The New York Times reported today that Syrian rebels have accused the government of a poison gas attack against the people who live east of the capital, Damascus. The rebels say people were killed in their sleep and hospitals are filling with casualties and injuries. President Bashar al-Assad has denied the allegations, but amateur video posted online shows medics trying to revive people, many of them children, with respirators amidst roomfuls of bodies. It is not clear how many have been killed; estimates range from dozens to hundreds.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the attacks took place in the suburbs of Zamalka, Ein Terma and Erbeen, all east of Damascus with a substantial rebel presence. Allegations of chemical weapons use have surfaced during the civil war between the forces of Assad and rebels seeking his ouster, but none have been verified by outside institutions.
Louay Mekdad, a media coordinator for the Syrian National Council, said the attack showed that Assad no longer feared being held accountable. “Bashar al-Assad doesn’t care any longer about red lines since he has already exceeded too many of them while the world has showed no reaction,” Mekdad said. “This means the alleged lines never existed.”
British Foreign Secretary William Hague made a statement expressing his “deep concern” about the allegations, even though he acknowledged that they were uncorroborated. “If they are verified, it would mark a shocking escalation in the use of chemical weapons in Syria,” Hague said. “Those who order the use of chemical weapons, and those who use them, should be in no doubt that we will work in every way we can to hold them to account.” Hague indicated that he would speak to the U.N. Security Council about the incident.
