US Says it Doesn't Believe Syria Has Used Chemical Weapons

Could not corroborate information from leaked cable

The United States has no reason to believe Syria has used chemical weapons during its 22-month conflict with rebels seeking to end the Assad family's rule, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

Asked if the United States had any reason to believe that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government had used chemical weapons against his own people, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters: "No."

Foreign Policy magazine reported on its website on Tuesday that a previously secret U.S. diplomatic cable from the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, had concluded that Assad's government had likely used chemical weapons.