Undeterred by Syria's gruesome war of attrition, rebel fighters have
scored a key gain where government forces once ruled. CNN's Arwa Damon
inside Syria reports. FULL STORY
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NATO WARNS ON CHEMICAL WEAPONS
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BRUTAL WINTER AHEAD
(CNN) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made an
ominous threat against foreign intervention, saying it would have a
"domino impact" on the world.
(CNN) -- The NATO alliance weighed in on the Syrian
crisis Tuesday, warning the Bashar al-Assad regime about using chemical
weapons and mulling a Turkish request for Patriot missiles to defend its
borders.
Syrian president vows to 'live and die' in Syria, threatens against foreign invasion
November 9, 2012 -- Updated 1223 GMT (2023 HKT)
"I think that the cost of
foreign invasion of Syria, if it happened, would be greater than one
that the whole world can afford," he told Russia Today television.
"Because if there were problems in Syria, particularly as we are the
last bastion of secularism, stability and coexistence in the region, it
will have a domino impact that will affect the world from the Atlantic
Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
"And you know its
implications on the rest of the world. I do not think that the West is
moving in this direction, but if they do, no one can predict what will
happen after."
Violence continues to engulf Syria
The embattled president also told Russia Today that he is not a "puppet" of the West and intends to stay put.
"I'm not a puppet, and I
was not made by the West to go to the West or to any other country. I am
Syrian, I was made in Syria and to live and die in Syria," he said.
NATO chief echoes warning over Syria chemical weapons
December 4, 2012 -- Updated 1554 GMT (2354 HKT)
Obama warns Syria on chemical weapon use
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Syrian forces are mixing chemical warfare agents, a U.S. official says
- The Syrian Foreign Ministry denies plans to use such weapons
- Rasmussen expects missile deployment within weeks
- 123 Syrians are dead Tuesday, including 30 in a shelling at a school, the LCC says
NATO's secretary-general
echoed warnings from U.S. President Barack Obama that the Syrian
government may be toying with the idea of using chemical weapons to
crush the 21-month rebellion.
"The Syrian stockpiles of chemical weapons are a matter of great concern," Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters.
"We know that Syria
possesses missiles. We know they have chemical weapons and, of course,
they also have to be included in our calculations. And this is also the
reason why it is a matter of urgency to ensure effective defense and
protection of our ally Turkey," he said.
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"Let me add to this that
the possible use of chemical weapons would be completely unacceptable
for the whole international community, and if anybody resorts to these
terrible weapons I would expect an immediate reaction from the
international community."
The Syrian Foreign
Ministry denied that the country has any plans to use chemical weapons,
state TV has reported. The government likewise has repeatedly stressed
it will not use such weapons, if they exist, against its people under
any circumstances.
But U.S. officials say "worrying signs" suggest otherwise.
Syrian forces have
started combining chemicals that could be used to make deadly sarin gas
for weapons to attack rebel and civilian populations, one U.S. official
said.
The intelligence,
obtained over the weekend, the official said, came from multiple
sources. But the official declined to provide more details about how the
United States learned of it. Sarin gas, the source said, could most
readily be used to fill artillery shells.
Obama said on Monday
that "the use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable.
And if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be
consequences, and you will be held accountable."
The Syrian civil war has
spilled into Turkey, where errant Syrian artillery shells struck the
border town of Akcakale and killed five Turkish civilians in October.
Turkey has asked NATO for Patriot missiles to bolster its air defenses against Syrian threats. A
European diplomat told CNN that NATO will decide Tuesday to approve
Patriot missiles for Turkey. "It is a political decision," the diplomat
told CNN, "a sign of solidarity for Turkey."
The United States,
Germany and Netherlands, which all have Patriot capabilities, have
signaled they may be willing to contribute missiles should NATO approve
the deployment to Turkey.
Rasmussen said he
expects NATO ministers to make a decision "to enhance Turkey's air
defenses" and expects those three nations to deploy the missiles. He
said the "actual deployment will take place within weeks."
The secretary-general
stressed that a deployment would be "purely defensive" and that NATO has
"no intention to prepare offensive operations."
The deployment would be an "effective deterrent" and de-escalate tensions along the border, he said.
Such a deployment would compel "any potential aggressor to think twice before they even consider attacking Turkey."
A Russian official,
speaking with CNN on background, claimed the Patriot systems are more
symbolic than militarily necessary. Russia has been a friend of the
Syrian government over the years and has blocked tough action against
the al-Assad government in the U.N. Security Council.
Echoing comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the official said Syria has no interest in attacking Turkey.
Violence continued
Tuesday, with at least 123 people killed across the country, the
opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.
Both rebels and the
government are reporting deadly shelling on a school in a refugee camp
in the Damascus area. The LCC said 30 students were killed there.
Fierce artillery and
missile shelling bombarded the opposition hotbed of Homs for the 35th
straight day, dissidents said Tuesday, as government and rebel forces
battled in neighborhood streets.
Elsewhere, rebel fighters have scored a key gain where government forces once ruled.
The rebels have cut off a
sprawling military base outside Aleppo with some 450 government
soldiers trapped inside. The rebels could easily overrun the base,
fighter Ali Jadlan said, but they want to give government soldiers a
chance to defect.
Already, about 250
soldiers have defected from units at the base since the Syrian uprising
began in 2011, and most of them have joined the opposition. It's another
indication al-Assad is losing his grip on a country he once firmly
commanded.
The government has tried
air-dropping food to its soldiers, often missing its targets.
Opposition fighters have shot out their water supply.
While the soldiers still have stockpiles of artillery, their options are dwindling.
"They have reached a
point where they think that they can't go back," said Jamal, a defected
soldier. "They have reached a dead end. Slowly, they are weakening."
December 4, 2012 -- Updated 1542 GMT (2342 HKT)
See photos of the intensifying unrest in Syria over the months.
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