Syrian government suspects 'third party' of being involved in chemical weapons incidents

A third party may be involved in the chemical weapons incidents in Syria, Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and head of the opposition Popular Front for Change and Liberation Qadri Jamil suggested. "Looking into the use of chemical weapons, I suspect the involvement of a third party," he told the Rossiya 24 television channel, Voice of Russia reported. Jamil said they had evidence to support this theory. He added that the Syrian economy has lost approximately $100 billion during the armed conflict. "I tentatively calculate the losses at $100 billion, 10% more or less," he said. "The GDP shrank by at least 30% in 2013," he concluded. Syria needs to resolve the political crisis in order to recover from this economic turmoil, Jamil said. "When the political crisis is over, the embargo, which has played a very large role in the deterioration of economic conditions, will be lifted. Besides, the security levels on roads and martial law in the country have generally had a negative effect on cargo traffic," he said.