Dilly-dallying ‘encourages Assad’

Saudi Arabia on Monday called for a strong and serious international stand to stop the massacre of people in Syria by Bashar Assad’s regime.
“The international community must assume its responsibilities by taking deterrent measures to put an end to violations and the crimes of genocide carried out by the Syrian regime over the past two years,” the Cabinet said.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Crown Prince Salman, said any opposition to international action would only encourage the regime to continue its crimes and use of mass destructive weapons.
“The Cabinet renewed the Kingdom’s position to stand wholeheartedly with the will of the Syrian people and their leadership represented by the national coalition,” said Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja.
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama is sending his diplomatic and defense chiefs to Congress Tuesday, intensifying a fervent effort to win crucial votes on supporting military strikes in Syria.
Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will testify to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in what will be one of the most high profile political set pieces in Washington in weeks.
A French intelligence estimate alleges that the Syrian regime launched an attack Aug. 21 involving “massive use of chemical agents” and could carry out other strikes of a similar nature in the future.
The government published a 9-page synopsis Monday about Syria's chemical weapons program that found that at least 281 deaths could be attributed to the attack in areas outside Damascus. The analysis based that count in part from dozens of videos culled by French intelligence services. The French president can order military action without parliamentary approval but some lawmakers have urged Hollande to put the issue to a vote.
NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Monday he is “personally convinced” that Assad used chemical weapons.
“Personally, I am not only convinced that a chemical attack has taken place ... I am also convinced that the Syrian regime is responsible,” Rasmussen said. “In general, we have concrete information,” he said.
Assad warned Monday that Western military strikes would risk igniting a “regional war” in the “powder keg” of the Middle East, in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro. He also said France would face “repercussions” if it took part in US-led plans for military action.
The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and four other ships in its strike group moved into the Red Sea early on Monday, US defense officials said, describing the move as “prudent planning” in case the ships are needed for military action against Syria.
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr’s spokesman Patrick Low said Monday that Kerry called last week and that Australia supports the US stance.