By Al Arabiya
Exclusive
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/04/241792.html

Assad ‘moved’ chemical weapons, sought cooperation with ‘state of Israel:’ leaks

Officially, the Syrian regime and its allies, Russia and Iran, have
consistently dismissed allegations that President Bashar al-Assad
intends to use or relocate chemical weapons in his ongoing war for
survival.

But classified documents obtained by Al Arabiya have revealed that the
Syrian regime did move chemical weapons stockpile with the help of Iran
and knowledge of Russia.

Furthermore, additional documents also reveal that Assad has also sought
cross border cooperation with the “State of Israel” which the Syrian
regime often refers to in public as a hostile “entity”.

The confidential files were acquired by Al Arabiya with the assistance of members of the Syrian
opposition who refused to elaborate on how they got hold of the documents.

Al Arabiya says that it has verified and authenticated hundreds of these
documents and that it has decided to disclose the ones with substantial
news value and political relevance.

‘Wareheads ready to be relocated’



In a highly-classified -- but undated -- document sent from Iran, Qasem
Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, a division of the Iranian
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), addressed President Assad
directly, affirming that the chemical warheads are ready to be
relocated.

This was in contrary to previous statements by Iran that it would not support any country with plans to use the chemicals.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi had said that Iran could not
support any country -- including ally Syria -- that used such weapons,
calling this “a situation that will end everything.”

“If any country... uses weapons of mass destruction, that is the end of
the validity, eligibility, legality, whatever you name it, of that
government,” he said at a talk given to the Council on Foreign Relations
think tank.

Last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had already divulged that
the Syrians have moved some of their chemical weapons capability to
better secure it.

It was not clear when the movement took place, or even if it was recent,
but Panetta told a Pentagon news conference it had occurred in more
than one case.

In a recent TV interview, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem accused
the United States of seeking a pretext to attack Syria, comparing the
tactic to those that preceded the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

“It is a myth they invented to launch a campaign against Syria like they did in Iraq,” he said.

Reason why document was undated

In another leaked document, also obtained by Al Arabiya; an order sent
from the Syrian Presidential Palace and signed by the head of the
Foreign Intelligence Service; Maj. Gen. Bassam Marhej discusses the
detection of an “administrative error.”

The error, which apparently is a leak of secret documents, was
discovered by the Joint Command (Syria-Iran-Russia) in cooperation with
the Syrian embassy in Moscow.

The supposed “error” was likely related to information about Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles.

According to Marhej -- and following the discovery of the “error” --
Syrian President Assad issued orders prohibiting writing reference
numbers and/or dates on secret official documents.

He also ordered that all top-secret (written) instructions to be
delivered ‘by hand’ and to be ‘burnt’ following receipt along with all
telegram and written communication in all embassies and diplomatic
missions.

Assad’s confidentiality instructions were to be implemented immediately, the document said.




Relation with Israel

Another batch of leaked files obtained by Al Arabiya were related to the Syrian regime’s secret relations to Israel.

Officially, the two states are at war; particularly since Israel is still occupying the Syrian Golan Heights.

On April 3, 2011, less than one month after the beginning of the popular
uprising in Syria, the Chief of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence, Sakr
Mennoun, sent a written order to Col. Suheil Hassan to head to the
Syrian-Israeli borders and ensure the safety of the frontiers.

Mannoun requests from Hassan to secure the borders “in cooperation with the state of Israel.”

Al Arabiya’s exclusive series on the newly-leaked Syrian security documents continues on Saturday Oct. 6.