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Senior US MP says Syria "absolutely" used chemical weapons

WASHINGTON, March 24 (KUNA) -- Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers, said Sunday that Syria's Assad regime has "absolutely" used some chemical weapons against opposition forces.
"There is mounting evidence that it is probable that the Assad regime has used at least a small quantity of chemical weapons during the course of this conflict," Republican Representative Mike Rogers, said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." This statement added to mounting pressure for the Obama administration to get more involved in arming the reistance forces against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's regime. Both sides have traded charges of using chemical weapons, but neither claims have been substantiated by United Nations or United States officials.
Obama reiterated during his tour of the Middle East that any use of such weapons would be a "game-changer." The administration has long considered chemical weapons to be the "red line" which, if crossed, could trigger military intervention.
Rogers did not say for certain whether the weapons were used last week, but said they have likely been employed since the start of the conflict in 2011. Further, he noted that the red line had been defined as both moving and using the weapons.
"I think it is abundantly clear that that red line has been crossed ... absolutely," Rogers said.
"The fact that they have, I think, put chemical weapons in a position to use and I believe have intent and at some course during the last two years have used some quantity of chemical weapons, this needs to be a game-changer." (end) hy.bs KUNA 242130 Mar 13NNNN