mistakesweremade 293 Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 UN: Alleged Syria toxic attacks 'serious escalation' The BBC's Frank Gardner says the footage shows people gasping for breath and convulsing Continue reading the main story Syria conflict In pictures: 'Chemical attacks' City where snipers shoot children Kurdish-jihadist clashes Khalidiya 'setback, but no defeat' UN officials say alleged chemical weapons attacks which Syria's oppositions says killed hundreds near Damascus were a "serious escalation". Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson made the comments after briefing an emergency UN Security Council meeting about Wednesday's incident. The Security Council also said that clarity was needed over the attacks. Some 35 member states called for UN weapons inspectors already in Syria to be dispatched immediately to the scene. Opposition activists said that more than 1,000 people were killed after government forces launched rockets with toxic agents into the Damascus suburbs in the Ghouta region early on Wednesday. The Syrian government has denied the allegations, describing them as "illogical and fabricated". The Syrian army said the opposition made up the claims to divert attention from the huge losses its forces had suffered recently. The BBC has been unable to independently confirm the death toll. Calls for clarity "There must be clarity on what happened and the situation must be followed closely," Argentina's UN ambassador and current Security Council president, Maria Cristina Perceval, said after a closed-door meeting on Wednesday evening. Council members also "welcomed the determination of the Secretary-General (Ban Ki-moon) to ensure a thorough, impartial and prompt investigation," she added. Jan Eliasson: "This represents a serious escalation with grave humanitarian consequences" Mr Eliasson, who also spoke to reporters after the meeting, said any investigation into the incident would require the consent of the Syrian government and was dependent on the security situation. This followed calls by some 35 member states - including the US, UK and France - for the UN chemical weapons inspectors that are already probing three sites of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria to be dispatched immediately to the scene to investigate. The inspectors arrived in Damascus on Sunday with a mandate to investigate three locations including the northern town of Khan al-Assal, where some 26 people were killed in March. But the official Syrian Sana news agency said reports of the latest attack were "baseless", describing them as "an attempt to divert the UN chemical weapons investigation commission away from carrying out its duties". BBC correspondents say China and Russia - which have repeatedly backed the Syrian government since the crisis began - blocked a stronger security council press statement supported by the 35 states. Convulsions Opposition activists say the attack took place as part of heavy government bombardment in the region surrounding Damascus, with government forces trying to drive out rebel forces. The areas said to have been affected included Irbin, Duma and Muadhamiya. Activist footage shows dozens of bodies with no visible signs of injuries, including small children, laid out on the floor of a clinic. Other videos show people being treated in makeshift hospitals, with victims, including many children, having convulsions. Many children were among those clearly shown in distress in activist footage While it is not clear how many died in the bombardment of the sites and how many deaths were due to any exposure to toxic substances, experts say it would be almost impossible to fake so many dead and injured including children and babies. Ghazwan Bwidany, a doctor treating the injured, told the BBC the main symptom, especially among children, was suffocation, as well as salivating and blurred vision. Prof Alexander Kekule, of the Institute for Medical Microbiology at Halle University in Germany, told the BBC that one of the videos - although of poor quality - was consistent with the aftermath of an attack with a chemical agent. But he added that none of the patients showed typical signs of sarin or other organophosphorous nerve agents, or signs of blistering agents." International concern The Obama administration expressed its "deep concern" over the alleged chemical weapons attacks on Wednesday and formally requested the UN to "urgently investigate" the incident. The alleged attack comes a year after US President Barack Obama warned the Syrian government that using chemical weapons would cross a "red line". Continue reading the main story Chemical weapons claims Khan al-Assal, 19 March 2013 - Syrian state media accuse rebels of killing 31 people with rockets containing "chemical materials". Rebels blame the army for the attack. Al-Otaybeh, 19 March 2013 - Opposition activists allege an attack in which six people are reported dead, apparently in reprisal for gains made by rebel forces. Adra, 24 March 2013 - The LCC activist network say two people are killed in an attack. Sheikh Maqsoud, Aleppo, 13 April 2013 - At least three people are killed in an attack; internet footage of the victims shows symptoms consistent with exposure to nerve gas. Saraqeb, 29 April 2013 - Eyewitnesses say canisters containing a poisonous gas are dropped from a helicopter above the town. Eight people are injured, one of whom later dies. Q&A: Damascus 'toxic attacks' Syria chemical weapons allegations Syria's chemical weapons stockpile How to investigate chemical weapons allegations Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said that if confirmed, the attacks would mark a "shocking escalation in the use of chemical weapons in Syria". But the Russian foreign ministry noted that the reports had emerged just as the UN chemical weapons inspection team had arrived in Syria, saying that "this makes us think that we are once again dealing with a premeditated provocation". Both the rebels and government forces have accused each other of using chemical weapons throughout the 28-month conflict. It has not been possible to independently verify the claims. In July 2012, the Syrian government implicitly admitted what had long been suspected - that Syria had stocks of chemical weapons. Experts believe the country has large undeclared stockpiles of mustard gas and sarin nerve agent. Damascus said the weapons, stored and secured by the armed forces, would never be used "inside Syria", but could be used against an external attack. