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| Israeli general: Syrian 'regime has used and is using chemical weapons' | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The Syrian regime has deployed lethal chemical weapons, probably the nerve gas Sarin, in recent months, Israel's top military intelligence analyst has told a security conference in Tel Aviv. | The Syrian regime has deployed lethal chemical weapons, probably the nerve gas Sarin, in recent months, Israel's top military intelligence analyst has told a security conference in Tel Aviv. |
| "There's a huge arsenal of chemical weapons in Syria. Our assessment is that the [Assad] regime has used and is using chemical weapons," said Brigadier-General Itai Brun, head of military intelligence research at the Israeli Defence Forces. | "There's a huge arsenal of chemical weapons in Syria. Our assessment is that the [Assad] regime has used and is using chemical weapons," said Brigadier-General Itai Brun, head of military intelligence research at the Israeli Defence Forces. |
| Photographs of victims which showed them foaming at the mouth and with contracted pupils were signs that gas had been used, Brun said at a conference organised by the Institute for National Security Studies. "To the best of our understanding, there was use of lethal chemical weapons. Which chemical weapons? Probably Sarin." | Photographs of victims which showed them foaming at the mouth and with contracted pupils were signs that gas had been used, Brun said at a conference organised by the Institute for National Security Studies. "To the best of our understanding, there was use of lethal chemical weapons. Which chemical weapons? Probably Sarin." |
| He specifically referred to 19 March among "a number of incidents" in which chemical weapons had been used by the regime, and criticised the lack of response by the international community. | He specifically referred to 19 March among "a number of incidents" in which chemical weapons had been used by the regime, and criticised the lack of response by the international community. |
| "The regime has increasingly used chemical weapons" from its "huge arsenal", Brun said. "The very fact that they have used chemical weapons without any appropriate reaction – this is a very worrying development, because it might signal that this is legitimate." | "The regime has increasingly used chemical weapons" from its "huge arsenal", Brun said. "The very fact that they have used chemical weapons without any appropriate reaction – this is a very worrying development, because it might signal that this is legitimate." |
| The British and French governments said in letters to the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, last week that there was credible evidence that Syria had used chemical weapons since December in or near the cities of Homs, Aleppo and Damascus. | The British and French governments said in letters to the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, last week that there was credible evidence that Syria had used chemical weapons since December in or near the cities of Homs, Aleppo and Damascus. |
| President Bashar al-Assad's regime claimed opposition forces used chemical weapons last month. State television claimed that more than 30 people had been killed in an attack near Aleppo after "terrorists fired rockets containing chemical materials". | President Bashar al-Assad's regime claimed opposition forces used chemical weapons last month. State television claimed that more than 30 people had been killed in an attack near Aleppo after "terrorists fired rockets containing chemical materials". |
| Opposition activists said regime forces had fired poison gas, hitting their own troops and nearby civilians. | Opposition activists said regime forces had fired poison gas, hitting their own troops and nearby civilians. |
| On a visit to Israel last month, Barack Obama said the deployment of chemical weapons inside Syria could be a "game changer" for the US. | On a visit to Israel last month, Barack Obama said the deployment of chemical weapons inside Syria could be a "game changer" for the US. |
| Israel has repeatedly warned of the risks of Syria's stockpiles of chemical weapons falling into the hands of the regime's Lebanese allies Hezbollah or jihadist groups currently embroiled in the two-year civil war inside Syria. | Israel has repeatedly warned of the risks of Syria's stockpiles of chemical weapons falling into the hands of the regime's Lebanese allies Hezbollah or jihadist groups currently embroiled in the two-year civil war inside Syria. |
| In January, Israeli military planes attacked a convoy of anti-aircraft weapons that it said were being transferred to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The attack also damaged a site near Damascus believed to be a chemical and biological weapons research facility. | In January, Israeli military planes attacked a convoy of anti-aircraft weapons that it said were being transferred to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The attack also damaged a site near Damascus believed to be a chemical and biological weapons research facility. |
| Last week, the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said Israel would defend itself if Syria's chemical weapons and anti-aircraft weapons fell into the hands of Hezbollah or jihadists. | Last week, the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said Israel would defend itself if Syria's chemical weapons and anti-aircraft weapons fell into the hands of Hezbollah or jihadists. |
| "We are prepared to defend ourselves if the need arises and I think people know that what I say is both measured and serious," he told the BBC. Brun echoed Netanyahu's comments at Tuesday's conference, saying: "We have to be very bothered by the possibility that chemical weapons are going to get into the hands of less responsible actors … It is certainly possible that there will be other incidents of attack against Israel by other organisations that obtain different types of weapons." | "We are prepared to defend ourselves if the need arises and I think people know that what I say is both measured and serious," he told the BBC. Brun echoed Netanyahu's comments at Tuesday's conference, saying: "We have to be very bothered by the possibility that chemical weapons are going to get into the hands of less responsible actors … It is certainly possible that there will be other incidents of attack against Israel by other organisations that obtain different types of weapons." |
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