Chemical weaponsSyrian rebels trained in handling, securing chemical weapons
The United States and some of its European have issues contracts to defense contractors to train Syrian rebels on how to identify, handle, and secure chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria; some of the training is done in Jordan, but some of the contractors are already inside Syria, where they, and U.S. intelligence operatives, are working closely with friendly rebel groups to monitor Syria’s chemical weapons production and storage sites
Free Syrian forces are being trained in control of chemical weapons // Source: innlebanon.com
The United States, Israel, Jordan, and Turkey have been closely following the chemical weapons situation in Syria – and coordinating their likely action should such action be required.
The two latest signs of the heightened state of readiness:
CNN reports that the United States and some of its European have issues contracts to defense contractors to train Syrian rebels on how to identify, handle, and secure chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria.
The Assad regime’s military position is deteriorating, and the regime no longer controls about 70 percent of the country. The United States wants to prevent a repetition of the situation in Libya, where anti-regime rebels took over military bases from the retreating Libya military, bases in which the rebels found thousands of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, chemical weapons stockpiles, and more.
Before CIA operatives on the ground, NATO forces, and friendly militias could secure these bases, some rebel leaders sold some of the advanced weapons to Hamas. Iran, which financed this arms transfer to Hamas, also paid rebel leaders for about 800 chemical warheads and artillery shells to be delivered to the Gaza Strip, but Israeli special forces, operating deep inside Sudan, killed the Hamas operatives who were on their way to Libya to finalize the deal.
CNN reports that the training is conducted in military bases in Jordan and Turkey. Some of the contractors are already inside Syria, where they, and U.S. intelligence operatives, are working closely with friendly rebel groups to monitor Syria’s chemical weapons production and storage sites.
CNN quotes a U.S. official to say that this surveillance of Assad’s chemical weapon sites, which began in earnest about eight weeks ago, enabled U.S. intelligence to spot the moving of a few dozens of weapons ten days ago from storage to military bases where the weapons system which would deliver them are stationed, and also spot, this past Tuesday and Wednesday, the Syrian military making these weapons operational by mixing precursors for chemical weapons and loading those compounds into bombs.
The Sunday Times reports that Israeli special forces have been operating inside Syria for some time now, closely monitoring Syria’s chemical and biological weapons storage sites. In case Israel decide to destroy these sites from the air, these forces would serve as spotters for guided munitions launched from a distance. Israel used the same tactics on 6 September 2007, when special forces on the ground used lasers beams to guide precision-guided munitions which destroyed a Syrian nuclear reactor in northeast Syria.
The U.S. military has also been working closely with Jordan’s military to train Jordanian soldiers in the event they would be sent into Syria to secure chemical weapons sites. These Jordanian soldiers would soon also be involved in training some of the rebels in the same mission.
Countries involved in or related to the situation in Syria have also been firm on the chemical weapons issue.
Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, warned over the weekend that the transfer of Syrian chemical weapons to Hezbollah would be a “game changer.”
“Were those weapons to pass into the wrong hands — Hezbollah’s hands for example — that would be a game-changer for us,” he told Fox News Sunday.
“We have a very clear red line about those chemical weapons passing into the wrong hands. Can you imagine if Hezbollah and its 70,000 rockets would get its hands on chemical weapons? That could kill thousands of people.”
CNN reports that Russia, which is one of Assad’s last remaining allies, sent strongly worded messages to the Assad government this past week, warning the regime against using chemical weapons. The Russian messages said such use would constitute a red line and that the regine would lose Russia’s support if it did cross that line.
Observers note while the coordination among the United States, Israel, Jordan, and Turkey is tight, there are subtle differences among them. Israel considers the red line to be the movement of chemical weapons to extremist groups – either Hezbollah in Lebanon or Jihadist groups among the rebels – and is willing to bomb chemical storage sites, using precision guided munitions or guided missiles. The threshold for the United States, Jordan, and Turkey is lower – the use of chemical weapons by Assad against rebel groups – and they are reluctant to bomb chemical weapons sites because of the risk that toxic plumes may spread around the bombed sites.
