Syrian rebels now deny possessing chemical weapons

The head of the new Syrian opposition unified military command has denied reports that opposition fighters possess chemical weapons and intend to respond in kind if the Syrian regime uses them. Brigadier Selim Idris, a defector from Bashar Assad's army, told Turkey's Anatolia news agency that news reports that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) has chemical weapons are not true. FSA political adviser Bassam al-Dada told the same news agency Wednesday that the Syrian opposition has the necessary capability and raw materials to produce chemical weapons.