Netanyahu says Syria must be stripped of its chemical weapons

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem September 8, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Uriel Sinai/Pool

JERUSALEM | Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:32am EDT

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday Syria must be stripped of its chemical weapons and that the international community must make sure those who used weapons of mass destruction pay a price.

Netanyahu said Syria had carried out a "crime against humanity" by killing innocent civilians with chemical weapons and that Syria's ally Iran, who is at odds with the West over its nuclear program, was watching to see how the world acted.

"It must be ensured that the Syrian regime is stripped of its chemical weapons, and the world must make sure that whoever uses weapons of mass destruction pays a price for it," Netanyahu said. "The message that is received in Syria will be received loudly in Iran."

(This story was refiled to fix translation in quote in third paragraph to read "It must be ensured ... " instead of "We must make sure ... ")

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Alison Williams)

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