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| Rex Tillerson: Russia 'bears responsibility' for Syria chemical attacks | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Russia is partly to blame for a suspected chemical weapons attack in a rebel enclave in Syria, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said. | |
| "Russia ultimately bears responsibility for the victims in eastern Ghouta and countless other Syrians targeted with chemical weapons since Russia became involved in Syria," Mr Tillerson said after a conference on chemical weapons in Paris. | "Russia ultimately bears responsibility for the victims in eastern Ghouta and countless other Syrians targeted with chemical weapons since Russia became involved in Syria," Mr Tillerson said after a conference on chemical weapons in Paris. |
| More than 20 civilians – most of whom were children – were hit by the attack, the Secretary of State said. He added that the incident raised "serious concerns" that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was continuing to use chemical weapons against his own people. | More than 20 civilians – most of whom were children – were hit by the attack, the Secretary of State said. He added that the incident raised "serious concerns" that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was continuing to use chemical weapons against his own people. |
| Russia has long supported Mr Assad, even after a similar, suspected chemical weapons attack last year. Mr Tillerson said Russia had violated an agreement it made with the US to remove of chemical weapons from Syria, and was helping them break the international treaty barring their use. | |
| The Assad regime has denied using chlorine or other chemical weapons during Syria’s seven-year civil war. | |
| Monday's attack in eastern Ghouta – a rebel-held area suburb near Damascus – came as the government's bombing campaign in the area escalated, according to monitoring groups. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 13 people were suffocated by what appeared to be chlorine gas. | |
| US President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike on Syria last April, after a suspected chemical weapons attack killed more than 100 people. The President blamed Mr Assad for the chemical attack at the time. | |
| Mr Tillerson spoke at the first meeting of a new organisation created to hold responsible those governments that continue to use chemical weapons. The group of 29 countries plans to publish information about chemical attacks and eventually sanction the perpetrators. | |
| More follows... | More follows... |