Baird warns Syria against usage of chemical weapons
Canada joined the international community Thursday in warning of “serious consequences” if the Syrian government uses chemical weapons against rebel forces and civilians.
The warning came amid signs Russia may be backing off its support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, and as a report emerged in France that some NATO members are preparing a military attack against Assad’s chemical-weapon stockpiles.
Asked about the French report of a Western strike, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Canada has been “actively talking” with its allies about Syria, but he would not confirm that an attack is in the works, or whether Canada would be involved.
The international community has long known the Syrian government possesses chemical weapons like sarin gas, and has warned Assad and his forces against their use throughout the country’s more than 20-month civil war.
But U.S. intelligence reports this week indicated Assad’s forces may be preparing to deploy the weapons against anti-government forces and civilians.
This comes after Syrian rebels scored a number of victories throughout the country, even taking the fight to the suburbs of the capital Damascus.
U.S. President Barack Obama said earlier this week that the use of chemical weapons is “totally unacceptable” and would result in unspecified consequences, a threat Baird echoed in the House of Commons on Thursday.
“These reports are deeply disturbing and are absolutely unacceptable,” Baird said. “Our government has been very clear that the international community will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime on the Syrian people.”
Like Obama, Baird did not say what consequences the Assad regime might face.
For its part, the Syrian government has rejected allegations it is about to deploy chemical weapons, describing the reports as a pretext for Western military intervention.
Baird also reiterated calls for Russia and China to use what leverage they have “to prevent this serious crisis from entering a new disastrous phase.”
This comes as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, met to discuss Syria on the sidelines of a conference in Dublin on Thursday.
A government official said Baird addressed the issue of Syria’s chemical weapons during a meeting with China’s ambassador to Canada earlier this week.
The official said Canadian diplomats in Moscow and Beijing have also been instructed to highlight Canada’s position with Chinese and Russian officials.
The meeting ended with hopes the Russian government might scale back its support for Assad after months of providing his forces with weapons and blocking United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for international action.
That might pave the way for a Western military strike, which a French magazine reported this week is already in the works.
Le Point reported that France is preparing a military strike that would involve other NATO nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom and possibly Turkey.
There was no mention of Canada.
The article indicated the attack would not consist of a ground invasion or a sustained air-and-sea campaign like that used in Libya.
Rather, it would be comprised of special forces soldiers supported by helicopters and aircraft who would hit the Assad government’s chemical weapons stockpiles and perhaps its military aircraft as well.
The Canadian Forces admitted over the summer it was drawing up its own plans on how to intervene in Syria.
But it said such planning is done as a matter of course to ensure the military is ready should the government call upon it to get involved in the conflict.
It was unclear from Le Point whether France was planning an imminent strike or simply preparing should circumstances — such as the use of chemical weapons — dictate a response.
Asked about the French report in the House of Commons, Baird refused to comment on any specifics, saying only that “we have for some time been actively talking with our allies.”
“I think President Obama spoke loudly and clearly for the civilized world when he said these actions, if they did follow through on them, would be absolutely unacceptable and there would be serious consequences to be paid.”