(Photo: MCT)

A member of the Syrian Ba’ath national council Halef al-Muftah, until recently the Syrian propaganda minister’s aide, said on Monday that Damascus views Israel as „behind the aggression and therefore it will come under fire“ should Syria be attacked by the United States.

In an interview for the American radio station Sawa in Arabic, President Bashar Assad’s fellow party member said: „We have strategic weapons and we can retaliate. Essentially, the strategic weapons are aimed at Israel.“

Al-Muftah stressed that the US’s threats will not influence the Syrain regime and added that „If the US or Israel err through aggression and exploit the chemical issue, the region will go up in endless flames, affecting not only the area’s security, but the world’s.“

Earlier this week the Syrian top official said that an attack of this kind will expand the circle of hostilities beyond Syria. According to him, it may bring about a world-war, the extent of which cannot be foretold.

Talking to the Arabic-language Iranian channel al-Alam, al-Muftah said that the US is unable to attack Syria since Syria’s retaliatory capabilities are well-known, and will be directed at Israel – according to him, the entity which pulls the Americans strings.

At the same time, another senior Syrian official, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad, issued similar statements in an interview for AP, saying that his country will defend itself against any international attack.

He added that strikes against Syria would trigger „chaos“ and threaten worldwide peace and security.

He said a UN team in Damascus currently investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons should be allowed to do its work, before the world makes any judgment.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Monday the Obama administration was studying intelligence on Syria’s purported use of chemical weapons and „will get the facts“ before acting.

Speaking with reporters after meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Hagel said, „We are analyzing the intelligence and we will get the facts and if there is any action taken it will be in concert with the international community and within the framework of a legal justification.“

In recent days, the U.S. has sent warships off Syria’s coast, with the assumption being that they were waiting for word from the White House to attack Syria and remove Assad from power. Over the weekend, the U.S. Navy expanded its presence in the Mediterranean Sea with a fourth cruise-missile-armed warship. (JNS und Agenturen)

Kategorien:Nahost

Schlagwörter:attack, israel, Syria