Towards western intervention in Syria

'Chemical weapons hysteria pretext for West to frame Assad & intervene'

Western powers have already warned the Syrian regime against using the banned arms - but Damascus says it's the victim of a smear campaign. Assad officials claim they would never use chemical weapons against civilians, and are only interested in keeping the stockpiles safe.

This comes as US sources say Washington's training rebels to secure and handle such weapons, in case the Syrian regime collapses. Some observers are now convinced that a foreign intervention's in the making.