361Security
  • Intelligence
    • Blogs >
      • Paul Ashley
      • Brandon Scott >
        • Book
      • Haqmal
    • Analysis
    • Regions >
      • Global
      • Africa >
        • Kenya
        • Nigeria
        • Somalia
      • Asia >
        • Afghanistan
        • Myanmar (Burma)
        • India
        • North Korea
        • Pakistan
      • Europe >
        • Russia
      • Latin America >
        • Brazil
        • Colombia
        • El Salvador
        • Honduras
        • Mexico
        • Venezuela
      • Middle East >
        • Iran
        • Iraq
        • Jordan
        • Kuwait
        • Lebanon
        • Libya
        • Saudi Arabia
        • Syria
        • Turkey
        • Yemen
    • 'The First 300' Project
  • Services
    • US Government Services
    • Jobs Portal >
      • Leads
    • Shop
    • External Links
    • Consulting
    • Human Security
    • Development Nexus
    • Request For Information
    • Market Security
    • Key Leader Dossiers
    • Information Security
    • Literature Reviews
    • Cultural Intelligence
    • Research Resources
    • Forums (Beta)
    • Files
    • Security & Stability
    • Terrorist Profiles
  • Communications
    • About
    • Advertising
    • Public Affairs
    • Contributors >
      • Zachary Alpert
      • Paul Ashley
      • Michael Bassett
      • Ben Eden
      • Jeffrey Hawn
      • Nick Heras
      • Attila Laczko
      • Brandon Scott
      • Chris VanKirk
    • Mailing List

Syria conflict: 'Chemical attack' in Idlib kills 58

4/4/2017

Comments

 
Syria/Chemical Weapons Attack – On the 4 Apr 17 at least 58 people were killed and dozens wounded in a suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town in north-western Syria. Khan Sheikhoun was thought to have been attacked by either Russian aircraft or by the Syrian government. Later that day reports of other aircraft attacks against local clinics emerged. It is believed that if the attack is genuine then it is possibly the worst attack in Syria since the six year old civil war began. Khan Sheikhoun is about 50km south of Idlib the attack occurred at approximately 0645 hrs local when many were sleeping. Medics who arrived at the scene after the attack found many people in the street choking. Other signs and symptoms of the chemical attack emerged such as fainting, vomiting and foaming at the mouth. The recent toll by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) was 58 people dead, including eleven children, with 160 others injured but this could change as more of the injured succumb to their injuries and the depth of the exposure to the chemical agent. Reports that sarin nerve agent was put forward as a possible cause of the chemical used but the SOHR were unable to state clearly which type of chemical agent was used. In past chemical attacks the use of chlorine and mustard agents were used. It was unsure what type of delivery method was used in this attack but aircraft is the most likely cause. Syria/Russia has in the past denied the use of any type of chemical attack stating that rebel forces were responsible. 361 COMMENT: In the past there was talk of a red line whereby chemical weapons were stored but never used if they were used then they would have crossed the red line and expect some sort of military action. However, in Syria this line has been crossed several times. Syria agreed to surrender its chemical arsenal after the 21 Aug 13 Ghouta chemical attack which was the worst attack since the Iran/Iraq war of Sep 80 to Aug 88. The Ghouta attack was supposed to be the ‘red-line’ that the former United States President Barak Obama stated in 2012 that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would be that red-line and some sort of military action would be used. Syria stated that those types of weapons would not be used against internal fighting but reserved the right to use them against external forces. The Americans stated after the Ghouta attack that it would consider military action which prompted the Assad regime to begin surrendering its chemical arsenal in 2013. Since the surrender there have been numerous reports of chemical weapons being used to which Russia and Syria deny. No matter what excuses the two countries use they still continue to attack the Assad opposition with chemical weapons. It is not sure which agent was used in this latest attack as sarin and other nerve agents do not take long to work and as sarin is a nerve agent it is expressively designed to stop the nervous system working which results in spasms and eventually death. Those signs and symptoms are not stated in this latest attack only of choking, coughing and vomiting which would imply a choking agent. Syria has either given up its chemical arsenal as it said it would do, to which it may have done, or; it has started to develop other chemical weapons inside Syria. The other possibility is that Syria as being supplied with the chemical agent(s). Either way the country is firstly using chemical weapons; secondly they are getting the weapons from somewhere. After the American government backed down after the Ghouta attack when Syria gave up its weapons Assad and his allies have become more brazen. As mentioned, since the so-called surrender of chemical weapons, there have been numerous accounts of other attacks which strangely the Russians and the Syrians deny. But with the Obama administration now gone it will be interesting to hear what the new Trump administration has to say on the subject. Even the Syrians and the Russians have no idea so could this be a test of what the Americans are thinking now? If they are goaded into military action they will have to think about what the repercussions are likely to be from either of the guilty parties. COMMENT ENDS
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

