Syrian Civil War: Where major nations stand on military intervention

Since the chemical attack which took place in the Eastern Ghouta region on 21-August the U.S has been urging the world to respond. This article attempts to review where major nations stand on military intervention.

The U.K

On 29-August the U.K government published internal legal advice which it said showed it is legally entitled to take military action against Syria, even if the United Nations Security Council blocks such action.

“If action in the Security Council is blocked, the UK would still be permitted under international law to take exceptional measures in order to alleviate the scale of the overwhelming humanitarian catastrophe in Syria,” a copy of the government’s legal position reads. Contrary to the announcement in a debate on the same day, Prime Minister David Cameron told parliament it was “unthinkable” that the U.K would launch military action against Syria if there was strong opposition at the Security Council.

Later that day parliament voted against authorizing military action in Syria; with 285 to 272 votes. The vote dealt Prime Minister David Cameron an unexpected blow although the vote was non-binding in practice the rejection of military strikes means Cameron’s hands are tied.

Cameron has continued to push for intervention. On 30-August, Cameron said that he regretted the failure of parliament to approve action but the U.K will to take a case to the United Nations. A “robust response” to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria is needed despite UK military involvement being ruled out.

“We will continue to take a case to the United Nations, we will continue to work in all the organisations we are members of – whether the EU, or Nato, or the G8 or the G20 – to condemn what’s happened in Syria.”

France

President Francois Hollande has said that the alleged chemical attacks in Damascus “must not remain unpunished”.

President Francois Hollande

He told the Le Monde newspaper on 30-Aug that while he was not in favor of “an international intervention that aims at ‘liberating’ Syria or overthrow the dictator,” he did think “a halt needs to be brought to a regime that commits irreparable harm on its population”.

Mr Hollande said the U.K. vote on 29-August made no difference to France’s position; Hollande is not constrained by the need for parliamentary approval of any move to intervene in Syria.

“Each country is sovereign to participate or not in an operation. That is valid for the U.K. as it is for France,” he said.

He said that if the UN Security Council was unable to act, a coalition would form including the Arab League and European countries.

“France will be part of it. France is ready.”

Germany

On 30-August German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle added Germany to the list of countries that would not be engaging in military action.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated that the use of chemical weapons in Syria had “broken a taboo” which “cannot remain without consequence”.

However, she categorically excluded German participation in any military action without prior approval from the international community.

“Germany cannot participate in any military intervention without a mandate from the United Nations, NATO or the EU,” she said.

Westerwelle told the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung newspaper that such action had “neither been asked nor is being considered by us,” according to comments pre-released by the paper.

“We are pushing for the United Nations Security Council to find a common position and for the work of UN inspectors to be finished as quickly as possible,” he added.

Merkel has hit out at Russia and China over their stance in the Syrian crisis, saying in an interview published on 31-August that their action weakened the United Nations.

“Those who look away despite the use of chemical weapons … encourage their use. That is why we are calling on Russia to send a signal along with the international community,” Westerwelle said in a separate interview published on 1-September in Welt am Sonntag weekly.

Russia

Russia objects to international intervention, after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected the case for ascribing culpability to the Syrian government at this time, adding that foreign military intervention would lead to “the destabilization of the country and the region”.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has demanded that the U. S. provide any evidence of the Syrian government’s alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians to the UN Security Council.

The Russian leader said evidence must be provided to the U.N. and denounces the idea that the Syrian government carried out the 21-August gas attack as “nonsense”.

Speaking to reporters on 31-August, Putin told journalists that it would be “utter nonsense” for the Syrian government to have used such weapons.

“Syrian government troops are on the offensive and have surrounded the opposition in several regions. In these conditions, to give a trump card to those who are calling for a military intervention is utter nonsense,” Putin told reporters in Vladivostok.

On 4-September Russian President Vladimir Putin called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a liar, claiming he had denied that al Qaeda was fighting with the Syrian opposition in that country’s civil war.

