Substitute Al-Othman leads Al-Qadsiah to a crucial victory against Al-Khaleej    Ronaldo's double powers Al-Nassr to a 2-0 victory over Damac    Minister Al-Samaani inaugurates technical office to enhance judicial quality in Qassim    Riyadh Metro ticket prices starts at SR4    Saudi Arabia's R&D expenditure hits SR22.61 billion in 2023    Saudi Arabia, Comoros strengthen economic ties with new MoU    Saudi Arabia retains its seat on OPCW Executive Council    Saudi Transport Authority cracks down on foreign trucks violating rules    Saudi Arabia receives extradited citizen wanted for corruption crimes from Russia    Ukraine fights to keep the lights on as Russia hammers power plants    Indian airlines hit by nearly 1,000 hoax bomb threats    Sweden asks China to cooperate over severed cables    Childcare worker who abused more than 60 girls jailed for life    K-Pop group NewJeans split from agency in mistreatment row    Defending the Truth: Saudi Arabia and the 2034 World Cup    Culture minister visits Diriyah Art Futures    GCC Preparatory Ministerial Meeting discusses developments in Gaza and Lebanon    Al Taawoun seals AFC Champions League Two knockout spot with 2-1 win over Al Khaldiya    Best-selling novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford dies    Adele doesn't know when she'll perform again after tearful Vegas goodbye    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



US general warns of Syrian bioweapons, Iran threat
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 07 - 03 - 2012

The top US commander in the Middle East will warn Congress on Tuesday against efforts to scale back the Navy's presence in the embattled region, saying threats from Iran and elsewhere will require more ships and maritime missile defense capabilities.
Marine Gen. James Mattis, head of US Central Command, also said Syria has a “substantial” chemical and biological weapons capability and thousands of shoulder-launched missiles.
Until now, the US military has largely declined to describe the expanse of weapons that President Bashar Assad's regime has at its disposal.
Mattis laid out his concerns in testimony prepared for Senate and House Armed Services Committee hearings this week.
He and Navy Adm. William McRaven, head of US Special Operations Command, are testifying before the Senate panel Tuesday. The testimony was obtained by The Associated Press.
Mattis' comments come as the Obama administration meets with Israeli leaders this week to discuss the escalating Iranian threat and the possibility of a pre-emptive strike by Israel.
Against a backdrop of roughly $500 billion in Pentagon budget cuts over the next decade, Mattis said the US must use its Navy and special operations forces to maintain a smaller but still strong military presence in the Middle East as the wars in Iran and Afghanistan end.
“The stacked Iranian threats ... of ballistic missiles, long-range rockets, mines, small boats, cruise missiles and submarines demand stronger naval presence and capability to protect vital sea lines of communication,” Mattis said.
At the same time, he described a deteriorating situation in Syria, fueled in part by Iran.
The prospects of a civil war are rising in Syria, he said, but the “options available to address the situation are extremely challenging.”
Some members of Congress have called for United States and international military action against the Assad regime to stem a brutal offensive against the Syrian people.
But the Obama administration and other international leaders have opposed military intervention and instead have pushed instead for increased sanctions.
US officials argue that unlike the military campaign in Libya last year that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, a military campaign in Syria would be far more difficult, would not get the backing of the UN Security Council and would be hampered by a less coordinated opposition force.


Clic here to read the story from its source.