Satellite imagery of the al-Safira military facility in Syria. The al-Safira military base is the headquarters of the Syrian chemical weapons program and contains both a depot for storing chemical weapons as well as a massive laboratory for manufacturing them. Screengrab
Syria: Al-Qaeda's Battle For Control Of Assad's Chemical Weapons Plant -- The Telegraph
A battle near a factory believed to be one of the Syrian regime's main chemical weapons plants shows just how close such weapons could be to falling into al-Qaeda's hands, writes Colin Freeman.
Set amid the rolling plains outside Aleppo, the town of al-Safira looks just like another vicious battleground in Syria's civil war. On one side are lightly-armed rebels, on the other are government troops, and in between is a hotly-contested no-man's land of bombed-out homes and burned-out military vehicles.
The fight for al-Safira is no ordinary turf war, however, and the prize can be found behind the perimeter walls of the heavily-guarded military base on the edge of town. Inside what looks like a drab industrial estate is one of Syria's main facilities for producing chemical weapons - and among its products is sarin, the lethal nerve gas that the regime is now feared to be deploying in its bid to cling to power.
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My Comment: This is a troubling .... but not a surprising .... development. These radical groups are organized, financed, heavily armed, motivated, and have the will to fight and to win. They are are also growing very quickly with more recruits and defections .... and with more victories on the battlefield .... they are now striking at the heart of the Syrian regime's military infrastructure that so happens to also include bases with chemical weapons. As to what is my take .... talk about red lines .... this is one big red line for the international community.
Update: I concur with the New York Times .... the success of Al Qaeda's affiliates in Syria is creating a policy dilemma for the White House. The question now is .... what is the White House going to do .... this is a development that they cannot ignore or postpone.