Syria Regime Launched Chemical Attacks, IS Used Mustard Gas

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A U.N. investigation has established that President Bashar Assad's forces carried out at least two chemical attacks in Syria and that Islamic State jihadists used mustard gas as a weapon, according to a report seen by Agence France Presse on Wednesday.

The panel was able to identify the perpetrators of three chemical attacks carried out in 2014 and 2015, but was unable to draw conclusions in the other six cases that it has been investigating over the past year.

The report from the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) found that the Syrian regime dropped chemical weapons on two villages in northwestern Idlib province: Talmenes on April 21, 2014 and Sarmin on March 16, 2015.

In both instances, Syrian air force helicopters dropped "a device" on houses that was followed by the "release of a toxic substance," which in the case of Sarmin matched "the characteristics of chlorine."

The panel found that the Islamic State "was the only entity with the ability, capability, motive and the means to use sulphur mustard" in an attack on the town of Marea in northern Aleppo province on August 21, 2015.

The Assad regime has repeatedly denied that it has used chemical weapons in Syria, but the report said that in all three cases, it had "sufficient information to reach a conclusion on the actors involved."

The JIM was set up by the Security Council a year ago to investigate the use of chemical weapons and for the first time to determine who is responsible for the attacks.

Most of the nine cases investigated pointed to the alleged use of chlorine gas in barrel bombs dropped from helicopters.

Britain, France and the United States had long maintained that only the regime has helicopters, but Russia, Damascus's ally, insisted that there was no concrete proof that Assad's forces carried out the attacks.

- U.S. calls for swift action -U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power called for "strong and swift action" by the Security Council to follow up on the findings of the report.

"It is essential that the members of the Security Council come together to ensure consequences for those who have used chemical weapons in Syria," she said in a statement.

In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said "it is now impossible to deny that the Syrian regime has repeatedly used industrial chlorine as a weapon against its own people."

"The United States will work with our international partners to seek accountability through appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, including through the United Nations Security Council," he added.

The report "states clearly that the Syrian regime and Daesh have perpetrated chemical attacks in Syria," French Deputy Ambassador Alexis Lamek told reporters.

"When it comes to proliferation, the use of chemical weapons, of such weapons of mass destruction, we cannot afford to be weak. The council will have to act."

The Security Council is due to discuss the report on Tuesday and could decide to impose sanctions on Syria or ask the International Criminal Court to take up the matter as a war crime.

But many diplomats say Russia would be unlikely to back such a move, despite the JIM's strong findings of chemical weapons use in the three cases.

The panel recommended further investigation of three other cases of suspected chemical weapons on the village of Zafr Zita, in Hama province, on April 28, 2014, and on two towns in Idlib: Qmenas on March 16, 2015 and Binnish on March 24, 2015.

The 24-member team said there was insufficient information to reach a conclusion in three other cases and recommended that there be no further investigation of those suspected attacks.

Syria agreed to get rid of its chemical stockpile and to refrain from making any use of toxic substances in warfare when it joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013, under pressure from Russia.

The findings prompted immediate calls for the perpetrators to face justice.

"The U.N. Security Council should now ensure that those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice in a court of law," said Louis Charbonneau, Human Rights Watch's U.N. director.

Comments 22
Missing humble 25 August 2016, 09:37

Butcher,IS, Daech, Ebola, etc...are the same evil souls.

Thumb .mowaten. 25 August 2016, 11:11

"In both instances, Syrian air force helicopters dropped "a device" on houses that was followed by the "release of a toxic substance," which in the case of Sarmin matched "the characteristics of chlorine.""

I remember those instances, the Syrian army at the time said they had hit terrorist workshops preping chlorine canisters, has this been investigated and disproven? Doesnt seem so from the report here.

I dont really care how the takfiris rats are killed, bullets, hammer, or baygon, as long as they're taken out with minimal colateral victims, but it simply doesnt make sense for the SAA to use chems, with all the stigma around it. why would they get rid of their entire chemical weapons arsenal to avoid giving world powers a pretext to gang up on them, only to risk it all again a few months later in two unimportant instances? What's the motive here?

Thumb .mowaten. 25 August 2016, 11:13

Sounds much more logical that the terrorist rats would try to frame them, or as the SAA said, that rebels' chemical labs were hit by conventional strikes.

Thumb justin 25 August 2016, 11:26

what else do you remember mowaten?

Thumb .mowaten. 25 August 2016, 11:33

is that the best you can do? hope they dont pay you too much for that weak trolling

Thumb barrymore 25 August 2016, 11:35

I tell you what else the propagandist remembers.... He remembers he just made it up as he usually does. Pathetic creature.

Thumb EagleDawn 25 August 2016, 11:07

mowaten said assad never used barrel bombs let alone chemical weapons against the syrian people. This report must be fake, biased, and prepared by the Saudis to tarnish the resistance and its ally, Bashar Al Assad.

Thumb .mowaten. 25 August 2016, 11:20

trying to be sarcastic yet so close to the truth, probably more than you've ever been.
and don't try to pass off the UN and unbiased angels, especially when the saudis are at the head of the UN's human rights council and recently bought their de-listing from the list of countries harming children

Thumb justin 25 August 2016, 11:25

any proof of your crazy claims?

Thumb .mowaten. 25 August 2016, 11:32

if you took a break from trolling and read the news from time to time you'd know about the two "crazy claims" I just made.

Thumb barrymore 25 August 2016, 11:39

he asked you a direct question which I am going to ask again: do you have proof "the Saudis bought their de-listing from the list of countries harming children"? and your answer is : take a break from trolling, yes?

Thumb .mowaten. 25 August 2016, 11:43

ask the question again under all your other aliases for all i care, my answer was clear enough the first time.

Thumb ashtah 25 August 2016, 12:29

mowaten, i am another alias of the people above, can you tell me how the saudis bought their "de-listing"?

Thumb the_roar 25 August 2016, 12:33

Any proof Qatar paid off for the rights to Soccer world cup rights?

lol @ the proof you people request

Missing Rita.Nahhas 25 August 2016, 15:49

OMG ! OMG ! OMG!

Even on an article as simple as chemical attacks by the syrian regime I find you @mowaten spamming, trolling, and terrorizing other posters. What kind of person are you? New evidence surfaces by the minute that you are a paid poster but the question remains who pays you and for what exact purpose? Is it the Iranian embassy, is it the iranian revolutionary guard, is it the syrian intelligence or the ex-KGB? These questions must be clearly answered by you and NOW!

Thumb .mowaten. 25 August 2016, 20:16

LOL terrorist, if you can't see in his comment what makes him an az3ar it's because you're one too.

Thumb liberty 26 August 2016, 04:59

@CFTC

Not only you are laughing, but the whole world is laughing at this fool.

Thumb ex-fpm 25 August 2016, 11:52

lol @barrymore;)! You expect this thing to give you an answer? Dare you question mowaten and his sources. The Saudis paid off the United Nations end of story.

Thumb the_roar 25 August 2016, 12:39

The man who stayed & fought to save his country & people is called a butcher....but the head-chopping, heart-eating mercenaries are called opposition.

Missing humble 25 August 2016, 15:35

Read my comment: they are all evil souls.

Thumb Puppet 25 August 2016, 15:13

I respect Mr. the_roar and all his aliases equally. I also respect Mr. Mowaten and all his sources.

Thumb marcus 25 August 2016, 15:42

ISIS is stationed in Ras Baalbek, 1-2 kms away from the iranian militia positions. If they have mustard gas, it would make sense they would use it against those terrorists today before tomorrow.