The United States said Tuesday that it holds the Al-Assad regime responsible for the security of the chemical weapons in Syria. “The Syrian government bears the responsibility for the chemical weapons on its territory. They have a responsibility not only to use them, but to keep them safe and secure," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. The United States has “been trying to convince Syria to eradicate these weapons, to get rid of them altogether," Nuland said. However, “They have not done that." Asked what the response would be if the Al-Assad regime loses control of the weapons, Nuland said, the regime would “have an obligation under international treaties to report that immediately so that remedial action can be taken."