    Archives

    December 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    February 2019
    December 2018
    April 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    Categories

    All
    Afghanistan
    Africa
    Algeria
    Al Nusrah Front
    Al-Nusrah Front
    Al Qaeda
    Al Qaeda
    Al Shabaab
    Al-Shabaab
    Americas
    AMISOM
    Anarchists
    Ansar Al Sharia
    Ansar Al-Sharia
    Anti-Semitic
    AQAP
    AQIM
    Arab Spring
    Arab-spring
    Argentina
    Asia
    Asymmetrical Warfare
    Australia
    Austria
    Baghdad
    Bahrain
    Bangladesh
    Belgium
    Blackmarket
    Boko Haram
    Bomb
    Borneo
    Bosnia
    British
    Burundi
    Cairo
    Caliphate
    Cameroon
    Canada
    Car Bomb
    Cartels
    Caucasus
    Central-african-republic
    Chad
    Charity
    Chechen
    Chechnya
    Chile
    China
    Colombia
    Crime
    Crimea
    Cuba
    Czech
    Denmark
    Diaoyu
    Djibouti
    Drug Trafficking
    Dubai
    Egypt
    Elections
    Eln
    El-salvador
    Eta
    Ethiopia
    Europe
    Execution
    Explosives
    Farc
    Fatah
    Financing
    France
    Gas-attacks
    Gaza-strip
    Germany
    Global
    Golan-heights
    Great Britain
    Greece
    Guantanamo-bay
    Gulf Cooperation Council
    Hamas
    Haqqani
    Haqqani-network
    Hezballah
    Holland
    Hostage
    Human Trafficking
    Ied
    India
    Indonesia
    Inspire
    Insurgency
    Iran
    Iraq
    Ireland
    Isil
    Isis
    Islamic-revolutionary-guard
    Islamic State
    Islamist
    Israel
    Italy
    Japan
    Jeffrey Hawn
    Jerusalem
    Jihadist
    Jordan
    Kabul
    Kashmir
    Kenya
    KGB
    Kidnapped
    Kidnapping
    Kosovo
    Kurdistan
    Kuwait
    Latin America
    Latin America
    Lebanon
    Lej
    Let
    Libya
    London
    Los Zetas
    Maghreb
    Malaysia
    Mali
    Maoist
    Maritime
    Mauritania
    Mecca
    Mek
    Mend
    Mexico
    Middle East
    Milf
    Militants
    Militia
    Mogadishu
    Morocco
    Mortar-attack
    Muslim-brotherhood
    Myanmar
    Narcotics
    NATO
    Netherlands
    Niger
    Nigeria
    Northan Ireland
    North Korea
    Norway
    Nuclear
    Pakistan
    Palestine
    Peru
    Philippines
    Pij
    Pipe-bomb
    Pira
    Piracy
    Pirates
    Plf
    Plfi
    Poland
    Portugal
    Presidential-elections
    Propaganda
    Puntland
    Putin
    Qatar
    Quds-force-brigade
    Reconnaissance
    Rocket-attack
    Russia
    Sahrawi-republic
    Salafist
    Saudi Arabia
    Saudi Arabia
    Security
    Senegal
    Senkaku
    Serbia
    Shooting
    Sierra-leone
    Sinai
    Small Arms Proliferation
    Smuggling
    Somalia
    South-africa
    South-sudan
    Space
    Spain
    Spectacular
    Sri-lanka
    Strategic Defense
    Sudan
    Suicide Attack
    Switzerland
    Syria
    Tahrir
    Taliban
    Tanker
    Tanzania
    Terrorism
    Terrorists
    Terrorist Threat
    Thailand
    Threats
    Training
    Ttp
    Tuareg
    Tunisia
    Turkey
    Uae
    Uganda
    Ukraine
    UN
    United Kingdom
    United-nations
    United States
    Uvied
    Uyghur
    Vbied
    Vehicle-borne-ied
    Warfare
    Weapons
    West-bank
    Worldwide
    Yemen

    RSS Feed

© 2011 - 2024