Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu got straight to the point in their joint news conference Saturday. They announced the creation of a new working group that will monitor what's happening next door in Syria and prepare for crises.
One of those crises could include the possibility that the Syrian government decides to deploy chemical weapons against rebels or other perceived enemies.
Clinton says the new U.S.-Turkish working group needs to be ready for anything, including " " of possible chemical weapons use, according to The Associated Press. The new working group will coordinate responses to any chemical attack should it occur.
An attack like that would mean many deaths and injuries, and thousands more Syrian refugees who'll stream into Turkey and other neighboring countries. Last month, a Syrian official but Syria tried to take back the remark, hinting it didn't even possess a chemical weapons arsenal.
Clinton acknowledged to a reporter that she and the Turkish minister also considered investigating to protect Syrian rebels, but she said only that the idea needed much further analysis, according to The Telegraph.
As Clinton visits Istanbul, in Saudi Arabia to talk about their next actions regarding Syria, says AFP. When as U.N. peace envoy to Syria, he stepped down from the same job on the Arab League's behalf.
Reuters reports the ministers will Sunday. There's no indication the ministers could tap the U.N.'s rumored choice for its new Syria envoy: . He's a seasoned diplomat, having in Iraq, Afghanistan and South Africa, as it ended apartheid.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDAxNDQ2NDAxMDEyNzU2NzM2ODA3ZGI1ZA001))
