Reply #6

"No chemical or biological weapons will ever be used, and I repeat, will never be used, during the crisis in Syria no matter what the developments inside Syria," Mr. Makdissi said in news conference broadcast on Syrian state TV. "All of these types of weapons are in storage and under security and the direct supervision of the Syrian armed forces and will never be used unless Syria is exposed to external aggression."

While the statement Mr. Makdissi read out promised not to use the weapons against the Syrian people, he later noted that Syria isn't facing an internal enemy in the rebellion, which the regime has described as being funded from abroad and driven by foreign extremists.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443437504577544632378473006.html

The state news agency, Sana, put it this way:


Foreign and expatriates ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdissi, on Monday stressed that Syria will not use any chemical weapons, if they exist, during the internal crisis in Syria ...

He stressed that any chemical weapons are monitored and guarded by the Syrian Arab Army and will only be used in case of external aggression on Syria

Makdissi also both attempted to reassure Syrians that chemicals weapons would not be used domestically, but that they would be used against any foreign intervention.

Here's the Reuters report on his comments:


Syria will only use its chemical weapons if it faces "external aggression", but will never use them against its civilians, the country's foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday.

"Syria will never use (chemical weapons) against Syrians no matter what," Jihad Makdissi told a news conference that was aired on state television.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2012/jul/23/syria-damascus-aleppo-battles-live