“This was very unpleasant and surprising for me. We talk to them (the Americans) and we assume they are decent people, but he is lying and he knows that he is lying. This is sad.”

Iran

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that allegations that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons last month are a “pretext” by the West to attack the country.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

“The United States is wrong about Syria, and it is certain they will suffer… just like in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Khamenei told members of the Assembly of Experts, the body that supervises his work, on 5-September.

Any military action against Syria will have consequences beyond the region and leave Israel in flames, Iran’s army chief of staff General Hassan Firouzabadi said in remarks reported on 29-August.

“Any military action against Syria will drive the Zionists to the edge of fire,” Firouzabadi said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

The chief of Iran’s elite Quds Force unit, Qassem Soleimani, said Tehran would back Syria “until the end” in the face of possible US-led military strikes.

“The aim of the United States is not to protect human rights… but to destroy the front of resistance against Israel.”

Article originally posted on The Pianosa Chronicle

Sources

Aljazeera Article “US to continue to seek Syria strike support”

BBC Article “France’s Hollande backs US on Syria action”

Aljazeera Article “Putin demands US provide Syria attack proof”

Aljazeera Article “Iran says US will suffer if Syria is attacked”

Syrian Civil War: The use of chemical weapons in Syria

The 21-August chemical attack was not the first of its kind carried out since the beginning of the Syrian civil war which has been on-going since March, 2011. From a little online research I have found six other alleged uses of chemical weapons since December, 2012. The U.N. has also commented on the attacks and accused the Syrian opposition of using chemical weapons.

The first alleged use of chemical weapons was reported on 23-December, 2012. Six or seven people were allegedly killed, depending on which report you read, in Homs by a “poisonous gas” used by the Assad regime. The coverage included the report of side effects such as nausea, relaxed muscles, blurred vision, and breathing difficulties.

According to Dr. Abu al Fida, who treated about 30 of the approximately 100 people who were affected by the mysterious gas:

"It's still an apparent misuse, but the chemical was found to not be Sarin or the banned "Agent 15," despite showing clinical similarities to both.”

As a consequence of the attack, on 15-January a U.S. Department communication from the U.S. consul general in Istanbul said there was compelling evidence that the Syrian military had used a chemical weapon known as Agent 15. Agent 15 is similar to 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate or BZ, a powerful hallucinogen. While Syria is well-known to have a massive supply of chemical weapons, international observers haven’t ordinarily included BZ on the list.

Over the years, there have been rumors of BZ being used on a battlefield — including one that Iraqi insurgents dosed themselves with the drug to pump up their aggressiveness. If the 15-January communication is accurate, it would be the first confirmed case of BZ employed as a weapon.

A day later, 16-January, Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said that the alleged incident of chemical weapons use was not consistent with information that the White House has about Syria’s chemical weapons program.

On 19-March two more alleged uses of chemical weapons were reported in Syria’s two main cities of Aleppo and Damascus The attacks reportedly killed between 25 and 31 people and injured dozens more. The Assad regime claimed that Syrian opposition forces were responsible for the attacks and on 20-March requested the United Nations conduct an investigation.

Four days later on 24-March Syrian opposition activists reported that Syrian forces had used chemical weapons from multiple rocket launchers at the town of Adra, northeast of Damascus, reporting to have killed 2 people and wounding 23. Doctors described that the weapons used were phosphorus bombs that harm the nervous system and induce imbalance and loss of consciousness.

On 13-April the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the Syrian army dropped two gas bombs on rebel-controlled Aleppo, killing 2 people and wounding 12. Opponents of the Syrian government accused the army of using chemical weapons.

Another attack allegedly took place on 29-April. A helicopter dropped canisters containing chemical weapons on the town of Saraqeb; 8 people claimed symptoms such as nausea and breathing problems, and one of them later died.

The world looks to the United Nations to verify the use of chemical weapons and on 5-May, 2012 it did.

