Syria rebels say chemical weapons moved to borders

Rebels accused strongman Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday of moving chemical weapons to Syria's borders, a day after his beleaguered regime said it would use its stockpiles if attacked.

Helicopter gunships strafed rebel neighbourhoods of second city Aleppo, as heavy fighting forced the closure of a third of the shopping malls of the commercial capital, pro-government media said.

The rebel Free Syrian Army said the chemical arsenal had been moved in a bid to pressure the world community, much of which has called for Assad to step aside in the face of the more than 16-month uprising against his rule.

"According to our information, the regime began moving its stocks of weapons of mass destruction several months ago... with the goal of putting pressure on the region and the international community," a statement said.

Foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi acknowledged on Monday that Syria has chemical weapons and said the regime would use them if attacked by outsiders, although not against its own civilians.

"Syria will not use any chemical or other unconventional weapons against its civilians, and will only use them in case of external aggression," he said, in remarks that triggered a torrent of condemnation, including from ally Russia.

US President Barack Obama warned Assad not to make the "tragic mistake" of unleashing chemical weapons.

"Given the regime's stockpile of chemical weapons, we will continue to make it clear to Assad and those around him that the world is watching," Obama said.

Moscow said it "would like to underline that Syria joined" a Geneva protocol on the non-use of such weapons and "presumes that the Syrian authorities will continue to rigorously abide by its assumed international obligations".

Israel said there was no cause for alarm.

"At the moment, the Syrian regime is fighting for its very existence, but all of its chemical weapons and its weapons of mass destruction are under full control of the regime," defence ministry official Amos Gilad said.

Israel's armed forces chief added: "As of this moment, Assad has control over the stockpiles," and "as far as we know, they have not yet passed into negative hands, but it doesn't mean it won't happen."

Rebels accused Assad of moving some of his chemical weapons to the border area.

"We also reveal that Assad has transferred some of these weapons and equipment for mixing chemical components to airports on the border," a statement said.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, insisted that President Assad must hand over power.

"We do believe that it is not too late for the Assad regime to commence with planning for a transition to find a way that ends the violence," she said.

The opposition Syrian National Council, meanwhile, insisted an opposition figure should lead a transition government if the regime falls.

An SNC statement also said the uprising was "about to achieve victory against the murderous junta in power."

And Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of neighbouring Turkey, which hosts the rebel leadership, said he was confident it was close to victory.

"The ruthless killings committed in panic in recent days show the world that the Syrian regime is on the road to oblivion," he said.

But Iran warned it would not tolerate the collapse of its key regional ally.

"The Syrian people and the friends of Syria will not allow regime change," said Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, the deputy chief of Iran's joint armed forces.

Activists and regime sources say government forces have reclaimed most of Damascus after a week of heavy fighting with rebels, who remain in the city but are planning a guerrilla strategy.

Clashes continued Tuesday, with the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting at least 80 people killed nationwide, including 49 civilians, 26 soldiers and five rebels.

"At least seven civilians, including six children, were killed by regime forces shelling of the besieged town of Herak," south of Damascus, the watchdog said.

A video it distributed showed the bodies of dead children, including a young girl in a pink and white dress, lying on a blood-smeared floor, the faces of some of them covered in blood.

In Aleppo, the Observatory said helicopter gunships were firing on the Qadi Askar, Bab al-Hadid, Al-Katergi and Karam al-Jabal districts.

The Al-Watan newspaper, close to the government, reported six shopping malls -- a third of the commercial hub's total -- had been forced to close because of "regrettable events".

Meanwhile, Syria named General Ali Mamluk the new head of its National Security office in a shake-up after a bombing killed four top regime figures, a security official told AFP.

"General Ali Mamluk, who was head of state security, is becoming the head of the Bureau of National Security, with the rank of minister, overseeing the entire security apparatus," the source said.

Also on Tuesday, UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous arrived in Damascus, where the new head of a UN observer mission, General Babacar Gaye, was due later in the day.

"So we have to assess the situation with the whole team here," after the Security Council renewed on June 20 the mandate of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria for a "final" 30 days.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syria-rebels-accept-transition-led-regime-figure-083329950.html

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