The country's moves would "enable Iran to cross the red line clandestinely in a matter of weeks, " he said.

WSJ: Iran Cools Nuclear Work as Vote Looms

"The president of the United States said that if Bashar Assad used chemical weapons that it would be a game changer, that it would cross a red line, " the Arizona senator said.

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In Homs, activists pleaded for emergency aid and the International Committee of the Red Cross which is negotiating for a cease-fire in Syria said its team couldn't enter the besieged city over the weekend to help evacuate the injured.

WSJ: Some Syrians Vote, as Others Are Attacked

The chair of the session, the former UK prime minister Gordon Brown, said the continent needed billions of dollars of investment in infrastructure, but red tape and cross-border problems were getting in the way.

BBC: Davos 2012: Africa leaders urge co-operation