Carla Del Ponte member of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic

"According to the testimonies we have gathered, the rebels have used chemical weapons, making use of sarin gas," del Ponte, a former war crimes prosecutor and member of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, said in an interview with Swiss radio on 5-May.

"We still have to deepen our investigation, verify and confirm (the findings) through new witness testimony, but according to what we have established so far, it is at the moment opponents of the regime who are using sarin gas," she added.

Ms. del Ponte, a former Swiss prosecutor and attorney general, told Swiss TV: “Our investigators have been in neighboring countries interviewing victims, doctors and field hospitals. According to their report of last week, which I have seen, there are strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof of the use of sarin gas, from the way the victims were treated.”

In response Rebel Free Syrian Army spokesman Louay Almokdad denied that rebels had used chemical weapons.

“In any case, we don’t have the mechanism to launch these kinds of weapons, which would need missiles that can carry chemical warheads, and we in the FSA do not possess these kind of capabilities,” Mr. Almokdad told CNN.

“More importantly, we do not aspire to have (chemical weapons) because we view our battle with the regime as a battle for the establishment of a free democratic state. … We want to build a free democratic state that recognizes and abides by all international accords and agreements — and chemical and biological warfare is something forbidden legally and internationally.”

As mentioned in my last article “Syrian Civil War: 21-August Chemical Attack” evidence exists that the Syrian opposition do have chemical weapons. If the U.S is waiting for a U.N analysis, one exists from back in May suspecting the opposition of using chemical weapons.

Article originally posted on The Pianosa Chronicle

Sources:

The Telegraph Article “UN accuses Syrian rebels of chemical weapons use”

The Washington Times Article “Syrian rebels used Sarin nerve gas, not Assad’s regime: U.N. official”

Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/IICISyria/Pages/AboutCoI.aspx

The Syrian War What You're Not Being Told

What's really going on in Syria? Let's look at the evidence.

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UK Government Shock Defeat on Syria War Vote.

British MPs reject military intervention in Syria

UK government motion on Syria intervention has been rejected by a 285 to 272 margin after British lawmakers rejected an opposition Labour amendment calling for more information about the deployment of chemical weapons in Syria.

The Labour amendment was defeated Thursday by 332 votes to 220, with a government majority of 112. “A number of Tories in the no lobby with Labour,” wrote Labour MP Jon Trickett. 

British Prime Minister David Cameron has asserted that such action would put a halt to human rights atrocities in Syria, while Labour party MPs said they required more evidence of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s guilt to intervene in the Middle Eastern nation’s two-year civil war.

MPs on both side of the aisle expressed doubt over British involvement in Syria during a six hour debate in the House of Commons. Cameron called back lawmakers from their summer vacation to determine whether Britain would join US-led military action in Syria, if the US decides to do so in the coming days. 

Cameron, while advocating for limited attacks against the Assad government, admitted he was not “100% certain” that Assad was behind a recent chemical attack, but that it was “highly likely”.

Cameron admitted it was clear the British Parliament did not want action and said he “will act accordingly.”

One MP shouted “resign” as Cameron pledged he would not order an attack.

The vote came just before US President Barack Obama was scheduled to meet with congressional lawmakers and other key leaders to brief them on possible military action in Syria. White House deputy spokesman Josh earnest told reporters Thursday that the US was prepared to “go it alone” in Syria to protect American “core national security interests.” 

“The president of the United States is elected with the duty to protect the national security interests of America,” he said. “The decisions he makes about our foreign policy is with our national security interests front and center.”

Doug Brandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, told The Guardian that “caution has grown” within the Obama administration over as recent developments have progressed.  

“I think they’ve found over the last couple of days both a lack of support at home, both among the American people and Congress, and then the look internationally and suddenly they don’t feel quite so surrounded by friends,” he said.

Source: RT News

America behind the Syrian chemical attacks.

On August 21st, 2013 chemical weapons were used the Syrian conflict yet again. Western powers, the U.S. and France in particular enthusiastically didn't hesitate for even a moment to take advantage of the tragedy, decrying it as a crime against humanity and using it as a springboard to announce their preparations for military strikes against the Syrian government. 



