Growing concerns surrounding the unstable position in Syria have many leaders around the world concerned, including Israel and the United States.

Among those recently quoted was US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, who spoke of the worrisome situation surrounding Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned a desperate Bashar al-Assad might resort to the use of chemical weapons.

In addition, a number of Western leaders have warned the Syrian leader not to cross the ‘red line’, referring to the chemical weapons, including US President Barak Obama.

Nevertheless, a NBC News report warns that Assad has loaded the precursor chemicals for saran nerve gas that Damascus may deploy.

The UK Sunday Times reports that Israeli Special Forces are operating in Syria, seeking to monitor the stockpiles of chemical weapons. The reports quotes as Israeli source as saying “For years we’ve known the exact location of Syria’s chemical and biological munitions…but in the past week we’ve got signs that munitions have been moved to new locations.”

Western nations are also carefully monitoring worrisome events in Syria as they unfold.

Asked to comment on the report, Vice Premier Moshe Ya’alon told Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet “It appears that every Sunday the newspaper raises its price and therefore needs to go with a major story”.

He continued “There is no doubt over the past 20 years Syria has armed with missiles and chemical weapons but never used them against Israel… which is a sign regarding the effectiveness of Israel’s deterrence abilities” vis-à-vis Syria.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)