Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


                         Assad Not Ruling Out US Attack

   Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is not ruling out a United States
   military strike on his country, despite agreeing to a deal requiring
   him to give up his chemical weapons.
   Speaking to Venezuela`s Telesur television, President Assad said his
   government remains committed to the U.S.-Russian deal, which is in the
   final stages of being formalized by the United Nations Security
   Council.
   Mr. Assad said he sees "no serious obstacles" to the plan, but warned
   that terrorists, a phrase he uses to describe rebels, could try to
   block access by U.N. experts who try to secure the government`s
   chemical weapons stockpile.
   The deal emerged after the U.S. threatened airstrikes to punish his
   government for a poison gas attack last month on a rebel-held area that
   killed hundreds. Mr. Assad denies carrying out the attack.
   The U.S. delayed the airstrikes after Mr. Assad agreed to the deal. But
   the Syrian leader told Telesur that the possibility of what he called
   U.S. "aggression" was always there, whether the "pretext" was chemical
   weapons or "something else."
   His comments, which aired late Wednesday, came as U.N. chemical weapons
   inspectors returned to Syria to investigate multiple incidents where
   chemical weapons were allegedly used.
   The team of experts, led by Swedish chief Ake Sellstrom, has already
   determined that the deadly nerve agent sarin was used in the August 21
   attack near Damascus. Its mandate does not include assigning blame for
   any of the attacks.
   Meanwhile, in New York, diplomats are continuing to work on a U.N.
   Security Council draft resolution that would enforce the U.S.-Russian
   chemical weapons deal.
   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
   Lavrov met Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, but
   failed to agree on the key points of the document.
   U.S. officials say points of contention remain as the two sides seek a
   deal on the language of the resolution. The U.S. and Russian
   ambassadors to the U.N. are tasked with working out the final language.
   Russia opposes a resolution that mentions Chapter VII of the U.N.
   charter, which includes military and non-military action to enforce
   decisions.
   Russia has long opposed the idea of military intervention, and has
   vetoed three attempts to sanction Syria at the U.N. Security Council.
   Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Tuesday the
   resolution could mention the Chapter VII article that permits force or
   sanctions, only if the U.S.-Russia chemical weapons accord is violated
   by either side in the Syrian conflict.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/assad-not-ruling-out-us-attack/175743
   0.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/assad-not-ruling-out-us-attack/1757430.html