BELGIUM: NATO has indications chemical weapons may have been used in Syria, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says

Record ID: 863976

  • Title: BELGIUM: NATO has indications chemical weapons may have been used in Syria, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says
  • Date: 6th May 2013
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING EUROPEAN UNION FLAG
  • Embargoed: 21st May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • City:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAEFPWNQ15HDGUQS5TQBD98VMDM
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Monday (May 6) said chemical weapons may have been used in Syria.
    Rasmussen's comments come after reports from U.N. human rights investigators saying the U.N. has testimony indicating that Syrian rebel forces have used the nerve agent sarin.

    "Yes, we do have indications that chemical weapons may have been used, however we don't have consolidated information as regards more detailed circumstances including who have actually used chemical weapons. But of course these developments remain of grave concern," Rasmussen said.
    President Bashar al-Assad's government and the rebels accuse each another of carrying out three chemical weapon attacks, one near Aleppo and another near Damascus, both in March, and another in Homs in December.
    The Geneva-based inquiry into war crimes and other human rights violations is separate from an investigation of the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria instigated by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, which has since stalled.
    Rasmussen also urged NATO countries to reverse damaging defence-spending cuts once their economies improve in order for Europe to maintain its leadership.

    "If Europeans are not willing to invest a sufficient amount of money in defence then all talk about a strengthened European defence will just be hot air," he said.
    Later on Monday, Rasmussen took his message to the European Parliament. Speaking before the committee on foreign affairs and subcommittee on security and defence, he called on allies, many of which have slashed defence spending in response to the economic crisis, to stop defence cuts, use their resources more efficiently by working together, and to increase defence spending once their economies recover. He warned them of the declining role for the continent and, in turn, Europe's loss of crisis management capability if defence investment is not increased.
    Only a handful of NATO's 28 allies - the United States, Britain and Greece - last year spent more on defence than the two percent of Gross Domestic Product target set by NATO.
    Last week, France announced it will keep its defence budget at the same level for the next six years after the government decided proposed cuts would hamper its ability to mount military operations such as its intervention in Mali.
    The freeze will still lead to the loss of 34,000 jobs in the defence ministry at a time of growing unemployment in France, according to a strategic review.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register