A chemical weapon unleashed in Syria is reportedly responsible for killing at least 26 people, this is the claim made by a human rights group today along with the Syrian Information minister. U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland claims there's no reason to believe the allegations that chemical weapons had been used, but if the Assad regime did unleash a chemical weapon this would be the “red line” for the U.S., according to Fox News on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.
This isn't the first time that reports of chemical weapons being used have come out of that region, but further investigation showed it was something along the lines of tear gas, which is not considered a chemical weapon like the type used for war, according to Fox News' Meghan Kelly on Tuesday afternoon.
Rami Abdeirahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that the explosion killed 16 Syrian soldiers and 10 others died in the hospital, but it is not known if the 10 were from the military or if they were civilians. There were “poisonous gases” in a rocket fired from the Nairab district in Aleppo into Khan al-Assal village on Tuesday, claims the Syrian Information minister Omran al-Zoubi.
A Reuters photographer visited Aleppo hospitals and reported that the patients had “breathing problems” and there was a “strong smell of chlorine in the air,” according to Fox. This was the “first act” of the new Syrian opposition interim government announced in Instanbul, claims Al-Zoubi. He claims 86 people were wounded and 25 were dead. Pictures published by SANA showed casualties, which included children. None of the injured showed signs of physical injuries.
Russia's Foreign ministry, backed the government's statements saying it was the rebels who used the chemical weapons. The Syrian rebels denied the claims and accuse the regime forces for the attack. Both sides are blaming one another.
Mustafa Alani, an analyst with the Gulf Research Center in Geneva, said that since the regime has not said any chemical weapons were seized by the rebels, he can't rule out that the military would use chemical weapons and “try to pin it on the rebels.”
President Obama said back in 2012 that chemical weapons activity in Syria would be a “red line.” He also said this included chemical weapons being moved around as well as being used.
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