AMMAN, Jordan – U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has announced there is U.S. intelligence showing “with some degree of varying confidence” that the Syrian regime has used sarin gas against its people. Reportedly, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and the Israeli government knew that Syria was using the chemical agent sarin gas, but only released this information to the U.S Defense Secretary yesterday.
It marks the first official admission by Washington of the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. President Obama has warned that such use by Assad would constitute a “game-changer” in the U.S. position on intervening in the civil war which has entered its third year.
Hagel, on a Mideast tour meeting with regional allies, told reporters in Abu Dhabi on Thursday that the Assad regime used chemical weapons on a “small scale” in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin. He did not say how much sarin was used, nor offer when or the type of casualties that resulted.
Hagel said the use of sarin on Syrian civilians “violates every convention of warfare.”
On Wednesday, Hagel indicated that he was caught off-guard when Israeli officials publicly revealed their assessment that Syria has used chemical weapons in the civil war. Hagel said his Israeli counterpart, Moshe Yaalon, did not alert him to the assessment when they met in Tel Aviv on Monday. The assessment was announced publicly on Tuesday by a senior official with Israel’s military intelligence office.
In Abu Dhabi, Hagel also referred to letters sent from the White House to Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.) informing them of the results of the intelligence investigation. But according to The Associated Press (AP), the letters indicate that a broad response from Washington was not imminent.
Citing officials in Washington, the AP said more definitive proof was needed of chemical weapons use. It said the U.S. “was not ready to escalate its involvement in Syria beyond non-lethal aid,” in spite of President Obama’s assertions that “Syria’s use of chemical weapons, or the transfer of its stockpiles to a terrorist group, would cross a red line.”
Meanwhile, the visiting British Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt told journalists in Amman on Thursday that the U.K. and its allies were well-prepared to deal with the threat of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.
“We are extremely conscious of the threat of chemical weaponry in Syria. The United Kingdom with its partners is looking very carefully at how any particular incident might be dealt with,” he said.
“But we continue to make the point to the Syrian regime [that] this is a line which must not be crossed. The consequences are far too grave,” Burt said.
“Of course, it is vital that people are protected either against the use in the first instance or any consequences from that. The United Kingdom is well prepared with its partners to meet the challenges, but I would not go into details,” he added.
Later, the office of British Prime Minister David Cameron said there was “limited but persuasive information” that chemical weapons, including sarin, have been used in Syria.
Jordanian analyst Labib Kamhawi believes the announcements are made either to “prepare U.S. public opinion for a possible attack on Syria or to prepare the ground for other allies to carry it out.”
“The wheel has been set in motion,” Kamhawi said. “Unfortunately I see Jordan fronting these developments.”
The announcement coincided with an official visit by Jordan’s King Abdullah II to the U.S. On Thursday, he discussed with Vice President Joe Biden the latest developments in the Middle East, especially repercussions from the Syrian crisis. Jordan is hosting more than half a million Syria refugees and says it cannot cope with the strain on its economy, energy, water and health systems.
During the talks, Abdullah underscored the danger posed by the Syrian crisis, saying it has reached “unprecedented levels,” according to Jordan’s official Petra news agency.
The monarch reaffirmed the need to reach a “comprehensive political solution” to end the crisis and the suffering of the Syrian people,” saying it must ensure the integrity and unity of Syria’s territory and its people.
But Abdullah also warned of “catastrophic consequences for the future of the entire region and its peoples, if the Syrian conflict continues.”
On Friday, he and President Obama will meet for talks.
Earlier this week Obama held discussions in Washington with visiting Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani on the best way to remove Assad. They also talked about how to “strengthen an opposition that can bring about a democratic Syria that represents all people and respects their rights,” Obama said.
Last year the emir urged for an Arab-led intervention in Syria. Qatar and Saudi Arabia have taken more far-reaching measures to end Assad’s rule than the U.S. or European states by providing weapons to the rebels fighting to overthrow Assad.
Recently, Obama has been hosting Mideast leaders at the White House to design a strategy on Syria. Last week, he met with United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and on May 16 he will hold talks with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.