If in its final hours Syria’s crumbling government unleashes a chemical barrage — and some analysts certainly think that’s possible — the regime will probably rely on an arsenal of gas- or nerve agent-tipped ballistic missiles purchased from Iran and North Korea.
But precisely how many and what mix of missiles President Bashar Al Assad controls, and therefore how deadly a chemical strike might be, both remain unclear. Equally unclear is how far the world should go to defend against such a strike.
Chances are, Syria possesses at least three types of solid-fueled ballistic missile that can be fitted with chemical warheads, according to Dr. Jeffrey Lewis from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in California. These include Scuds and SS-21s acquired from North Korea and, less clearly, Fateh 110s transferred from Iran.
The most likely target of Syrian chemical warheads is the Turk army. The Turk military is a natural shoo-in for the job of invading and overwhelming Damascus. Naturally if I were Syrian head of defence I wouldn’t want to go through the helplessness experienced by Libya before the fall of Tripoli. I would pay Turkey pay for being such a ruthless neighbour.
The most likely target of Syrian chemical warheads is the Turk army. The Turk military is a natural shoo-in for the job of invading and overwhelming Damascus. Naturally if I were Syrian head of defence I wouldn’t want to go through the helplessness experienced by Libya before the fall of Tripoli. I would make Turkey pay for being such a ruthless neighbour.