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| Iran had warned about transfer of sarin gas to Syria: defense chief |
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 TEHRAN - Iran’s new Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan said on Monday that the United States and allies paid no attention to Iran’s warning eight months ago about the transfer of sarin gas to terrorists in Syria fighting the central government.
The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said new laboratory tests showed traces of sarin, an extremely toxic nerve agent, in blood and hair samples collected from emergency workers who responded Aug. 21 to the scene of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs.
By disregarding Iran’s warning, the U.S. effectively prepared the ground for chemical attacks in Syria, Dehghan lamented.
Dehghan also expressed doubts about the United States’ capability to launch an attack on Syria, saying, “U.S. armed forces currently lack the needed operational capability to use military force and create strategic balance in Syria.”
“Thus, by launching a limited attack, it (the U.S.) is trying to change the operational balance to the benefit of the takfiri opposition so that it can boost the damaged morale of the terrorists and weaken the Syrian armed forces’ operational power.”
Commenting on the consequences of West’s support for rebels fighting in Syria, Dehghan said, “Strengthening and supporting terrorists will undoubtedly lead to their ‘viral expansion’ in all political domains, leaving unpredictable and negative impacts on the international security.”
Referring to global opposition against a possible U.S. attack on Syria, the defense minister said, “U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to seek the approval of the U.S. Congress for attacking Syria shows that leaders of the country are trying to transfer the negative burden and huge costs of the decision to other institutions in the United States.”
MS/PA
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