Make no mistake this was a crime against humanity... but the gas was NOT used by the Syrian government, it was used by the NATO backed rebels. In this video we're going to show you definitive evidence to support this claim and we're going explain the U.S. and NATO's motive for committing such an atrocity. The leaked documents that we are going to be presenting are available for you to download yourself. You'll find a in a link in the description to that download and you'll also find links to the mainstream articles we used in our research.


Leaked Britam Defence Syrian documents for download:http://stormcloudsgathering.com/leake...

Chemical weapons confirmed in Syrian conflict:http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/20...

U.S. helped Saddam as he was using chemical weapons on Iran:http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles...


CIA and Mossad both say the Iran hasn't even made the decision to seek a nuclear weapon: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy...

Iran and Syria confront US with defense pact:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2005...

Iran already sending troops to Syria: http://rt.com/news/iran-troop-deploym...

The proxy war in Syria: http://www.globalresearch.ca/americas...

The U.S. funneling weapons to rebels through Qatar:http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012...

Russia opposes arming militants in Syria:
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/05...

Russia warns Syria/Iran Crisis may go nuclear:http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/0...


UK Quatar plot to frame Syria for Chemical weapons:
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/01...


The March 19th, 2013 Sarin Attack:
Israel and the U.S. blame Assad:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines...

Obama's red line: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/world...

U.N. launches their own probe:http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/0...

According to the U.N. investigation the March 19th chemical weapons attack turned out to be committed by the rebels:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middl...

Russia agrees: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/0...

The August 21st, 2013 Chemical Attack:
Syrian soldiers enter rebel tunnels, find chemical agents
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/0...

Video from attack apparently shows the rockets were small and primitive:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/0...

Iran says they have proof rebels used chemical weapons:
http://news.yahoo.com/iran-says-proof...

Turkey finds sarin gas in homes of suspected Syrian Islamists
http://rt.com/news/sarin-gas-turkey-a...

FSA says they are going to use chemical weapons from now on:http://www.israelnationalnews.com/New...

Caught! U.S & U.K Back False Flag Chemical Attack In Syria

This as close as it gets to having proof that the US and UK had a plan to launch a chemical weapon attack on Syria and blame it on Assad's regime!

Get the cached copy before its gone:

http://web.archive.org/web/20130129213824/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270219/U-S-planned-launch-chemical-weapon-attack-Syria-blame-Assad.html




U.S. 'backed plan to launch chemical weapon attack on Syria and blame it on Assad's regime'

Leaked emails from defense contractor refers to chemical weapons saying 'the idea is approved by Washington'

Obama issued warning to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last month that use of chemical warfare was 'totally unacceptable'

By LOUISE BOYLE

PUBLISHED: 14:16 EST, 29 January 2013 | UPDATED: 14:16 EST, 29 January 2013

Leaked emails have allegedly proved that the White House gave the green light to a chemical weapons attack in Syria that could be blamed on Assad's regime and in turn, spur international military action in the devastated country.

A report released on Monday contains an email exchange between two senior officials at British-based contractor Britam Defence where a scheme 'approved by Washington' is outlined explaining that Qatar would fund rebel forces in Syria to use chemical weapons.

Barack Obama made it clear to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last month that the U.S. would not tolerate Syria using chemical weapons against its own people.

According to Infowars.com, the December 25 email was sent from Britam's Business Development Director David Goulding to company founder Philip Doughty.

It reads: 'Phil... We've got a new offer. It's about Syria again. Qataris propose an attractive deal and swear that the idea is approved by Washington.

'We'll have to deliver a CW to Homs, a Soviet origin g-shell from Libya similar to those that Assad should have.

'They want us to deploy our Ukrainian personnel that should speak Russian and make a video record.

'Frankly, I don't think it's a good idea but the sums proposed are enormous. Your opinion?

'Kind regards, David.'

