Syrian PM: Syria capable of hurting foes without CWs

Syrian Prime Minister Wael Nader al-Halqi said Damascus has other means to inflict pain on its enemies, even without its chemical weapons. "The fact that the government agreed to hand over its chemical weapons stockpile does not mean that we cannot reach a strategic balance in other ways," al-Halqi said in an interview with Lebanese newspaper al-Ahd on Tuesday. Al-Halqi added, "If you have means better suited for your purpose than chemical weapons, why is there a need for (chemical) weapons"? According to the prime minister, Syria's decision to dismantle their chemical weapons arsenal, in agreement with the US-Russia brokered deal, in no way damages Syria's ability to hurt its enemies. He noted Syria can neutralize any enemy threat with advanced aerial weapons systems and advanced missile systems. When the Russian-US deal on Syria’s chemical weapons was announced Saturday, al-Halqi said the Syrian government accepted the proposal "to spare Syrian blood". Syria has strongly rejected the allegations that it used chemical weapons against Takfiri militants, saying it was a false flag operation by the militants to project the blame on the Damascus government and distract the visiting team of the UN chemical weapons experts from visiting the site of previous chemical attacks, specially the one in Khan al-Asal.