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NATO Plans Missile Defenses for Turkey U.S. Warns Syria on Chemical Weapons
(about 4 hours later)
BRUSSELS — NATO’s plan to buttress Turkey against potential attack from Syria calls for deploying American, German and Dutch Patriot missile-defense batteries under the operational control of the alliance’s military command, Western officials said Monday. WASHINGTON — President Obama warned Syria on Monday not to use chemical weapons against its own people, vowing to hold accountable anyone who did, even as American intelligence officials picked up signs that such arms might be deployed in the fighting there.
The plan, which is expected to be endorsed by NATO’s foreign ministers when they meet in Brussels on Tuesday, would be the most direct action in the Syrian conflict yet by the alliance, which has remained cautious about intervention there. The White House said it had an “increased concern” that the government of President Bashar al-Assad was preparing to use such weapons, effectively confirming earlier reports of activity at chemical weapons sites. The administration said it would take action if they were used, suggesting even the possibility of military force.
The move has been given added impetus by reports in recent days of increased activity at some of Syria’s chemical-weapons sites, officials said. For months, Turkey has expressed growing concerns about the potential of missile attacks from Syria as relations between the two countries have worsened, and last month it requested the deployment of Patriot batteries. “Today I want to make it absolutely clear to Assad and those under his command: The world is watching,” Mr. Obama said in a speech at the National Defense University in Washington. “The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable. If you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences and you will be held accountable.”
A senior NATO official said the political strategy was for the alliance to declare its support for Turkey’s request for help in strengthening its air defenses and to welcome the intention of the three allied nations that have Patriot missile batteries to deploy the systems in Turkey. It would then be up to the United States, Germany and the Netherlands to decide how many batteries to deploy and how long they should stay. Neither the president nor his aides would specify how it would hold Syrians accountable, but the White House confirmed that contingency plans had been drawn for direct action. The president’s statement amplified similar warnings issued by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton earlier in the day in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, which represents the interests of the United States in Damascus now that the American Embassy there has been closed.
Surveys are being conducted of 10 potential sites, mostly in southeastern Turkey, each of which could be defended by one or more Patriot batteries. But the alliance does not have enough batteries to cover all of the sites, so fewer sites will be protected, the NATO official added, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “This is a red line for the United States,” Mrs. Clinton said. “I am not going to telegraph in any specifics what we would do in the event of credible evidence that the Assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people. But suffice it to say, we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur.”
A senior American official traveling to the NATO meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday said it would probably take several weeks to deploy the missile-defense systems in Turkey. The sharpening language came as NATO was preparing to buttress its member Turkey against a potential attack from Syria. A plan expected to be endorsed by the alliance’s foreign ministers during two-days of meetings that begin Tuesday in Brussels calls for deploying American, German and Dutch Patriot missile-defense batteries under the operational control of the NATO military command, Western officials said Monday.
The Patriot batteries, the NATO official said, would be configured to defend against a ballistic missile attack from Syria. In an antimissile mode, the Patriot missiles fired by the batteries would have a range of 16 miles, which means they would not be able to cross into Syrian airspace. Such a move would be the most direct action in the Syrian conflict by the alliance, which has remained cautious about intervention there. But for months, Turkey has expressed concerns about the potential of missile attacks from Syria as relations between the two countries have worsened, and last month Ankara asked for Patriot batteries.
The move to deploy the Patriots has spurred speculation among some experts who favor greater international involvement in the conflict in Syria that it might be an indirect means to extend protection to the forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad in northern Syria by programming the batteries to target Syrian warplanes that are mounting attacks in that part of the country. As the United States and its allies tried to forestall the conflict from escalating, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the government “would not use chemical weapons, if it had them, against its own people under any circumstances.” The statement was reported on Syrian state television and on the Lebanese channel LBC.
But NATO and American officials were adamant that that was not the purpose of the Patriot deployments, and that the point would be made explicit when the action was approved. “There is no safe haven,” the senior American official said, referring to proposals by nongovernmental experts that the Patriots be used to protect northern Syria. “There is no de facto cross-border aspect to this.” Mr. Obama has called for Mr. Assad to step down but has shied away from taking direct action sought by Syrian rebels. With the election over, advisers are considering a more robust response, including possibly providing arms to the rebels and recognizing the opposition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
The possible establishment of a no-flight zone in Syria, officials added, is not on NATO’s agenda this week. In essence, the purpose of the Patriot deployment at this stage, officials said, is to contain the crisis in Syria. By deploying the Patriot batteries, NATO is seeking to discourage Syria from threatening Turkey for its support of Syrian insurgents. At the same time, the alliance is also sending a message to Turkey that it has NATO’s support and, thus, should not feel pressured to intervene in Syria to head off attacks against its territory, officials said. But Mr. Obama avoided any mention of such actions in his speech. “We will work to support the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, engaging with the opposition, providing them with the humanitarian aid and working for a transition to a Syria that’s free of the Assad regime,” he said.
Once deployed, the batteries would be under the operational control of NATO’s top military commander, Adm. James G. Stavridis. So the United States, which has been extremely cautious in its policy toward Syria, and other NATO members would maintain control. Jay Carney, the president’s press secretary, hinted at possible military action in response to any use of chemical weapons but declined to specify options. “We think it is important to prepare for all scenarios,” he said. “Contingency planning is the responsible thing to do.”
The Turkish military, which has been seeking support for the Patriot deployment from NATO, despite the alliance’s wariness about getting involved in the Syrian conflict, made a similar point in a statement on Monday, asserting that deployment was “a measure entirely aimed at defense.” Mrs. Clinton flew from Prague to Brussels for the NATO meeting. A senior NATO official said the alliance would declare its support for Turkey’s request for help and welcome the intention of three allied nations to deploy Patriot missile batteries there. It would then be up to the United States, Germany and the Netherlands to decide how many batteries to deploy and for how long.
The Turkish-Syria border has been tense, with Syrian artillery fire striking Turkish territory. On Monday, a Syrian airstrike on a Syrian town near the border prompted Turkey to scramble F-16 fighters, Reuters reported. Surveys are being conducted of 10 potential sites, mainly in southeastern Turkey, but a senior American official traveling with Mrs. Clinton said it would probably take several weeks to deploy the batteries. Once deployed, they would be under the operational control of NATO’s top military commander, Adm. James. G. Stavridis.
The pending move has prompted speculation that it might be an indirect way of extending protection to forces opposing Mr. Assad in northern Syria by targeting Syrian warplanes operating there. But NATO and American officials were adamant that was not the purpose.
“There is no safe haven,” the American official with Mrs. Clinton said. “There is no de facto cross-border aspect to this.”
Instead, officials said the idea was to discourage Syria from threatening Turkey for supporting Syrian insurgents — and to discourage Turkey from feeling pressured to intervene to head off attacks against it. The Turkish military issued a statement Monday calling the deployment “a measure entirely aimed at defense.”

Peter Baker reported from Washington, and Michael R. Gordon from Brussels.