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US accuses Syrian government of fresh chemical weapon attack US investigating possible Assad chemical attack in Syria
(about 4 hours later)
The US says it has seen signs the Syrian government may be using chemical weapons, including an alleged chlorine attack on Sunday in the north-west, warning that Washington and its allies would respond if this were proven. The US says it has seen signs the Syrian government may again be using chemical weapons in its attritional offensive to recapture the last rebel-held pocket of the country, warning the use of any such weapons would incur retaliatory measures from Washington and its allies.
State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement on Tuesday: “We are still gathering information on [Sunday’s] incident, but we repeat our warning that if the Assad regime uses chemical weapons, the United States and our allies will respond quickly and appropriately.” The alleged attack occurred on Sunday on the border of Idlib province, where in recent weeks the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has stepped up an air and ground campaign that has killed at least 150 people and displaced more than 200,000 from their homes.
Ortagus said the alleged attack was part of a violent campaign by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s forces, violating a ceasefire that has protected several million civilians in the greater Idlib area. Local reports said four hardline Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters were injured by chlorine released by munitions dropped near the village of Kabana on Sunday.
The use of chlorine was alleged by the Idlib province health directorate but has not been collaborated by monitoring groups or international media. No casualties were reported in the mountainous area, where most residents have fled because of fighting.
Morgan Ortagus, a state department spokesman, said in a statement on Tuesday: “We are still gathering information on [Sunday’s] incident, but we repeat our warning that if the Assad regime uses chemical weapons, the United States and our allies will respond quickly and appropriately.”
Ortagus said the alleged attack was part of a violent campaign by Assad that violated a ceasefire that has protected millions of civilians in the greater Idlib area since September last year.
Civilians fear 'mass extermination' as bloody assault on Idlib intensifiesCivilians fear 'mass extermination' as bloody assault on Idlib intensifies
“The regime’s attacks against the communities of north-west Syria must end,” the statement said. “The United States reiterates its warning, first issued by President Trump in September 2018, that an attack against the Idlib de-escalation zone would be a reckless escalation that threatens to destabilise the region.”“The regime’s attacks against the communities of north-west Syria must end,” the statement said. “The United States reiterates its warning, first issued by President Trump in September 2018, that an attack against the Idlib de-escalation zone would be a reckless escalation that threatens to destabilise the region.”
The Trump administration has twice bombed Syria over Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons, in April 2017 and April 2018. In September, a senior US official said there was evidence chemical weapons were being prepared by Syrian government forces in Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in the country. The Trump administration has twice bombed Syria over Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons, in April 2017 and April 2018. In September, a senior US official said there was evidence chemical weapons were being prepared by Syrian government forces ahead of an expected Idlib offensive.
“The Assad regime must not repeat the use of chemical weapons in Syria,” Commander Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement. “There should be no doubt as to our determination to act strongly and swiftly should the Assad regime use these weapons again in the future.” A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Syrian government had a history of resorting to chemical weapons when fighting intensified. The official, however, was not aware of any confirmation of what substance was allegedly used, if at all, in Sunday’s incident in Kabana, and said the US government was still gathering information.
The State Department statement accused Russia and Assad’s forces of “a continuing disinformation campaign ... to create the false narrative that others are to blame for chemical weapons attacks”.
“The facts, however, are clear,” the statement said. “The Assad regime itself has conducted almost all verified chemical weapons attacks that have taken place in Syria – a conclusion the United Nations has reached over and over again.”
A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Syrian government had a history of resorting to chemical weapons when fighting intensified. The official, however, was not aware of any confirmation of what substance was allegedly used, if at all, and said the US government was still gathering information.
There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government on the US statement.There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government on the US statement.
In March, Syrian state media cited a hospital in government-held Hama as saying 21 people suffered choking symptoms from poison gas after rebels shelled a village.In March, Syrian state media cited a hospital in government-held Hama as saying 21 people suffered choking symptoms from poison gas after rebels shelled a village.
In January, US national security adviser John Bolton warned the Syrian government against using chemical weapons again. The state department statement also accused the Syrian government and its allies in Russia of “a continuing disinformation campaign … to create the false narrative that others are to blame for chemical weapons attacks”.
*There is absolutely no change in the US position against the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime and absolutely no change in our position that any use of chemical weapons would be met by a very strong response, as we’ve done twice before,” Bolton said at the time. “The facts, however, are clear,” the statement said. “The Assad regime itself has conducted almost all verified chemical weapons attacks that have taken place in Syria – a conclusion the United Nations has reached over and over again.”
SyriaSyria
Chemical weaponsChemical weapons
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
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