Russia blames rebels for March chemical attack in Syria

[jakeXT]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - A Russian expert report shows a makeshift weapon used in a chemical attack near the Syrian city of Aleppo in March was similar to ones made by rebels, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the ministry suggested the Russian findings were being ignored and also said that nations that blame the Syrian government for a chemical attack near Damascus last month have played down evidence to the contrary.

Read more: http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/09/04/syria-crisis-russia-weapon-idINDEE9830F820130904

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Russia releases key findings on chemical attack near Aleppo indicating similarity with rebel-made weapons


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The key points of the report have been given as follows:

• the shell used in the incident “does not belong to the standard ammunition of the Syrian army and was crudely according to type and parameters of the rocket-propelled unguided missiles manufactured in the north of Syria by the so-called Bashair al-Nasr brigade”;

• RDX, which is also known as hexogen or cyclonite, was used as the bursting charge for the shell, and it is “not used in standard chemical munitions”;

• soil and shell samples contain “the non-industrially synthesized nerve agent sarin and diisopropylfluorophosphate,” which was “used by Western states for producing chemical weapons during World War II.”


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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said the UN investigators are set to return to Syria to investigate several other cases of alleged chemical weapons use, including the March 19 incident in Khan al-Assal.

http://rt.com/news/chemical-aleppo-findings-russia-417/

[Warpy]

1. I find it likely, too

Chemical weapons are the poor country's nuke, a deterrent against expansionist powers in the region.

There was no reason for Assad to use them. He was killing people efficiently enough with conventional weapons.

I've thought from the beginning this was one of the rebel factions trying to figure out how it worked and accidentally setting it off in their own area.

We'll never know for sure because they're dead, too.

[DeSwiss]

2. Facts, facts, facts!!! All they have is FACTS!!!!

- Won't they FORGET THE FACTS and just think of the little gassed children!?!?!?!?!?!?!

K&R