FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEBy Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2012 - Syrian leaders should not even think about using chemical weapons, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters today.
"The Syrian regime is already responsible for unacceptable levels of deplorable violence against the Syrian population, and they should not think one iota about using chemical weapons," Little said.
Syrian officials have said chemical weapons would never be used against the country's own citizens, but a government spokesman today drew the line at foreign aggressors.
"When chemical weapons are mentioned in the press by Syrian officials, that raises concerns," Little said. "And we just want to make it known that we would strongly object, to put it mildly, to any thinking that would generate a motivation on the part of the Syrian regime to employ these weapons."
Little reaffirmed the United States continues to work to find a solution to end the violence in Syria.
"We've been talking with a number of our partners about the situation in Syria," Little said. "We, and they, share very serious concerns about the overall situation in Syria, to include chemical weapons."
The Syrian regime is aware of the concerns of the international community, Little said. "We believe that public messaging has an effect. We also believe that the regime has received the message through other channels," he added.
