BBC News with Jerry Smit

US President Barack Obama has warned that the Syrian President Bashar Assad will be making a tragic mistake if he would use the

stockpile

of chemical weapons as Syria has now admitted possessing. Mr Obama added that the Syrian leader will be held accountable if chemical weapons were used. The president's comment followed a similar warning from the State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

"Any talk about any use of any kind of a weapon like that in this situation is horrific and chilling. The Syrian regime has a responsibility to the world, has a responsibility, first and foremost, to its own citizens to protect and

safeguard

those weapons. And that kind of loose talk just speaks to the kind of regime that we're talking about.

The US warning came after Syria's foreign ministry spokesman acknowledged for the first time that Syria has chemical weapons. But he said they would only be used in the event of a foreign attack.

Multiple attacks across Iraq, many targeting the security forces, have killed more than 100 people. It's one of the worst states of violence in Iraq since American forces withdrew last December. Rami Ruhayem reports from Baghdad.

Rescue workers scrambled to multiple blast scenes as Iraq reeled from yet another day of coordinated attacks. The northern city of Kirkuk and its suburbs were struck by no fewer than eight car bombs. Several police