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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Syrian government forces are preparing "chemical weapons" in the northeastern Idlib region of Syria, the new US representative for Syria said on Thursday. "Reckless climbing."
FILE PHOTO: An overall view taken with a drone shows part of the Idlib town held by the rebels, Syria, on June 8, 2017. REUTERS / Ammar Abdullah / File Photo
"I am very sure that we have very good reasons to issue these warnings," said Jim Jeffrey, who was appointed on August 17 as Special Adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for Syria. .
"Any offensive is reprehensible to us as a reckless escalation," Jeffrey told reporters. "There is a lot of evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared."
Washington has issued a strong warning to the Syrian government against the use of chemical weapons in the widely anticipated offensive.
Jeffrey said any offensive by Russian and Syrian forces, as well as the use of chemical weapons, would force huge flows of refugees to southeastern Turkey or areas in Syria under Turkish control.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has massed his army and allied forces on the front lines in the north-west, and Russian planes have joined his rebel bombardment, a prelude to a possible assault.
The fate of the insurgent stronghold in and around Idlib province now seems to be based on a meeting in Tehran on Friday between Assad's supporters, Russia and Iran, and the ally of the rebels, Turkey.
Supported by Russian air power, Assad has resumed in recent years a rebel enclave after another. Idlib and its surroundings are today the only important area where there is still an armed opposition in Damascus.
Jeffrey called the situation in Idlib "very dangerous" and said that Turkey, which had supported some rebel groups in the region, was trying to avoid an offensive by the Syrian government.
"I think the last chapter of the Idlib story was not written. The Turks are trying to find a way out. The Turks showed a lot of resistance to an attack, "he said.
He said the United States had repeatedly asked Russia if they could "operate" in Idlib to eliminate the latest delays of ISIS and other extremist groups. Asked if this would include US air strikes, Jeffrey said, "That would be a way."
Report by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Peter Cooney
