Syria has chemical weapons - Yellowworld Forums
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,3020...1087476,00.html
US TURNS HEAT ON SYRIA
Syria has conducted chemical weapons tests during the past 15 months, US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said.
"We have seen a chemical weapons tests in Syria over the past 12, 15 months," he said.
Syria denies it has chemical weapons.
Rumsfeld said the United States also has intelligence that Syria has allowed Syrians and others enter Iraq with arms and leaflets indicating that they would be rewarded for killing Americans.
Road to war
Amid fears that the US could embark on the road to war with Syria, British foreign secretary Jack Straw has played down talk that Britain could go to war with Syria.
As US-Syrian tension mounts, Washington has announced that it is considering imposing sanctions against Syria for its support of the deposed Iraqi regime.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell said: "We will examine possible measures of a diplomatic, economic or other nature as we move forward.
"We are in touch with Syrian authorities ... and will make them aware of our concerns and we'll see how things unfold as we move forward."
Denied allegations
Syria has insisted it never co-operated with Saddam Hussein's administration and has denied the US allegation that it had chemical weapons.
"We say to president George Bush that Syria has no chemical weapons and that the only chemical, biological and nuclear weapons in the region are in Israel, which is threatening its neighbours and occupying their land," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Buthaina Shaaban said.
Last Updated: 20:48 UK, Monday April 14, 2003