Syria, Rebels Trade Blame in Chlorine Gas Attack

An incident in the Syrian village of Kfar Zeita saw a large number of people exposed to chlorine gas, with over 100 people sickened, but no fatalities. The exact nature of what happened is still unclear.

Syrian rebels claimed it was a military attack, while the Syrian government reported the attack was carried out by Jabhat al-Nusra. Neither provided details of exactly how it happened, but both sides claimed it was deliberate.

The Obama Administration, always eager to latch on to things they might blame on the government in the past, termed the incident “unsubstantiated,” but promised to look into it.

Fighting was reported throughout the day in and around Kfar Zeita, in Hama Province, and it is also possible that the fighting caused an unexpected chemical leak. That the incident effected locals and not combatants also suggests it may not have been a deliberate attack.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.