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23790335 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistakesweremade 293 Posted August 22, 2013 Author Share Posted August 22, 2013 BBC is reporting it as an alleged use, another news site is reporting it was used and posted pictures of the bodies. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2398691/Syrias-darkest-hour-Hundreds-childrens-bodies-piled-high-nerve-gas-attack-near-Damascus-leaves-1-300-dead.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodJoy 444 Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Let me express my disbelief in this kind of reports tho... Reminds me of those "WMD in Iraq" crap And I still remember how western media was covering August 2008 conflict in South Osetia! -_- Maybe western media is absolutely free, fair and unbiased when it comes to domestic issues but when it's about foreign problems, international affairs and western military actions and NATO doings, it completely transforms into brain washing machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
versace 9,204 Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 oh my god that's horrible My deepest condolences goes to the innocent people who lost their lives because of this horrible crime against humanity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wisteria 2,177 Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle_fan 16 Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Let me express my disbelief in this kind of reports tho... Reminds me of those "WMD in Iraq" crap That comparison makes no sense. For Syria, credible media sources are reporting facts on the use of chemical weapons on civilians For Iraq, the US government used cherry-picked non-verrified old information or straight up lies about the possibility of WMD being stockpiled (so not in use) to sell us a war, a.k.a propaganda. The 2 situations are different in so many ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
�SHERRY� 5,081 Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 There are pic of dead syrian children why are they waiting for confirmation? ? Do they want to wait till the death toll in million till they do something? ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kissung 325 Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 That's just wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodJoy 444 Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 That comparison makes no sense. For Syria, credible media sources are reporting facts on the use of chemical weapons on civilians For Iraq, the US government used cherry-picked non-verrified old information or straight up lies about the possibility of WMD being stockpiled (so not in use) to sell us a war, a.k.a propaganda. The 2 situations are different in so many ways. What credible media sources? The same ones that reported about WMD in Iraq, how "russians invaded Georgia for no reason", how "iraqis and afghans are terrorists" but "chechens are freedom fighters" etc. Too much double standard and hypocrisy. I think this case is a propaganda too. They believe in everything syrian opposition force say but don't believe in everything official government say. Why? Because they are biased. They aren't dumb or blind. They probably know very well that half of those "opposition army" soldiers are mercenaries and other half is sunnite terrorists (sponsored by Saudis and all kaida). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yerowan 1,006 Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Maybe western media is absolutely free, fair and unbiased when it comes to domestic issues It's very much not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solis 10,336 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 So awful. :c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodJoy 444 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Do Barack Obama and David Cameron really think Assad is stupid enough to invite a UN Chemical weapons inspection team into Syria, then launch a chemical weapons attack on women and children (instead of against the hired mercenary army) on the day the inspectors arrive, just miles from where the inspectors are staying? Or do they just hope YOU are stupid enough to believe it? Because if you believe that one, I have some of Saddam's nuclear weapons to sell you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moongirl 1,255 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 this civil war is turning more gruesome by the day and why, so that innocent people should lose their lives? while the people who gave the orders can continue with their inhuman crimes? what is the world turning into? you want to understand why but you know you can't and there's no reason to either my condolences go to all people who lost friends or family by these acts of inhumanity and may the victims rest in peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North and South 4,680 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 This is horrendous. The UN will sit there, twiddling their thumbs as they go through the red tape to do ANYTHING. And then we'll be heading into another war to "save" the people of Syria. What is wrong with this world and the people who inhabit it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamer1MFK 20 Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Inb4 the 4 US destroyers in the area bomb the shit out of Damascus and every military target within firing range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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