Syria’s Use Of Chemical Weapons ‘Unacceptable’, Says Pentagon

A possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian authorities either against the opposition or someone else is ‘intolerable’ and ‘unacceptable,’ Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told a press briefing.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said earlier in the week that Syria may use chemical weapons against external aggression as the West pushes for a possible military intervention in the country torn by violent clashes between troops loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad and opposition forces.

Asked whether the Syrian regime makes any preparations so far to use chemical weapons against the opposition, Little said that he was unable “to speculate on Syrian intentions,” but added that the “Syrian regime should not use chemical weapons” by any means.

The official also said that currently the Syrian authorities provide good protection of its biological and chemical weapons facilities and that is what they should maintain doing.

“I think that over time we’ve seen that they [Syria] have maintained security around their chemical and biological weapons stockpiles,” he said, adding that it is hard for him “to give a day-by-day accounting of every chemical stockpile site in Syria,” but the Syrian regime must protect them.

In 1968, Syria joined the 1925 Geneva Protocol on the prohibition of the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of bacteriological methods of warfare.

The Syrian stockpiles of chemical weapons are believed to consist mostly of large amounts of Sarin, in addition to tabun (nerve agents) and mustard gas, and the country is reportedly producing and preparing VX for weapons.