These are the latest developments Tuesday in the Syria standoff
In Damascus the state run Syrian Arab News Agency issued a statement accusing Secretary of State John Kerry of using fabricated evidence to claim that it is undeniable that Syria used chemical weapons against civilians last week. SANA said the United States is jumping over the work of United Nations. inspectors showing that the Obama administration intends to exploit the alleged deaths of hundreds of Syrian civilians in a suspected nerve gas attack.
Warplanes and military transporters have begun arriving at Britain's Akrotiri airbase on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus less than 100 miles from the Syrian coast in a sign of increasing preparations for a military strike against the Assad regime in Syria according to the United Kingdom's Guardian newspaper.
Syria Foreign Minister Walid al Moallem said Tuesday his country would defend itself using all means available in case of a U.S. strike denying categorically his government was behind an alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus and challenging Washington to present proof backing up its accusations.
In Europe stocks sold off London's FTSE 100 index fell 0.68% and Germany's DAX tumbled 1.57%. Brent crude oil jumped $1.56 a barrel or 1.41% to $112.29. Gold which typically rises as world tensions do jumped $21.20 an ounce or $1.52% to $1 414.30. In the U.S. Treasury market another traditional safe haven traders pushed prices up and yields down. The bellwether 10 year Treasury note yield fell to 2.76% from 2.81% Monday.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a surprise meeting of his security cabinet apparently to discuss Syria Army Radio reported. Also the Israel Defense Forces began a pre planned two day drill in the Golan Heights involving security and emergency forces according to Israel Hayom newspaper. The IDF said area residents might hear the sound of gunfire and explosions.
U.N. spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci told reporters in Geneva that the inspection team might need longer than the planned 14 days to complete its work and its priority now is to determine what happened in the Aug. 21 attack. This is the first priority she said. The U.N. team traveled to the western Damascus suburb of Moadamiyeh on Monday to look at one of the areas affected by the purported chemical attack. The team collected samples and testimony.
Syria's foreign minister said a second trip by United Nations experts to the site of last week's purported chemical weapons attack has been delayed because of disputes among rebel groups.
Contributing The Associated Press John Waggoner USA TODAY
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