Gabbard refuses to pin chemical weapons attack on Assad

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PARIS (AFP) - A suspected chemical attack that killed at least 58 civilians in rebel-held north-western Syria has prompted widespread outrage and calls for international action.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an air strike in Idlib province Tuesday which released "toxic gas" was likely carried out by government warplanes, a charge the regime denied.

GERMANY

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that if the Syrian regime had indeed carried out a chemical attack, "it would be an act of such cruelty as to be without equivalent", and "another reason we should not deal with the Assad regime in the fight against terrorism"

EUROPEAN UNION

European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said the Assad regime bore "primary responsibility" for the attack.

"Obviously there is a primary responsibility there of the regime because it has responsibility of protecting its people not attacking its people," she said.

UN WATCHDOG

The United Nations' chemical arms watchdog said it was "seriously concerned" by the reports.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said it was "gathering and analysing information from all available sources".

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The Syrian National Coalition, an opposition group, said a gas similar to sarin was used in the attack, which it blamed on government planes. Syria's military rejected the accusation, saying in a statement that the army "denies using any toxic or chemical agents in Khan Sheikhoun today, and it did not and never will use it anywhere". Russia, which has been bombing rebel-held areas since September 2015 in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, also denied it was responsible for the attack.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "deeply disturbed" by the attack, his spokesman said, adding that the world body was "currently not in a position to independently verify" the reports of use of chemical weapons.

The draft text, seen by Reuters, says Syria's government must provide an international investigation with flight plans and logs for Tuesday, the names of all helicopter squadron commanders and provide access to air bases where investigators believe attacks using chemicals may have been launched.

Khan Sheikhoun residents said the attack began in the early hours of Tuesday morning, when they heard planes in the sky followed by a series of loud explosions, after which people very quickly began to show symptoms. They said they could not identify the planes. Both Syrian and Russian jets have bombed the area before.

Charles Duelfer, a chemical weapons expert in Washington, DC, said it was "unlikely" that the attack was not the work of the Syrian regime. "What changed is the nature of the agent," he told Al Jazeera. "There were previous cases where the OPCW and the UN have identified that the regime used a chemical but it's only been chlorine. This agent appears to be a military agent which is far more effective." Duelfer also said it was "puzzling" why government forces appeared to have resorted to using chemical weapons at a time when they are doing well militarily on the ground.

"They [chemical weapons] are not really serving a substantial military purpose. They can certainly spread terror, and they certainly seem to have a political effect although it's hard for me to calculate how that would be a positive thing for Bashar al-Assad right now - unless he wants to demonstrate that he's there, no matter what anyone else says or wants to do about it."

Source - Aj Jazeera

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Still don't understand why people are reacting like political hacks - The UN, Germany, EU & most bodies have asked for UN/International team led investigations to be completed at the earliest so that the guilty can be held accountable. Gabbard said the exact same thing. Only US, France & a few other governments have said Assad did this, most governments around the globe have asked for UN/International body to first conclude investigation & then hold Assad accountable.

While Assad is the most likely person who may have committed this war crime, this attack occurred in the strong-hold of Al Qaeda & ISIS held areas in the North & they have access to chemical weapons & have used it previously & no-one could even identify the planes.

So this thread is kind of pointless here !

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The war-mongering left who support this attack are going to be loving the McCain's, Cheney's & Bolton's foreign policy very soon. This is why Iraq Vote got 75 votes. Huge money wasted, innocent people killed in a stupid strike because someone people are naive to think it will "deter" Assad in the future. If anything, this will escalate into an even bigger mess.

Why on earth are they not asking for an International Investigation or for the proof of Assad behind this attack to be placed in front of everyone & form an international coalition to deal with Assad instead of unilateral attacks !

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Clinton hack Neera Tanden & Former Dem leader & current lobbyist Howard Dean are asking for Gabbard to be defeated in a primary.

"People of Hawaii's 2nd District -- was it not enough for you that your rep met with a murderous dictator? Will this move you?" Tanden tweeted Friday in response to Gabbard's comments on CNN that she is "skeptical" Assad is responsible for the chemical attack.

Dean compared Gabbard's comments to President Donald Trump's Twitter blasts. "This is a disgrace. Gabbard should not be in Congress," the former Vermont governor tweeted. He later added, "She sounds like Trump making excuses."


Neera Tanden is on a Twitter spree. I don't agree with Gabbard here but I remember in Wikileaks exposing Tanden & others that all funding will be pulled from Gabbard & her being threatened about her political career. The power hungry Clinton machine maintains a hit list of political opponents who have refused to toe the line & it looks like Gabbard may be top of the list.