White House: Syrian Use of Chemical Weapons Would 'Cross a Red Line'

White House: Syrian Use of Chemical Weapons Would 'Cross a Red Line'

In the wake of reports that Syria is not only moving components for chemical weapons but actually mixing chemicals to make Sarin gas, the White House is warning that the use of chemical weapons would “cross a red line.”

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, “They will be held accountable by the United States and the international community if they use chemical weapons or fail to meet their obligations to secure them.”

Although Carney would not say if the White House thinks Bashar al-Assad is ready to use the weapons, he did point out that Assad has been unable to stop the opposition to this point. 

“As the opposition makes strategic advances and grows in strength, the Assad regime has been unable to halt the advance through conventional means,” Carney noted.

Carney said the concern is that Assad will grow desperate and in that desperation may seek to accomplish with chemical weapons what he has been unable to accomplish with conventional ones. 

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