(27 Apr 2013)
1. Spokesman for Syrian interim government Prime Minister Ghassan Hitto, Yasser Tabbara, reading a book
2. Close-up of book
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasser Tabbara, spokesman for Syrian interim government Prime Minister Ghassan Hitto:
"When it comes to the issue of chemical weapons, it's a known fact that the Assad regime has been using chemical weapons on Syrian civilians. There has been a number of documented incidents that basically confirm the use of the Assad militia's chemical weapons. Red lines, as far as the Syrian population, as far as the Syrian public, and the Syrian people, and women, and children and men, have been crossed."
4. Close of Tabbara's eyes
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasser Tabbara, spokesman for Syrian interim government Prime Minister Ghassan Hitto:
"These are.... public information that most intelligence agencies in the world have. And we see no reason whatsoever why there isn't an international move to at least disable Bashar al-Assad from using such weapons of grave destruction."
6. Close-up of hands
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasser Tabbara, spokesman for Syrian interim government Prime Minister Ghassan Hitto:
"And what we are asking the international community, what we are asking the United States, with its drone technology, with its surgical strike technology, is to help us disable Bashar al-Assad from the use of these chemical weapons. We do not understand the Western attitude, when it comes to the reluctance to take action on that."
8. Wide of Tabbara walking
9. Wide of Tabbara walking into lift
STORYLINE:
A spokesman for the Syrian interim government's Prime Minister urged the international community on Saturday to "help us disable Bashar al-Assad from the use of these chemical weapons."
"What we are asking the international community, what we are asking the United States, with its drone technology, with its surgical strike technology, is to help us disable Bashar al-Assad from the use of these chemical weapons," Yasser Tabbara said.
On Thursday President Barack Obama's administration said intelligence indicates government forces likely used the nerve gas sarin in two attacks.
Syria's Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi denied the charges on Saturday saying Washington had levelled the accusation as a result of the latest victories by the army.
Speaking in Istanbul, Tabbara stated that the red line the international community had been talking about, had long been crossed in the cities of Syria.
"When it comes to the issue of chemical weapons, it's a known fact that the Assad regime has been using chemical weapons on Syrian civilians. There has been a number of documented incidents that basically confirm the use of the Assad militia's chemical weapons," said Tabbara.
He also claimed that many intelligence agencies had knowledge of chemical weapons use and expressed his confusion on inaction.
"These are... public information that the most intelligence agencies in the world have," Tabbara said.
"And we see no reason whatsoever why there isn't an international move to at least disable Bashar al-Assad from using such weapons of grave destruction."
During the latest Friends of Syria meeting in Istanbul, the United States announced they would give Syrian rebels new non-lethal aid worth 123 million US dollars and that it would include some supplies, such as armour, that was not present in previous packages.
The conflict in Syria between rebels and Assad's forces has cost lives of more than 70,000 people.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
