US to help Syrian forces fight chemical weapons
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Monday cleared the way for the U.S. to send chemical weapons-related assistance to the Syrian opposition, as well as international organizations working inside the war-torn Middle Eastern country.
The move comes nearly a month after a deadly chemical weapons attack near Damascus that raised the specter of a U.S. military strike and resulted in a diplomatic deal aimed at stripping Syria of its stockpiles of deadly gases. While the White House says the international response should deter future attacks, the authorization of chemical weapons-related assistance signaled that the U.S. was at least preparing for the possibility that the deadly gases might be used again.
The White House said the non-lethal assistance could fall into three categories:
— Chemical weapons-related "personal protective" equipment to international organizations working in Syria, including the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
— Medical assistance to strengthen local Syrian health care providers' ability to prepare for and respond to the use of chemical weapons
— Defensive chemical weapons training and protective equipment to vetted members of the Syrian opposition to protect against the use of deadly gases
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/obama-clears-way-chemical-weapons-aid-syria