• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Syrian Opposition Says Assad Forces Used 'Poison Gas'

August 21, 2013

by VOA News

Syrian opposition leaders have accused forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of killing hundreds of people in attacks using "poisonous gas" on rebel-held areas of Damascus.

Estimates of reported death tolls from human rights activists varied widely. George Sabra of the exiled Syrian National Coalition estimated the number of casualties at 1,300. His claim at a news conference in Istanbul on Wednesday could not be independently verified.

Assad denies accusation

The Syrian government denied using chemical weapons in Wednesday's military operations. Syrian activists claimed Syrian troops unleashed an artillery and rocket barrage against several Damascus suburbs on Wednesday that allegedly included some chemical elements.

The activists posted videos online showing scores of bodies of adults and children laid out on the floor of makeshift clinics with no visible signs of injuries.

The Syrian government, however, said the opposition is attempting to disrupt a mission by U.N. personnel who are in Syria to investigate previous allegations that chemical weapons were used in Syria's civil war earlier this year.

Europe reacts

Britain, France and the Arab League called for the U.N. team led by Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom to visit the sites of Wednesday's alleged chemical attacks. Sellstrom said the incidents should be "looked into."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "deeply concerned" about the reported chemical attacks, and said if proven true, they represent a "shocking escalation." He said Britain will refer the matter to the U.N. Security Council.

The European Union called for "a thorough and immediate'' investigation of the alleged chemical attack. "We have seen with grave concern the reports of the possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. Such accusations should be immediately and thoroughly investigated,'' a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.

"The EU reiterates that any use of chemical weapons, by any side in Syria, would be totally unacceptable," she added.

Emergency UN meeting requested

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia called on Wednesday for an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss reports of the chemical attack.

"It is time for the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and overcome differences between its members and restore the confidence of the international community by convening immediately to issue a clear and deterrent resolution that will put an end to this human crisis,'' Prince Saud said in a statement.

Rebels condemn attack

Khaled Saleh, a spokesman for the main opposition Syrian National Coalition, strongly criticized the reported attacks, calling the situation in the area "extremely dire."

"This really is a slap in the face of humanity, in the face of the U.N., in the face of the Friends of Syria group, it's even a slap in the face of those regimes that support the Assad regime in killing the Syrian people," he said. "What we want is from those inspectors to come in and see the people that were killed in the country side of Damascus. We want them to look at the victims, we want them to investigate who used those chemical weapons."

UN mission

The violence comes as United Nations chemical weapons inspectors carry out a two-week mission in Syria to investigate earlier incidents in which the Syrian government and rebels accused each other of carrying out chemical attacks.

The inspectors will try to establish only whether chemical weapons - including sarin and other toxic nerve agents - were used, not who used them.

The mission will be limited to investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in three areas, including a March attack in the Aleppo suburb of Khan al-Assal.