Man carries his child, killed in the chemical attack in Ghouta, Syria. Photograph via Carol Anne Grayson
The reports of a chemical weapons attack on the outskirts of Damascus has caused condemnation from around the world, with Russia backing a UN investigation into the claims and US President Obama calling it a “grave concern”.
It is difficult to verify the number of casualties from the attack, but opposition activists are claiming that as many as 1,300 people died from exposure to the chemical agent, which some have speculated to have been nerve agent sarin. In the videos that came out of the Ghouta region in the hours following the attack, people, including young children, can be seen with constricted pupils, struggling for breath, and having convulsions. Other videos show lines of dead bodies of men, women, and children wrapped in burial shrouds along a street.
The disturbing scenes have had an impact on international discussions about the ongoing conflict in Syria, with Russia, who have long supported of embattled President Assad, urging the Syrian government to allow a UN inspection of the site and to investigate the claims, saying:
“The Russian side called on the Syrian government to co-operate with the UN chemical experts. It is now up to the opposition, which should guarantee safe access for the mission to the alleged place of the incident.”
In the US, the Obama administration has long called the use of chemical weapons a “red line”, but until now has failed to act on reports of smaller scale chemical attacks during the conflict. As news of this most recent attack has filtered out, he said
“What we’ve seen indicates clearly this is a big event, of grave concern, and we are already in communications with the entire international community”
However, he went on to describe the difficulties of possible intervention, saying:
“The notion that the US can somehow solve what is a sectarian, complex problem inside of Syria sometimes is overstated.”
Urgent meetings between a number of international actors including British Foreign Minister William Hague, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State John Kerry and prime minister of Qatar Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani are ongoing.
Urgent discussions today with UN Secretary General, Secretary Kerry and FM of Qatar on #Syria chemical attacks
— William Hague (@WilliamJHague) August 23, 2013
Describing the possible attack, Ban Ki-moon has already said that any use of such weapons would be a violation of international law and should result in “serious consequences for the perpetrator”.
Videos from Ghouta after the reported chemical attack.
Warning: Disturbing scenes
