State Dept. Warns Syria’s WMD Stockpile Could Fall Into Wrong Hands When Assad Regime Collapses

February 25th, 2012 |

Author: Rachel

Many of the fighters running to join the rebels in Syria are from Al Qaeda, which means that if they succeed in toppling Assad, his stash of WMD weapons could end up in the hands of Al Qaeda terrorists.

From Haaretz:

The United States is coordinating with Syria’s neighbors to safeguard Syrian President Bashar Assad’s stockpile of weapons of mass destruction in the event Assad is ousted by popular unrest, Foreign Policy reported on Friday.

Assad’s reported stockpile of chemical and biological weapons has been a cause for concern ever since the onset of his 11-month violent crackdown on opposition protests.

Earlier this month, opposition sources reported that Syria’s military has begun stockpiling chemical weapons and equipping its soldiers with gas masks near the city of Homs.

Opposition activists said they had received reports that the Syrian army had transferred a significant quantity of grenades and mortars containing chemical agents to a school building in Homs.

The opposition also reported that gas masks were being distributed to soldiers at roadblocks.

On Friday, Foreign Policy, citing three different U.S. officials, reported that the United States sent out a secret message to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, warning them about WMD’s crossing over their borders at the event of the collapse of Assad’s regime.

Read more at Haaretz

State Department Warning Region About Danger Of Syria’s Vast WMD Stockpile Once Regime Crumbles

Report: Western Countries Turning Blind Eye To Weapons Purchases By Syrian Rebels