G7 backs US, British, French efforts to curb Syrian chemical weapon capability

Here is the information the Western countries say they have about the suspected Syrian poison gas assault on Douma.

The US, UK and France launched airstrikes against Assad’s government on Saturday – targeting a chemical weapons facility – in retaliation for the alleged chemical attack.

The OPCW inspectors are tasked with assessing whether banned chemical substances were used in the April 7 attack on the city, which senior USA officials have said involved both chlorine and sarin gas.

“Vladimir Putin, in particular, stressed that if such actions committed in violation of the UN Charter continue, then it will inevitably lead to chaos in global relations”, the Kremlin statement said.

Video widely circulated on the internet showed numerous dead bodies – adults and children – inside a building foaming at the mouth and nostrils and with dilated pupils – symptoms consistent with a chemical attack but also consistent with asphyxiation by other means. As they spoke, government troops were nearby but out of earshot.

Several said a odd smell started spreading and people screamed, “It’s chlorine!”

The US, France and the United Kingdom all say open source information and intelligence prove that the Syrian government was behind the attack. The Syrian Central Media said the missiles targeted Shayrat air base in Homs.

“It is possible to conclude that this laboratory was used by illegal armed groups to produce poisonous substances”, Rodionov said.

Haley said the three US goals for accomplishing its mission are making sure chemical weapons are not used in a way that could harm USA national interests, defeating the Islamic State group and having a good vantage point to watch what Iran is doing.

Civil defence rescuers, known as the “White Helmets”, revealed on Wednesday that the victims of the April 7 chemical strike have been hidden in a secret location, which has been shared only with the OPCW. It gave no other details on the intelligence. “No local resident confirmed the chemical attack”.

Separately, a United Nations source said the OPCW inspectors would probably not be going to Douma on Wednesday.

The inspectors met Syria’s deputy foreign minister in the presence of Russian officers and a senior Syrian security official; they were due to attempt to visit the Douma site.

“I would tell Mr. Trump, ‘What you did was fantastic, ‘ just like you did a year ago after Assad used chemical weapons in Khan Shaykhun”, he said.

OPCW stands for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The UK has admitted that the strike did not intend to turn the overall tide of the war, and was essentially meant as a punitive action to compel Assad not to use chemical weapons. “It’s very much a question for the OPCW”. It was formed after the Chemical Weapons Convention – an arms control treaty that bans the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons – entered into force in 1997.

Also by playing a row around Russian diplomatic property in the U.S.as well as USA pressure on the RT broadcaster’s activities in the U.S.

The commander said the new offensive would target Islamic State and Nusra Front militants in Yarmouk camp and al-Hajar al-Aswad district. The Security Council is deadlocked over how to replace it.

Syrian media reported Tuesday that the country’s military thwarted a missile attack and blamed the incident on “outside aggression” – before admitting later that it was only a false alarm.