Fri December 14, 2012 U.S. Officials: Syria Has Prepared Several
Dozen Chemical Bombs U.S. and allied officials say the forces of
embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad have prepared several
dozen bombs and shells loaded with the lethal chemical sarin.
The number is a larger estimate than has previously been
reported. The Syrians loaded the weapons with the chemical
agents in the past several weeks, the officials say. Those
preparations raise fears that the fighting against rebel forces
could enter a new and more troubling phase, according to the
officials, who requested anonymity. They were particularly
alarmed when Assad's forces fired Scud missiles at rebel
positions earlier this week, initially believing that the
warheads included sarin, one of the most deadly chemical
weapons, which can kill victims within minutes. Between three
and eight Scuds were fired from the capital Damascus, according
to Pentagon sources, toward rebel positions around the northern
city of Aleppo, a distance of some 200 miles. The