Syria conflict: Government again accused of using chemical weapons on civilians

[Jefferson23]

Full title: Syria conflict: Government again accused of using chemical weapons on civilians as villagers are treated following gas attacks

April 14, 2015



The Syrian government has been accused of again using chemical weapons against civilians as fighting intensifies with fresh rebel attacks in the north of the country.

Helicopters deployed by the regime of Bashar al-Assad dropped barrel bombs containing gas canisters filled with lethal chemicals in and around the city of Idlib, west of Aleppo, as it was assaulted and later captured by jihadi forces led by the al-Qaeda affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra, in March according to Human Rights Watch.

The group said it had evidence strongly suggesting that toxic chemicals dropped by helicopters between 16 and 31 March affected 206 people, with one attack killing six people, including three children.

The accusation came as rebels in Aleppo blew up a Syrian air force intelligence headquarters by exploding a powerful bomb packed into a tunnel dug secretly beneath it. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that more than 20 government troops and fighters were killed and wounded in the blast, along with 13 rebels. The rebels are also making advances north of Aleppo where they earlier repelled a government counter-offensive.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-conflict-report-strongly-suggests-government-used-toxic-chemicals-in-bombings-10176342.html

[quadrature]

1. how are the two Libyas doing these days?

what a mess
endless suffering

[Jefferson23]

2. Endless. n/t

[riderinthestorm]

3. The last chemical weapons left Syria on June 2014

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_Syria's_chemical_weapons



Via an extensive international agreement and mutual cooperation

[Jefferson23]

4. I know, but it looks like HRW feels confident to say otherwise. n/t

[geek tragedy]

5. crude replacements can be made.

They didn't dismantle their labs or factories.

[Jefferson23]

6. UN hears accounts of Syria chemical weapons attacks

The UN Security Council has heard firsthand accounts from Syrian doctors of alleged chemical weapons attacks in their country.

Following the closed-door meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday, Samantha Power, US ambassador to the UN, said the Security Council will now seek to identify those behind the attacks and ensure they face justice.

She said council members became "very, very emotional" while watching a video of the doctors struggling to save children who were vomiting and choking.

"If there was a dry eye in the room, I didn't see it," Power said.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/syria-security-council-chemical-weapons-150416185717673.html