Syria says US weapons claims are 'full of lies'
Source: Agencies |
June 15, 2013, Saturday
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THE Syrian government has dismissed US charges it used chemical weapons as "full of lies," accusing President Barack Obama of resorting to fabrications to justify his decision to arm Syrian rebels.
The commander of the main rebel umbrella group welcomed the US move, saying it would lift his fighters' morale.
The US decision to begin arming the rebels, though details have not been completed, marks a deepening of US involvement in Syria's two-year civil war. It comes as President Bashar Assad's forces have been scoring victories, driving rebels out of a key town near the Lebanese border and launching offensives in the center and north, targeting Aleppo, the nation's largest city.
US officials said the administration could provide the rebel fighters with a range of weapons, including small arms, ammunition, assault rifles and anti-tank weaponry such as shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenades and other missiles.
However, no final decision had been made on the type of weaponry or when it would reach the rebels.
Besides the increased military aid, the US also announced it had conclusive evidence that Assad's government has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against opposition forces. The White House said multiple chemical attacks last year killed up to 150 people.
Obama has said the use of chemical weapons crossed a "red line," triggering greater US involvement in the crisis.
"The White House has issued a statement full of lies about the use of chemical weapons in Syria, based on fabricated information," a statement issued yesterday by the Syrian foreign ministry said.
"The United States is using cheap tactics to justify President Barack Obama's decision to arm the Syrian opposition," it said.
The Foreign Ministry statement accused the US of "double standards," saying America claims to combat terrorism while providing support for "terrorist" groups in Syria, such as Jabhat al-Nusra, with arms and money.
The group, also known as the Nusra Front, is an al-Qaida affiliate that has emerged as one of the most effective rebel factions in Syria.
The commander of the main rebel umbrella group welcomed the US move, saying it would lift his fighters' morale.
The US decision to begin arming the rebels, though details have not been completed, marks a deepening of US involvement in Syria's two-year civil war. It comes as President Bashar Assad's forces have been scoring victories, driving rebels out of a key town near the Lebanese border and launching offensives in the center and north, targeting Aleppo, the nation's largest city.
US officials said the administration could provide the rebel fighters with a range of weapons, including small arms, ammunition, assault rifles and anti-tank weaponry such as shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenades and other missiles.
However, no final decision had been made on the type of weaponry or when it would reach the rebels.
Besides the increased military aid, the US also announced it had conclusive evidence that Assad's government has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against opposition forces. The White House said multiple chemical attacks last year killed up to 150 people.
Obama has said the use of chemical weapons crossed a "red line," triggering greater US involvement in the crisis.
"The White House has issued a statement full of lies about the use of chemical weapons in Syria, based on fabricated information," a statement issued yesterday by the Syrian foreign ministry said.
"The United States is using cheap tactics to justify President Barack Obama's decision to arm the Syrian opposition," it said.
The Foreign Ministry statement accused the US of "double standards," saying America claims to combat terrorism while providing support for "terrorist" groups in Syria, such as Jabhat al-Nusra, with arms and money.
The group, also known as the Nusra Front, is an al-Qaida affiliate that has emerged as one of the most effective rebel factions in Syria.
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