With reports that Syria is chemically arming bombs, NATO – as of Thursday – is in the process of placing Patriot missiles along the boarder of Turkey and Syria.
While these aerial interceptor missile systems are mainly used to protect Turkey in the case of an attack, the news of chemical weapons places Syrian President Bashar Assad under greater pressure from the United States, some European, and Arab countries. These same countries have also called for him to step down from his post.
“The whole world is watching, the whole world is watching very closely,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said. “And the President of the United States has made it very clear, there will be consequences — there will be consequences if the Assad regime makes the terrible mistake by using these chemical weapons on their own people.”
While Syrian officials have denied the claims, U.S. officials had told NBC that Syria was loading deadly chemical sarin into aerial bombs that could be dropped on their own citizens.
Sarin is a highly toxic agent that attacks the nervous system and disrupts victim’s body and gland functions. In the late 1980’s Saddam Hussein ordered a bombing of sarin gas over the Kirddish city of Halabja in northeastern Iraq. The attack is estimated in killing 5,000 people.
What happens if Syria crosses that line is unclear. Since the 20-month rebellion began, 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict, where many of victims are civilians. The Syrian airspace is fortified with a very robust air defense systems, making aerial attacks from war planes impossible and cruise missiles the best option.
– Stew
(Photo Credit: Washington Post)
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