A Damascus gas attack is being investigated by the United States, but so far the Syrian rebels and the Assad regime have both been blaming each other for the usage of chemical weapons.
In a related report by The Inquisitr , last summer France confirmed the use of Syria’s chemical weapons , but similar to the recent Damascus gas attack both sides blamed the other and investigators were not able to determine who actually used the deadly weapon of mass destruction. Within several months Syrian rebels reported a gas attack which killed hundreds and Western governments eventually decided there was enough evidence to blame the Assad regime.
The Damascus gas attack also happens to be the first time since last August that both sides agree that a chemical weapons attack was used in the battle for Syria. Both sides also agree that two people were killed and more than 100 others affected by the gas.
But that’s about all they agree upon. While Syrian officials blame insurgents, and claim the gas attack is just the first of several, the Assad regime is also specifically blaming the Nusra Front, an affiliate of Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. But the Syrian rebels have posted a video purporting to show a government helicopter dropping a large object that produced an explosion right before the symptoms of a gas attack began.
Dr. Nazih al-Ghazi , who was working in a local field hospital, said, “The smell was like chlorine or toilet bowl cleaner, but the symptoms faded directly within two hours.” Symptoms included a severe cough, difficulty breathing, blue lips and foaming at the mouth. Because the hospital was short on oxygen, videos show several men having difficulty breathing. Other videos show children appearing ill or crying.
Samantha Power , the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the Damascus gas attack was “unsubstantiated” so far but the United States was investigating before they formulated an official response:
“We are trying to run this down. So far it’s unsubstantiated, but we’ve shown, I think, in the past that we will do everything in our power to establish what has happened and then consider possible steps in response.”
The Damascus gas attack may force President Obama to respond. Previously, the White House said that Syria’s chemical weapons were a red line that should not be crossed. But even without the usage of WMDs the conflict has killed over 150,000, with no end in sight.