The Washington Post.
President Obama warned Syria on Monday that deploying chemical
weapons is “totally unacceptable,” after what U.S. officials said were
new intelligence reports that the Damascus government is preparing such
munitions for possible use.
Obama told the government of President Bashar al-Assad that
“there will be consequences, and you will be held accountable” if it
used any part of its stockpile of chemical weapons, including sarin gas,
the deadly nerve agent.
A U.S. intelligence official said “we
have pretty good visibility” into Syria’s depots, and a second U.S.
official said intelligence gathered in recent days has raised alarms.
The second official said it was unclear whether the Assad government
planned to move beyond the preparation stage to deploying the weapons.
After months of dogged, siegelike fighting, rebel forces have begun to
make significant advances in Syria, raising questions about Assad’s
durability and desperation.
The Obama administration has resisted
any direct intervention in the conflict, but hard evidence that Syria
had weaponized its chemical stocks could trigger the use of U.S. troops
to secure the materials. A senior American official, who like other
officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss contingency
plans and intelligence, said some U.S. forces have begun to run drills
so they are ready to seize chemical weapons in Syria if ordered.
