Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Photo: Fabio Rodrigues Pozzebom / ABr via Wikimedia Commons.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s army has likely already used small amounts of chemical weapons against rebel forces, Israel Defense Forces Northern Command Maj. Gen. Yair Golan told Israel Hayom.

“He hasn’t crossed the Rubicon yet. What I think he has done, if he has done it, is make use of chemical weapons in a way that leaves a small enough signature that doesn’t paint him as having used WMD in a significant way,” Golan said.

“He will use whatever he has,” Golan added, pointing to the eventuality that the beleaguered Assad could make use of his chemical weapons stockpile, believed to be the largest such stockpile in the world.

Golan predicted that Assad’s demise should come about “in months, not weeks.” However strong his command structure is, Assad has “lost his borders,” Golan said.

“Everything is wide open,” he said. “The northern border is split between Sunni and Kurd zones. The borders with Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan are wide open. This makes it hard for Assad to isolate the rebels, who in turn are receiving massive outside assistance in manpower and munitions.”