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Obama Says U.S. Is Looking at Chemical Arms Claims in Syria Obama Says U.S. Is Looking at Chemical Arms Claims in Syria
(about 1 hour later)
President Obama said Wednesday that the United States was investigating claims that chemical weapons had been used in Syria the day before and that he was “deeply skeptical” of the Syrian government’s assertion that the insurgency had deployed such weapons. JERUSALEM — Showing solidarity with Israel’s growing concern about chemical weapons in neighboring Syria, President Obama stated bluntly on Wednesday that if an investigation he had ordered found proof that the Syrian military had used such weapons it would be a “game changer” in American involvement in the civil war there.
The president’s remarks were strong in tone and suggested that if Washington finds evidence that such weapons had been used he would hold the Syrian government responsible. On the first day of his first trip to Israel as president, in which Israeli officials stated their own conclusion that chemical weapons had been used in an attack on Tuesday in Syria, Mr. Obama’s remarks represented both an effort to warn the Syrian government of the consequences of using its chemical arsenal and to signal his administration’s support for Israel, the central point of his visit.
On more than one occasion Mr. Obama has said that the deployment of chemical weapons in the two-year-old Syrian conflict would be a “red line” for the United States, which supports the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad but has not provided military aid to the rebels fighting him. Mr. Assad’s military is known to have large stockpiles of chemical arms. American officials reiterated that they did not have independent evidence that chemical weapons had been used, and the president made clear that it would require proof gathered by investigators before he would come to any conclusions. Mr. Obama, while vocal in his opposition to the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, has been reluctant to involve American forces in support of the opposition. Presidential aides made clear that he was not signaling any change in that regard.
Mr. Obama’s remarks, at a news conference in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, were his first public reaction to the reports on Tuesday that chemical weapons had been used in Syria. Both sides in the conflict have accused the other of responsibility but there has been no independent evidence that the weapons were used. But Mr. Obama’s remarks, in which he pointedly left open the possibility that President Assad’s government had used chemical weapons — and all but ruled out Mr. Assad’s assertions that insurgents had used them — were unusually strong in tone.
“We intend to investigate thoroughly exactly what happened,” Mr. Obama said in response to a question. “I’ve instructed my teams to find out precisely what happened, what we can document, what we can prove.” “Once we establish the facts, I have made clear that the use of chemical weapons is a game changer,” Mr. Obama said at a news conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.
Mr. Obama said “I’ve instructed my teams to find out precisely whether this red line was crossed.” Again and again during his visit, Mr. Obama signaled that the United States and Israel were partners on a broad range of issues, reinforcing their historic alliance and America’s stated commitment to protect Israeli security. Mr. Obama pointedly emphasized his administration’s pledge to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, one of Mr. Netanyahu’s greatest fears.
However, Mr. Obama continued, even though he does not have all the facts, “We know the Syrian government has the capacity to carry out chemical attacks” and that he was “deeply skeptical of any claim that it was the opposition that used chemical weapons.” But concern about chemical weapons in Syria were a major focus of the day.
Mr. Obama spoke after both the Syrian opposition and the government had escalated their mutual accusations of chemical weapons use, with both sides demanding an international investigation. Two senior ministers in Israel’s new cabinet said publicly on Wednesday that chemical weapons had been used, and several government officials said in interviews that Israel had credible evidence of an attack. The ministers, Tzipi Livni and Yuval Steinetz, were among those who met with Mr. Obama here on the first day of his trip.
The National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, the umbrella political group that wants to topple President Assad, said in a statement that it “condemns these attacks and holds the Assad regime fully responsible for shedding Syrian blood.” The group said the attacks killed at least 19 civilians and left 69 others short of breath, with some in critical condition. A senior American official, however, said Mr. Netanyahu had not presented conclusive evidence of an attack in his closed-door discussions with Mr. Obama. The president’s words may have been intended to reassure Mr. Netanyahu, who has long feared that Mr. Assad’s stockpiles of chemical weapons could be used against Israelis.
In a statement from its Cairo headquarters, the coalition accused government forces of carrying out two chemical weapons attacks on Tuesday — one in the Khan al-Assal area of northern Aleppo Province, as originally asserted, and a second strike in the Ataybah area of suburban Damascus. In Washington, the American ambassador to Syria, Robert S. Ford, testified before Congress that the United States still did not have proof that the weapons had been used. But he added, “We take these reports and these possibilities very seriously.”
“The coalition demands a full international investigation,” the statement said. “All evidence now indicates that the Assad regime is using these weapons against its own people.” Mr. Obama’s remarks were his first public reaction to the reports on Tuesday that chemical weapons had been used. They seemed calculated, in part, to counter claims by both the Syrian government and its major supporter, Russia, that opposition forces had mounted a chemical attack against the government.
