Rebels fired a flurry of shells against the northern Syria city of Aleppo on Saturday, wounding dozens of people. Scores were hospitalized, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, with breathing problems.
Syrian state media reported that the shells contained chlorine gas, and that over 100 people were wounded overall. The rebels are denying that they used chemical in any way.
It is unclear which rebel faction fired the shells at the city. A handful of Islamist factions are known to have worked on limited chemical weapons capabilities. While such attacks cause panic and often sicken many, the rebels are rarely able to launch effective enough attacks to commit mass casualties.
State media said the shells hit two districts. Witnesses reported that the al-Razi hospital was treating those wounded in strikes or sickened by the chlorine gas. Though international officials have been deeply critical when the government’s forces are accused of chemical attacks, they’ve rarely said anything when the rebels are behind such attacks. It remains to be seen if that will hold true this time.
In days, if not hours the US and it’s media lackeys will be blaming Syria and Russia and will launch missile strikes again. Guaranteed.
If this happens this time the Russians might act against the morally corrupt.
Trump is likely to replace Mattis with Keane. Rubber stamp approvals to all-out war in Syria, Iran, and perhaps even the Ukraine is pending.
It’s getting harder and harder for the USA to pull off a credible chemical weapons false-flag event these days. No one believes them anymore and the players on the ground are such idiots. The White Helmets aren’t even in Aleppo so they can’t produce another Oscar-winning film. How are they going to justify the next attack on Syria?
Yeah, the rebels d*cked this one up pretty good. My guess is the MSM won’t even cover it. Then again, grosser things have happened in the Levant.
Since it came from Idlib, consequences will be real. In Idlib, there is only one dominant group — Al-Qaeda. Often renamed, from Nusra Front ro HTS. There are ofher affiliated groups, and the continued mythology of some good uniforns among them has been stale for a while. It will be difficult, but Idlib will have to be sorted out. At present, there are two danger points. One, a complete shocker, is that US is placing military outposts along Thrkish border in northeast Syria. This is to defend YPG — or mire acurately, defend borders of planned Kurdish autonomy. This is one of the four corners of Kurd populated region, other three being Iraq, Turkey and Iran. This dogged insistence to stay and trouble make, to nation build and natikn destroy — for no known interest to American people — is appaling. Trump should have pulled out of Syria when he declared victory over ISIS. Now, if collective West decides to shed tears over Nusra again, and ignore their victims — this is the bottom of the bottom of moral depravity.
Astana conference might clear things up a bit. Al-Masdar news reported that Turkey has cut a deal with some groups to abandon HTS, and they asked for transfer to Turkey. Turkey will redeploy them on dufferent front. HTS is spread among civilians to maximize civilian damage. But this is making them thin on the ground. With the buffer zone occupied by Turkish groups — it will not be easy for HTS to break out. Their shelling of Aleppo is not clear — that is, it is sure clear to intelligence in the area. Because the objective can be one of many. One, this is work of one HTS affiliated groups that is trying to get Western support by typical blame on Damascus. Two, it is the provicatikn by HTS in coordination with US and others, to cause split between Turkey and Russia. Turkey wants focus on Kurds and Euphrates valley — while Russia and Damascus do not want to see cities like Aleppo attacked from Idlib. If this is the objective, it is not a smart one. There is nothing either Turkey or Russja would do without harmonizing their approach. Iran will be consulted as well, as well as all Central Asian and Asian SCO members, especially Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. Furthermore, Turkey as a SCO partner state would do nothing that China would object to. All of this will be further run by both India and Pakistan. Outside of SCO, consulted will be Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Syria is a much broader issue, and is poorly understood by political circles in Washington.
US-supplied chemical munitions, probably, part of a vicious, vicious world.
I thought Aleppo was one of the important towns now safe from these
“rebels “?
How about waiting for the conclusion of an investigation before declaring definitively that the rebels are responsible? Your publication’s skeptical filter in regards to government declarations certainly fades fast when the governments of Russia and Syria are involved. Just accept it at face value and don’t question the lack of evidence? “Anti-war” my eye.
I guess that all depends upon who does the investigation now doesn’t it ?
You terrorists from Jaysh al-Islam’s Correct The Record need to get your story straight. You’ve already admitted to doing it in the past:
Syrian rebels admit chemical use against Kurds
Anti-Russia, anti-Assad, Kool-Aid-saturated, fact-free, propaganda parrot, left-over from the cold war.
Anti-American, pro-Genocide, Vodka-infused, Slav-indoctrinated, Kremlin minion who cannot fathom that the end of the cold war doesn’t automatically translate to a non-aggressive Russian state.
I’m discussing Russia. You’re discussing the USSR. Who’s a cold war left-over?
True the end of the Warsaw pact Did not stop the North American Terrorist Organization known as NATO . NATO is stronger than ever , but no longer highly respected as defensive club .
You are right that is truly sad When the USA , AlQaida, or the Al Nusra front say something and the majority of us believe Assad and Russia . But we have followed Antiwar since Kosovo Iraq Libya and now Syria . The USA ALQaida and head choppers have lied every time
Why would the government of Syria do a gas attack on a city which it fully controls? Makes no sense.
Incredibly, CNN’s coverage of this didn’t spell out that it was a chemical attack by the rebels, although it’s pretty obvious that it was. They also spent just as many words in this article reviewing old news and spelling out that the Syria govt definitely positively did those attacks, pretty much, even though we know that was far from certain. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/25/middleeast/syria-gas-attacks/index.html
“…even though we know that was far from certain.”
Oh please! “…even though we know it was total “Sunni terrorist head-chopper, white helmet, CIA bullsh*t.”
Don’t equivocate, it makes you just as bad as the liars.
Sunni terrorist , head choppers , white helmets and CIA are all the same thing All United to destroy everything against their desire to control the world
Wow, that’s an extraordinarily narrow band of acceptable behavior in your eyes. I was leaving a little room for uncertainty, because absolute certainty is hard to find. We should maintain a little skepticism no matter how well a story fits what we already think we know.
Justice Brandeis once wrote, using, to make his point, a hypothetical case of milk having been allegedly watered-down:
“There is circumstantial evidence, and then there is a trout in the milk.”
Wonder what Eric Prince is up to these days…
Have I noticed a change in your philosophy since you first started commenting on the Anti war web site . Maybe I have you confused with someone else , But did you first preceived us commentators to be un American and now you seem to be one of us We are very American but just very ANTIWAR .
There is a David S that thinks Americas wars are okie dokie, perhaps you have me confused with him.
Can’t the none existent moderate rebels blame this gas attack on Assad like they did all the other gas attacks . Trump doesn’t fool around he believes everything none existent moderate rebels tell him .
The narrative in the papers (flemish) is that the Syrian government and the rebels are accusing each others. That’s the he said/he said approach when they’r chickening out under the cover of impartiality.