US Investigating Additional Chemical Attack in Syria

Reports released from Syria Tuesday are claiming an additional chemical attack in Syria this month. Syrian rebels reported a chemical attack in Kfar Zeita, a rebel-controlled area, to have occurred on April 11th and 12th. The report claims that helicopters dropped what was believed to be chlorine gas.

The report comes just after rebel forces in Syria posted footage of four men being treated for a reported poison gas attack, claiming Assad’s forces were responsible for the attack that occurred in a town close to Damascus. Rebel forces have claimed there have been four chemical attacks in the month of April.

The United States is conducting an investigation on the attack, Tuesday reporting that there was in fact a “toxic chemical” used in an attack in Syria this month. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki stated on the attack that the United States has evidence of “indications of the use of a toxic industrial chemical.” She stated that a thorough investigation is currently underway. Psaki reported that chlorine was not a “priority one or two chemical” Syria declared to the Organization of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations have been working in coordination to rid Syria of its chemical weapons and stockpiles, with a reported 80% of declared chemical agents already removed and destroyed from Syria.

The 1,300 tons of chemical substances were to be removed from Syria by a deadline set for February 5th. The deadline was not made, Syria currently required to remove all chemical substances and precursors by the end of April.

Amir Tsarfati is the founder and president of Behold Israel, a news site to correct the scarcity in trustworthy reportage on issues and events impacting Israel, and to resolve the uncertainty about who or what to believe.

Photo credit: k_man123 (Creative Commons)