Autopsies confirm chemical weapons were used in Syria attack
Autopsies conducted by doctors on three Syrians confirmed that chemical weapons were used in an attack that killed at least 86 people in a rebel-held town earlier in the week, a Turkish official said Thursday.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said “it was determined after the autopsy that a chemical weapon was used,” according to Turkish media.
He said the World Health Organization had supervised the autopsies after almost 60 victims from Tuesday’s atrocity in Khan Sheikhoun were evacuated to his country for treatment. Three of them died.
Early US assessments showed the use of chlorine gas and traces of the nerve agent sarin in the attack, according to two US officials who demanded anonymity.
Medical teams reported smelling bleach on survivors, suggesting the presence of chlorine gas, Doctors Without Borders said.
The attack happened just 60 miles from the Turkish border, and the Turkish government — a close ally of Syrian rebels — set up a decontamination center at a border crossing in the province of Hatay.
The deaths sparked international outrage at President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but his government continued to deny it carried out the chemical attack in the Idlib province town.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem insisted to reporters in Damascus on Thursday that his government never used — and will not use — chemical weapons.
“I stress to you once again: The Syrian army has not, did not and will not use this kind of weapons — not just against our own people, but even against the terrorists that attack our civilians with their mortar rounds,” Moallem said, Agence France-Presse reported.
He reiterated the country’s contention that the deaths occurred when a Syrian airstrike hit a rebel warehouse containing “toxic substances.”
“The first air raid conducted by the Syrian army was at 11:30 a.m. on that day (Tuesday) and it attacked an arms depot belonging to Al-Nusra Front that contained chemical weapons,” he said, AFP reported.
Al-Nusra — now known as Fateh al-Sham Front — was once al Qaeda’s Syria affiliate and is the main jihadist rival of ISIS.
“Al-Nusra Front and ISIS and other organizations continue to store chemical weapons in urban and residential areas,” he added.
The Syrian government also set conditions Thursday for any international inquiry into the attack, saying it must not be “politicized” and should start work from Damascus, Reuters reported.
Moallem said the country’s past experience with international inquiries had not been “encouraging” and indicated that his government would only consider the idea of an inquiry if its concerns were addressed.
President Trump on Wednesday accused Assad’s government of going “beyond a red line,” adding that his attitude toward Syria and Assad had changed. But he gave no indication of how he would respond.
Moallem did not directly respond to questions about Trump’s comments, but said he recognized the “gravity” of recent US statements.
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault urged a resumption of Syrian peace talks and said he wanted Assad’s government prosecuted over its alleged use of chemical weapons.
He told CNews TV on Thursday that a new UN resolution and Syrian peace negotiations should be a top priority — not rushing into new military interventions.
“France is still seeking to talk with its partners on the Security Council … Russia in particular,” he said. “These crimes must not remain unpunished. … One day, international justice will rule on Assad.”
Russia argued at an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday against holding Assad’s government responsible for the attack.
On Thursday, the Kremlin said US allegations that Syrian forces carried out a deadly chemical attack were not based on “objective” information, AFP reported.
“Any data that the American side or our colleagues in other countries could have cannot be based on objective materials or evidence,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, warned that the Trump administration would take action if the Security Council did not.
With Post wires