SYRIA: Foreign minister spokesperson says the country would never use chemical weapons on its own people

Record ID: 281082

  • Title: SYRIA: Foreign minister spokesperson says the country would never use chemical weapons on its own people
  • Date: 23rd July 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JULY 23, 2012) (REUTERS) SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY AND SYRIAN CABINET BUILDINGS SYRIAN FLAG JIHAD MAKDISSI, SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, ARRIVING AT CONFERENCE HALL SYRIAN STATE SIGN MAKDISSI DURING THE CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, JIHAD MAKDISSI, SAYING: "Any stocks of WMD or any unconventional weapons that the
  • Embargoed: 7th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA1J0TKE2HQU0ETDBVMDTQBRRO5
  • Story Text: Syria will only use its chemical weapons if it faces "external aggression", but will never use them against its civilians, the country's foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday (July 23).
    "Any stocks of WMD or any unconventional weapons that the Syrian Arab Republic possesses would never, would never be used against civilians or against the Syrian people during this crisis at any circumstances, no matter how the crisis would evolve," Syria's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdissi told a news conference.
    He added that the the security situation in Damascus, where Assad's forces have been battling rebels for more than a week, was improving and would return to normal within days.
    "We are in a self-defence status. Yes some clashes may take place in some streets but currently, the situation is much better, much better. We assure that to everybody", Makdissi said.
    It appeared to be the first time that Syria acknowledged it might possess non-conventional weapons. Damascus is not a signatory to the 1992 Chemical Weapons Convention that bans their use, production or stockpiling.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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