Britam Defence had not yet returned a request for comment to MailOnline.

The emails were released by a Malaysian hacker who also obtained senior executives resumés and copies of passports via an unprotected company server, according to Cyber War News.

Dave Goulding's Linkedin profile lists him as Business Development Director at Britam Defence Ltd in Security and Investigations. A business networking profile for Phil Doughty lists him as Chief Operationg Officer for Britam, United Arab Emirates, Security and Investigations.

The U.S. State Department had not returned a request for comment on the alleged emails to MailOnline today at time of publication.

However the use of chemical warfare was raised at a press briefing in D.C. on January 28.

A spokesman said that the U.S. joined the international community in 'setting common redlines about the consequences of using chemical weapons'.

A leaked U.S. government cable revealed that the Syrian army more than likely had used chemical weapons during an attack in the city of Homs in December.

The document, revealed in The Cable, revealed the findings of an investigation by Scott Frederic Kilner, the U.S. consul general in Istanbul, into accusations that the Syrian army used chemical weapons in the December 23 attack.

An Obama administration official who had access to the document was reported as saying: 'We can't definitely say 100 per cent, but Syrian contacts made a compelling case that Agent 15 was used in Homs on Dec. 23.'

Mr Kilner's investigation included interviews with civilians, doctors, and rebels present during the attack, as well as the former general and head of the Syrian WMD program, Mustafa al-Sheikh.

Dr. Nashwan Abu Abdo, a neurologist in Homs, is certain chemical weapons were used. He told The Cable: 'It was a chemical weapon, we are sure of that, because tear gas can't cause the death of people.'

Eye witness accounts from the investigation revealed that a tank launched chemical weapons and caused people exposed to them to suffer nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, delirium, seizures, and respiratory distress.

The symptoms suggest that the weaponized compound Agent-15 was responsible. Syria denied using chemical weapons and said it would never use them against citizens.

Speaking to Pentagon reporters at the time, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said his biggest concern was how the U.S. and allies would secure the chemical and biological weapons sites scattered across Syria and ensure the components don't end up in the wrong hands if the regime falls, particularly under violent conditions.

Government forces and rebels in Syria have both been accused by human rights groups of carrying out brutal warfare in the 22-month-old conflict, which has claimed more than 60,000 lives.

Here's another LINK where the UN accuses Syrian rebels of carrying out sarin gas attacks which had been blamed on Assad's troops

Carla Del Ponte said UN Commission investigating war crimes in Syria has 'strong, concrete suspicions' that rebels used chemical weapons

Her remarks contradict statements by the U.S. and UK which said intelligence indicated Syrian soldiers used the weapons

THIS IS ANOTHER FALSE FLAG!!!...REMEMBER IRAQ AND THE "WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION" THAT WHERE NON EXISTANT?

IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN!

PLEASE SHARE AND SPREAD THE TRUTH!

Reports of Massive Chemical Attack in Syria

Mass Murder or Mass Media? Reports of chemical attack in Syria as UN observers arrive

'Only rebels benefit from Syria chem attack, as it may greenlight intervention'

Conflicting reports emerged of recent chemical weapons use in Syria. This comes on the same day that the UN inspectors arrive in Damascus to investigate allegations of use of toxic arms. The casualty figures range from dozens to almost 1,300 deaths.

Initially, Al-Arabiya posted news of 280 victims on Twitter. Later, the news outlet upgraded the figure up to 1,188 victims quoting the Free Syrian Army. 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had a much lower figure, claiming dozens of people were killed, including children. 

News agencies such as Reuters and AP mostly put the numbers of victims at hundreds, but say that reports can't be independently verified. 
George Sabra, the president of the Syrian National Council – Syria’s main opposition group – claimed that some 1,300 people were killed in government forces attacks near Damascus on Wednesday, and alleged that chemical weapons were used. 

Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul, Sabra also claimed it was “not the first time the regime has used chemical weapons.” He added that he considered the Wednesday attack a “turning point” in Assad’s military operations, alleging that the chemical were used “for annihilation rather than terror.” 

