'Syria moves WMDs, won't use them on Israel'

Amos Yadlin says Syria's chemical weapons not aimed at Israel; rebels say Assad moving unconventional weapons to border regions.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
IDF soldier fits child with gas mask 370 (photo credit: REUTERS/David Silverman)
IDF soldier fits child with gas mask 370
(photo credit: REUTERS/David Silverman)
The Syrian regime has moved its stockpile of chemical weapons to airports on its borders, AFP quoted rebels as saying Tuesday, just one day after it warned it could use the unconventional weapons against foreign enemies.
"We reveal that [Syrian President Bashar] Assad has transferred some of these weapons and equipment for mixing chemical components to airports on the border," a statement from the rebel Free Syrian Army said. "We in the joint command of the FSA inside the country know very well the locations and positions of these weapons."
The rebels said they believed Assad would not use the weapons against Israel. "The regime that has not fired a single bullet against Israel during the course of three decades is certainly not going to use chemical weapons against that country," the FSA statement said.
Former IDF Intelligence Directorate head Amos Yadlin on Tuesday also said he does not believe Syria's chemical weapons are aimed at Israel, speaking with Army Radio.
Yadlin did not, however, rule out the possibility that Assad would use the non-conventional weapons against opposition fighters.
According to the rebels, the Syrian regime "began moving its stocks of weapons of mass destruction several months ago" in a bid to pressure the international community.
Assad's announcement that he would consider using his chemical weapons drew widespread condemnation from the international community. US President Barack Obama said Monday that Assad would be "held accountable" if he made the mistake of using the weapons, while British Foreign Secretary William Hague called the threat "unacceptable."
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Israel also responded to the threat, with President Shimon Peres saying that the Jewish State will act to ensure that Syria's chemical weapons are not a danger to its citizens.
"The use of chemical weapons is internationally forbidden," he said. "What do you do when someone violates the law? You fight against them. You stop them."