“We intend to investigate thoroughly exactly what happened,” Mr. Obama said. “I’ve instructed my teams to find out precisely what happened, what we can document, what we can prove.”
While Mr. Obama cautioned that he did not have all the facts, he said, “We know the Syrian government has the capacity to carry out chemical attacks” and that he was “deeply skeptical of any claim that it was the opposition that used chemical weapons.”
Israeli officials provided no proof of their assertions but appeared more confident that chemical weapons had been used.
Ms. Livni, the new Israeli justice minister, said in an interview with CNN, “It’s clear for us here in Israel that it’s being used,” adding, “This, I believe, should be on the table in the discussions.”
Mr. Steinetz, the minister for strategic affairs, said on Israel’s Army Radio, “It’s apparently clear that chemical weapons have been used against civilians by the rebels or the government.”
Two senior Israeli officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak, said that Israel was sure that chemicals were used, but did not have details about what type of weapons were used, where they came from, when they were deployed, or by whom.
A third senior official, also refusing to be identified, said, “It is possible that chemical weapons were used, or some concoction of chemical substances,” but that he had not “seen clear confirmation.”
Mr. Obama spoke after both the Syrian opposition and the government escalated their mutual accusations of chemical weapons use, with both sides demanding an international investigation.
The National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, the umbrella political group that wants to topple Mr. Assad, said in a statement that it “condemns these attacks and holds the Assad regime fully responsible for shedding Syrian blood.” The group said the attacks killed at least 19 civilians and left 69 others short of breath, with some in critical condition.
The coalition accused government forces of carrying out two chemical weapons attacks on Tuesday — one in the Khan al-Assal area of northern Aleppo Province, as originally asserted, and a second strike in the Ataybah area of suburban Damascus.
Ambassador Ford, in his testimony, also said that the United States was investigating reports of attacks in the north, and in the suburbs of Damascus.
At the United Nations, the Syrian ambassador, Bashar Jaafari, told reporters that his government had also requested an official inquiry to corroborate its claims that insurgents — not government forces — had used the weapons. Mr. Jaafari said he had delivered a letter to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s office seeking a “specialized, independent and neutral technical mission to investigate the use by the terrorist groups operating in Syria of chemical weapons yesterday against civilians.”At the United Nations, the Syrian ambassador, Bashar Jaafari, told reporters that his government had also requested an official inquiry to corroborate its claims that insurgents — not government forces — had used the weapons. Mr. Jaafari said he had delivered a letter to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s office seeking a “specialized, independent and neutral technical mission to investigate the use by the terrorist groups operating in Syria of chemical weapons yesterday against civilians.”
Mr. Ban’s spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said the request was under study.Mr. Ban’s spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said the request was under study.
Mr. Nesirky also repeated Mr. Ban’s reaction to the first allegations of chemical weapons use on Tuesday, saying, “The secretary general remains convinced that the use of chemical weapons by any party under any circumstances would constitute an outrageous crime.”Mr. Nesirky also repeated Mr. Ban’s reaction to the first allegations of chemical weapons use on Tuesday, saying, “The secretary general remains convinced that the use of chemical weapons by any party under any circumstances would constitute an outrageous crime.”
Israeli officials, who have repeatedly expressed concern about chemical weapons in neighboring Syria, suggested in their most recent comments that such arms were used on Tuesday. Yuval Steinitz, the newly appointed minister of intelligence and strategic affairs, told Israel’s Army Radio on Wednesday, “It’s apparently clear that chemical weapons have been used against civilians by the rebels or by the government.” But he provided no specific information to corroborate the claim. Fears about Syria’s growing instability are shadowing Mr. Obama on each stop of this trip. On Thursday, he will visit the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, who is expected to raise worries about the plight of Palestinians in Syria. On Friday, he will meet King Abdullah in Jordan, which has been flooded with Syrian refugees.
American intelligence officials have been deeply skeptical that chemical weapons were used in the attacks but have not ruled out the possibility that Mr. Assad’s forces may have used them.

Mark Landler reported from Jerusalem, and Rick Gladstone from New York. Reporting was contributed by Anne Barnard from Beirut, Lebanon, Jodi Rudoren and Isabel Kershner from Jerusalem, Michael R. Gordon from Washington, and Neil MacFarquhar from the United Nations.

The chemical weapons issue came up again on Wednesday during an appearance by the American ambassador to Syria, Robert S. Ford, at a Congressional hearing in Washington. "So far we have no evidence to substantiate the reports that chemical weapons were used yesterday," Mr. Ford said during testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. But he also emphasized that the United States was still investigating the episode.
“We take these reports and these possibilities very seriously, and we are using all of our available means to determine what happened,” he said.

Anne Barnard contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon; Isabel Kershner from Jerusalem; and Michael R. Gordon from Washington.