Meanwhile, an RT Arabic correspondent managed to contact some locals who say they haven't witnessed any “poisonous attack” in the area. However, they point out that gunfire can be heard. 

Syrian authorities issued a statement saying there is “no truth whatsoever” to reports of chemical weapons use near Damascus. 

The incident reportedly took place in Ghouta, on the green agricultural belt territory surrounding the Syrian capital.  

The Ghouta region on the outskirts of Damascus is known for its opposition inclinations and has been the site of past clashes between government forces and the rebels.

“Jabhat al-Nusra has had a long-time presence there and the region has borne the brunt of sustained military pressure for months now," Charles Lister, an analyst at IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center, told Reuters, referring to a hardline Sunni Islamist rebel group allied to al-Qaeda.  

The European Union has called for a "thorough and immediate" investigation of an alleged chemical attack in Syria.

"We have seen with grave concern the reports of the possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. Such accusations should be immediately and thoroughly investigated," said EU foreign policy spokesman, Catherine Ashton.

"The EU reiterates that any use of chemical weapons, by any side in Syria, would be totally unacceptable." 
The news emerged on the day UN inspectors arrive in Damascus to examine suspected cases of chemical weapons use in the war-torn country.

The UN expert and the head of the current mission to Damascus, Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom, told news agency TT that while he had only seen TV footage, the high number of casualties reported sounded suspicious. 

"It sounds like something that should be looked into," he told TT by phone. "It will depend on whether any UN member state goes to the secretary-general and says we should look at this event. We are in place."

He said that the high numbers of killed and wounded being reported are "suspicious."

Among those who also voiced their concern are the Arab league spokesman and UK foreign secretary William Hague. 
However, the Assad government denied there had been any use of chemical weapons. Dr. Abdulqader Azouz told RT’s Arabic channel Rossiya al-Yaum the Syrian army was “winning the battle against the rebels” and there was no need for chemical weapons.

“America has always put the pretext of using chemical weapons on the top of its agenda as a means of intervention in Syria,” Azouz told Rossiya al-Yaum. He went on to stress that the Syrian government has pledged “its commitment to full cooperation with the investigation committee and other specialized committees.”

Media reports about Syrian government troops using chemical weapons near Damascus are aimed at misleading international observers, the Syrian ambassador in Russia, Riyadh Haddad told Interfax.

“It’s not true,” he stressed.

Videos of attack aftermath emerge 
Several videos showing alleged victims of the attack emerged online. The footage shows people lying on the ground, moaning and shouting, with some of them unconscious. One of the videos shows a man shivering violently while lying on the ground, as though he has a fever. Another piece of footage shows a grief-stricken father whose daughters were apparently killed in the attack. 
Some footage allegedly showing the aftermath of the attack has been compiled by Reddit.com news portal. 

Meanwhile, Syrian state news outlet Sana reported there had been strikes on rebel strongholds in the area which “demolished a number of terrorists' hideouts, leaving many of them dead and injured.”

Sana said there had been strikes in the villages of Jouber, Erbin and Zamalka in Damascus Countryside.

Weeks ago, the United Nations pointed out that an agreement had been reached with Assad’s government as to the three locations that UN inspectors would be examining, with the mission led by Swedish scientist, Ake Sellstrom. 

The UN received some 13 reports of alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria and the UN inspectors will be investigating the “allegations” of chemical weapons use, rather than determining who was behind the attacks.  
In July, Russia submitted to the UN its analysis of samples taken west of Aleppo. Russia’s findings indicated that it was rebels behind the Khan al-Assal incident, in which more than 30 people died. 

The US contradicted the Russian findings, stressing they had their own data which proved that the government forces were behind the attack. However, Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the UN commission’s inquiry into rights violations in Syria, said the evidence provided by the US did not meet required standards. 

The Obama administration repeatedly called the use of chemical weapons in Syria “a red line.”

Source: RT News