Syria on the brink

Senator Carr must reveal whether his call for the assassination of President Assad, in the midst of a bitter civil war, was made after consultation with nations that have a direct interest in developments in that region.

The US and its European allies would have plans in place to secure the stockpiles of chemical weapons in the event of a chaotic collapse of the regime.

It is vital that these dangerous weapons do not fall into the hands of extremists as that would pose a direct risk to nations all over the world.

The fall of the Gaddafi regime saw large amounts of conventional weapons and munitions spread beyond Libya's borders, with conflict spreading to Mali where an al Qaeda affiliate has taken control of large swathes of the country with reports of rockets and anti-aircraft missiles also finding their way to Gaza.

In response to President's Obama's statement, the Syrian foreign ministry gave a strong reassurance that, "Syria has repeatedly stressed to the American side directly, or through the Russian friends, that it will not use such weapons, even if they existed, against its people under any circumstance."

It is clear that President Obama is not acting on mere suspicion of the regime's intentions and has intelligence reports that indicate the regime's forces are preparing to use these weapons.

President Assad would be well aware of the fate of fellow dictators Gaddafi, shot and killed while hiding in a roadside drain, and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak who was sentenced to life in prison.

Senior figures in the regime would believe there would be no mercy from their captors if the regime were defeated and this could result in desperate actions, particularly if the regime fears it will be overrun by rebel units.

With Assad vowing to fight to the bitter end, there are few scenarios where Syria makes a peaceful transition from the current regime to the next phase of its history.