US and Others React to Chemical Attack in Northern Syria: ‘Horrific Crime’

The White House spokesperson condemned the chemical attack in northern Syria in his initial reaction, which left more than one hundred dead.

Sean Spicer on Tuesday, April 4th, during a White House press briefing, called the chemical attack in Idlib “a reprehensible action” that the civilized world cannot ignore.

He confirmed that President Trump has been briefed on this incident.

The White House spokesperson also attributed Bashar Assad’s actions in Syria to a situation resulting from “weakness and hesitation” by Barack Obama’s administration in dealing with the Syrian crisis.

Mr. Spicer said that President Obama had stated that chemical attacks in Syria were “a red line” for us, but when it happened, he did nothing.

Mr. Spicer’s remarks refer to the former US president’s stance on the Syrian crisis.

This is the White House spokesperson’s reaction to the chemical attack on Tuesday in northwestern Syria.

Opponents: Assad or Russia’s Doing

A Syrian human rights advocacy group based in London claimed on Tuesday that Russian forces or the Syrian government in the northwestern part of the country carried out a chemical attack that killed at least 100 people, including 11 children. The report adds that approximately 400 people are suffering from respiratory problems.

Assad opponents have claimed that Sukhoi aircraft carried out the attack.

While Assad opponents accuse the government of involvement in the chemical attack, a senior military official from Assad’s army strongly denied the accusation in a conversation with Reuters.

The Assad government has been accused of using chemical weapons several times before. Last year, the United Nations reported that Syrian army forces used chlorine gas at least three times in attacks against opponents.

Just days earlier, Assad opponents had announced that the Syrian government used chemical substances in an attack on the city of Hama.

In August, a Syrian rescue group operating in the rebel-controlled area announced that a helicopter presumably dropped barrels containing toxic gases over one of the area’s towns. Shortly after, Russia denied any role in the action.

In November as well, the Russian army claimed that its personnel had found evidence of chemical weapons use by anti-Assad Syrian opposition forces.

According to the Associated Press report, General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, said on Friday, November 12th, that experts from the country’s Defense Ministry had found unexploded ammunition in the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo that contained chlorine gas and white phosphorus.

Nevertheless, following international investigations and confirmation of the Syrian government’s role in using chlorine gas against civilians in the country, the US on Thursday, April 13th, sanctioned 18 senior officials of Bashar Assad’s government for their connection to Damascus’s weapons of mass destruction program.

UN and Assad Regime Response

Stephan de Mistura, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, said that members of the UN Security Council will review this matter tomorrow.

Mr. de Mistura, who participated in a joint press conference with Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said that those responsible for this horrific crime must be held accountable.

He also said that the international community still lacks sufficient information about this attack.

Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, also stated at this press conference that the government of Bashar Assad, the president of Syria, is responsible for the chemical attack in the country.

The Syrian government rejected this accusation on Tuesday evening local time. Assad’s government called the claim “a complete lie.”

Earlier, Russia’s Ministry of Defense also denied any role in the chemical attack on Idlib province.

Source: Voice of America