For the first time in the long-running Syrian civil war, President Barack Obama has authorised supplying weapons to the rebel forces following a determination by the US intelligence that the Bashar al-Assad regime has used chemical weapons against those battling to overthrow him. With its resort to chemical weapons, the Assad regime has crossed a “red line” set by Obama, the White House said in justification of the decision to arm the rebels.
For now, however, the US proposes to supply only small arms and ammunition to the rebels and not the anti-aircraft weapons sought by the rebel commanders. It has also not taken any decision on imposing a no-fly zone over Syria.
“The President has said that the use of chemical weapons would change his calculus, and it has,” said Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, noting that the US intelligence community now has “a high confidence assessment” on Syria’s use of chemical weapons on a small scale.
He spoke of US estimates that that 100 to 150 people have died from detected chemical weapons attacks in Syria to date, adding the casualty data may be incomplete.
“While the lethality of these attacks make up only a small portion of the catastrophic loss of life in Syria, which now stands at more than 90,000 deaths, the use of chemical weapons violates International norms and crosses clear red lines that have existed within the International community for decades,” Rhodes said, adding: “We believe that the Assad regime maintains control of these weapons.”
The intelligence assessment is reported to be additionally supported by laboratory analysis of physiological samples obtained from a number of individuals, which revealed exposure to nerve agent sarin.
Rhodes said the Syrian Government’s refusal to grant access to UN inspectors has prevented a comprehensive investigation on the use of chemical weapons as sought by the International community.
Without going into details of the military support to the rebels, the Official said Obama has “augmented the provision of non-lethal assistance” to the civilian Opposition, and also authorised expanded assistance to the Supreme Military Council (SMC). The Obama administration is said to have provided more than $515 million in humanitarian and non-lethal military assistance to the Syrian opposition, including food and medicine.
“We will be consulting with Congress on these matters in the coming weeks,” Rhodes said, adding the US and the International community have a number of other legal, financial, diplomatic, and military responses available. As he put it, “We are prepared for all contingencies, and we will make decisions on our own timeline.”
In the US Congress, Republican Senators John McCain and lindsey Graham have been in the forefront of an aggressive US military response in aid of the rebel forces against the Assad regime.
While welcoming the White House assessment on chemical weapons, the two Senators said in a joint statement: “US credibility is on the line. Now is not the time to merely take the next incremental step. “Now is the time for more decisive actions.” Known for their hawkish line all along, McCain and Graham advocated using long-range missiles to degrade Assad’s air power and missile capabilities.