By David Williams A senior Syrian forensic medicine expert with evidence that President Bashar al-Assad's administration used chemical weapons in an attack in March has defected to Turkey, the opposition claimed today. Abdeltawwab Shahrour, head of the forensic medicine committee in Aleppo, Syria's second city, was said last night to be preparing to make the evidence public - a move that could help to provide powerful backing for those in the U.S. administration supporting military action against the Assad regime. He was the civilian in charge of the chemical weapons programme's medical and forensic science department so potentially is a hugely significant figure in any investigations into the use of nerve gas.
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Influential chemical weapons specialist has 'smuggled evidence to Turkey'
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Abdeltawwab Shahrour is a prominent forensic medicine expert
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He is a civilian head of section of regime's chemical weapons programme
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Shahrour may provide the evidence needed to support U.S. intervention
He said: 'We have serious concerns based on the information that we have received from sources inside the Assad army who are sympathetic to the revolution that @placeholder might be considering using those chemical weapons against innocent civilians.'