Syria Denies Use of Chemical Weapons, Obama: We Need More Evidences

Local Editor

US President Barack Obama said Friday that any use of chemical weapons by Syria would be a "game changer," but he confirmed that his country needs more evidence regarding the issue.

"We cannot stand by and permit the systematic use of weapons like chemical weapons on civilian populations," Obama said.
However, he mentioned that more evidence of such use was still needed, including when and how the deadly agents might have been used.

He said the US, along with the United Nations, would seek to "gather evidence on the ground" in Syria to solidify intelligence assessments.
"Horrific as it is when mortars are being fired on civilians and people are being indiscriminately killed, to use potential weapons of mass destruction on civilian populations crosses another line with respect to international norms and international law," Obama told reporters at the White House as he met with Jordan's King Abdullah.

"That is going to be a game changer. We have to act prudently," Obama said. "We have to make these assessments deliberately. But I think all of us ... recognize how we cannot stand by and permit the systematic use of weapons like chemical weapons on civilian populations."
Obama said the chemical weapons threat had added "increased urgency" in the Syrian crisis but cautioned that it would time to sort things out.
"For the Syrian government to utilize chemical weapons on its people crosses a line that will change my calculus and how the United States approaches these issues," he viewed.
Emerging from a closed-door briefing with Secretary of State John Kerry in Congress, House Republicans and Democrats expressed uncertainty about the appropriate next step as the Obama administration considers limited military options.

No lawmaker pressed for military invasion by the US, after more than 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Syria denied firing chemical weapons and accused the armed groups of using them.
"This has been done by organizations, including al-Qaeda, which threatened to use chemical weapons against Syria. They have carried out their threat near Aleppo. There were victims," Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said in Moscow.
The US-British and Western allegations in general on that issue do not have any credibility."

Al-Zoubi held the Western sides directly responsible for what happened in Khan al-Assal, saying they want now to hide behind this "fabricated and false" talk to justify their silence on failing the investigation mission requested by Syria and to exonerate the terrorists.

The Minister added that the US is already involved in large-scale terrorist operations in the world and is involved in Syria now because of its support for and silence on the terrorism committed by the terrorist groups.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org