away the fangs but stopped short of removing the entire dog from his post, leaving him just strong enough to keep everyone else quiet. There was no power struggle after Gulf War 1. And we only had to do overflights.

[michaelamsterdam]

"No chemical or biological weapons will ever be used, and I repeat, will never be used, during the crisis in Syria no matter what the developments inside Syria"

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Gee, wottaguy...a real humanitarian, that Assad

[KPeters_from_UK]

by BaghdadsHere_XXX July 23, 2012 3:53 PM EDT
Okay Barrack-Osama-R-terrorists, Just admit Bush did a great job in Iraq. That country oe now a stable democracy. What has Obanana accomplished im Afghanistan?
--------------------------------
Please telling me you are joking...please.

Stable...I'm choking. Yeah...stable.

[Retta in Las Vegas]

Yeah, who told this guy it was stable in Irag, what planet does he live on. And begging for us to give Bush some kinda credit,?,for what. Bet he thought Cheney was cool to, lol. Like Mittens, he is the problem, not the solution. Obama gets my vote, again!

[inickat]

If you want to make a change for the better in the Middle Eastern region, you need to be patient.
Plant a seed and wait for forty, sixty or eighty years until it has taken root and grown.
The sad fact is that a seed had been planted, but Bush, Blair, Cameron and Obama have destroyed the plant. Now it must start over again from day number one.

[inickat]

Know the devils' that you are dealing with and what they will do should they be forced from power.
Hitler took out his loss with a bloodletting of his own people.
And Saddam Hussein blew up the oil fields. The reason is that top dogs have so much pride in themselves that they refuse to bow before any other. They really would destroy everything than have what they consider a weaker and less qualified group or person reign in their stead.
Just leave things alone and go home. Keep your hands out of where they do not belong. Stop meddling. The civilians would greatly appreciate this.

[fiddlestickawshucks]

Anybody who believes one word that comes out of Assad's mouth is a complete idiot.

It's time for the UN to tell Russia (who is suspected of helping Assad by sending weapons to him) and China to "F" off.

The Arab League and all other UN countries should arm the rebels with everything but the kitchen sink, and let them eliminate this butcher once and for all.

[inickat]

Middle Eastern diplomacy can only be based upon top dog ideology. And top dog ideology means that you don't leave the dog house once you have subdued all of the other dogs or another will take your place.
Every leader in the region, including the so-called democratic leaders,have come to power through a long struggle until they proved themselves the strongest. Once they have attained that position, the others dutifully acknowledge him and grumbling obey.
To remove the top dog and not take his place is to leave a vacuum that will only be filled by repeating the process until another top dog finally subdues its opponents through violence.
If you are not willing to fill the post, then don't take out the top dog, for it will only be the people who pay the price for your interference.

[RDriftwood]

It's a good thing Bush/Cheney, McCain/Palin, or Romney aren't president. They would be spending 3 trillion to kill another 5000 US troops, permanently disable another 32,500 US troops, while getting hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians killed. All with nothing to show for it when it was over - 10 years or more from now.