Syria's Assad Likely Behind Chemical Weapons Use, White House Says

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

By BRADLEY KLAPPER and MATTHEW LEE 05/06/13 04:55 PM ET EDT

--CLIP
The chemical weapons argument is now under surprising attack, with former war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte saying over the weekend she and fellow members of a four-member U.N. human rights panel have indications the nerve agent sarin was used by Syrian rebel forces, but not by government forces.

Despite a clarification from the UN that it is has not yet made any definitive determination on chemical weapons use, Washington pushed back on del Ponte's assertion, saying it's highly likely that the Assad regime, and not the rebels, has been behind any chemical weapons use in Syria.

"We are highly skeptical of suggestions that the opposition could have or did use chemical weapons," Carney said. "We find it highly likely that any chemical weapon use that has taken place in Syria was done by the Assad regime. And that remains our position."

The State Department said the administration continues to believe that Syria's large chemical weapons stockpiles remain securely in the regime's control.




Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/syria-assad-chemical-weapons-white-house_n_3224057.html