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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria Says Rebels Using Chemical Weapons, Opposition Denies
2013-03-20
[An Nahar] Syrian rebels on Tuesday denied government claims that they had used chemical weapons, blaming President Bashar Assad's regime instead for the deadly rocket attack that caused "breathing problems."

"We understand the army targeted Khan al-Assal (in Aleppo province) using a long-range missile, and our initial information says it may have contained chemical weapons," mainstream rebel Free Syrian Army spokesman Louay Muqdad told Agence France Presse.

"There are many casualties and many injured have breathing problems," he said in Istanbul, where Syria's opposition has gathered to pick a rebel prime minister.

He denied claims made earlier Tuesday by Syria's state news agency SANA that "terrorists" -- the name the regime uses for rebels -- "fired rockets containing chemical materials on Khan al-Assal", killing 15 people.

"We have neither long-range missiles nor chemical weapons. And if we did, we wouldn't use them against a rebel target," said Muqdad.

Monitoring groups have frequently accused the army of using long-range missiles to target rebel enclaves in Syria that have slipped out of regime control.

Damascus has also warned it may use its chemical weapons if attacked by outsiders, although not against its own people.
Posted by:Fred

#5  Is this an even-numbered day or an odd-numbered day?
Posted by: gorb   2013-03-20 14:13  

#4  I glanced at the TV this morning and saw some senator, maybe it was Graham, getting his panties all in a wad about this. But what do you expect? Assad has his back to the wall and his people are gonna get massacred if the rebels have their way. What would Graham do if he was in that situation? It's war, Senator. That's what happens. Maybe if we hadn't given those rebels guns it wouldn't be happening. And if you don't like Iran you should have bombed the crap out of them years ago.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2013-03-20 12:02  

#3  Ask me if I care.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2013-03-20 11:45  

#2  Tell me, does fok'n anyone every admit to the use of chemical weapons ?
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-03-20 08:47  

#1  VOA gives a different report: British chemical warfare expert Hamish Bretton-Gordon said Tuesday he gives little credence to claims by either side of a chemical weapons attack. He said Syrian government television video of the alleged casualties did not correspond with what one would expect to see in such a situation.

“In this particular case a rocket could have hit industrial toxic chemicals stored on the ground and caused their release, but none of the doctors treating patients in the hospitals are wearing any protective clothing, which is usually a good combat indicator. Without it they would be affected," said Bretton-Gordon, a former chemical warfare expert for the British defense ministry.

He added that the smell of chlorine was not a definitive indicator of chemical weapons use because, "you often get that in the vicinity of conventional explosions." He added that “chlorine has not really been used as a chemical weapon since the First World War – it is not very effective."
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2013-03-20 06:44  

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