On the 21st of August 2013 a series of
chemical attacks occurred in the Ghouta district. A United Nations (UN) team
were already in Syria investigating alleged use of chemical weapons
in other areas of Syria, and have since been redirected to investigate the
attacks in the Ghouta district.
Footage of the Syrian Chemical
attacks
Areas in which deaths occurred (not all of which are
impact zones; injured were taken to field hospitals; Jobar was directly hit. Our
sources tell us that one rocket hit Sakba/Saqba) – Ghouta district east of
Damascus. Irbin, Jobar, Ein Tarma and Zamalka. Also Muadhamiya further west. The New York Times has prepared a useful
map on this link.
The first report of the attacks was posted on social
media at 2:45am. This was followed by the second post at 2:47am. Most of the
footage takes place in darkness. Videos from outside hospitals are illuminated
by vehicle headlights. The footage is largely consistent with reports of the
attacks starting in the early hours before dawn.
From all available footage we were able to count a death
toll of 367 at medical stations or morgues around the affected zones (NCF
interns have worked round the clock to count a death toll of 367 from footage.
We believe we have watched every video, counted the dead people in them, and
then tried to make sure the same bodies weren't filmed twice. But it is possible
we may have missed some casualties). Victims included men, women and children.
This must be regarded as a minimum figure but on past experience of monitoring
mass killings in Syria we would normally expect most of the dead to be
documented on video (citizen journalists are very active in the Local
Coordination Committees). Actual deaths are rarely more than 20% greater than
the video record (though this was an unprecedented situation. Activists simply
said there was not time to keep up with documenting the dead. They have never
dealt with these numbers. An NCF source asked one why there was no footage of
burials and the reply was “our cameraman was dead”.) The "United Revolutionary
Medical Office in Eastern Ghouta" records 1302 deaths with specific locations
for the clusters of deaths and states that this does not include "dead people
without IDs". Clearly that would be the approximate highest possible figure
though the committee offers no supporting evidence for this higher figure. We
are happy to send you a copy of their report should you wish to see
it.
What was used
No visible wounds are apparent in the footage, and there
is little blood (though two small children had significant bleeding from the
nose). The only discernible bandaging is that used after injections of
antidotes.
Symptoms are varied. This is likely because the victims
shown are at different stages of exposure to the toxins. It might also suggest
that a mixture of agents have been used.
Most of the symptoms seen in the footage imply the use
of an organophosphate nerve agent. These types of agents tend to take effect
very quickly when someone is exposed to them severely. Most of them, except sarin, have a moderate or high persistency. The footage shows the speed of the
effects of the agents but then their lack of persistency. The nerve agent that
fits this profile best is sarin (possibly old stocks of sarin - sarin
decays swiftly if not stored properly - see this interesting
link).
Symptoms
Most frequent symptoms: Convulsions; trembling; muscular
spasms (possibly followed by paralysis of some muscles); difficulty breathing;
fainting (eyewitness accounts claim); foaming at the mouth and nose; paleness;
vomiting; mental confusion; constricted pupils. (Allegedly at more advanced
stages emptying of the bowels, which medics said was generally followed by
death).
Other symptoms were more unusual. One video showed two
young girls and a boy apparently suffering the effects of the gas with yellowed
skin on their faces and around their eyes.
Many of those left alive display surprised and vacant
expressions.
A number of videos also claim to show people who have
died from asphyxiation. Some younger victims displayed blue lips and blue
extremities (hands and feet), which would have resulted from this
asphyxiation.
Treatment
The treatment given included atropine and
hydrocortisone. Atropine appears to have been used extensively, and supplies
were reported to have run low. The drug can alleviate symptoms including
difficulty breathing and secretions from the mouth and nose, but does
not assist the convulsions and spasms.
Footage showed those that were brought in alive being
doused with hoses and buckets of water. Many of the victims at medical stations
had had their clothes removed. Oxygen cylinders and respirators were also seen
to be used to ease breathing. Resources were clearly stretched
thinly.
Of the doctors and helpers treating the victims, some
were wearing gloves and masks but most were not. This could indicate that the
chemical agents used did not have a persistent effect, or simply to a lack of
available protective gear. Most nerve agents remain active in clothing for up
to half an hour. (However, several field hospitals reported that medical workers
had come down with symptoms after treating victims - unconfirmed reports state
that at least one died).
Munitions
The picture below shows one of the rockets that
opposition groups are alleging was used in the attack (Activists at the Damascus
media center claim that at least ten fell, including seven in Eastern
Ghouta):
It is sourced to this Local Coordination Committee
facebook page:
A similar weapon reappears in a video of a protest two
days later on the 23rd of August. The video below shows civilians
hoisting the rocket claimed to have delivered the chemical weapons. If this
indeed was a rocket used for chemical weapons, the fact that they could do this
without being affected suggests that it was not a persistent
agent.
The next video below claims to show the launch of a
rocket which was targeted at Ghouta.
Eye-witnesses claimed that the attack took place after
the neighbourhood was targeted with conventional heavy weaponry, which they say
is a near-daily occurrence. In this instance it could have increased the
casualty count, as civilians took shelter in basements. Eyewitness
reports claim that that they were targeted by both rockets and mortars whilst
they were asleep. Footage shows dead animals (apparently asphyxiated) around the
sites of the impact of the missiles.
NOTE HOWEVER that most eyewitness sources contradict
opposition reports that missiles were used to deliver the weapons and indicate
that artillery shelling was the mechanism used. The forthcoming report of the UN
inspectors may be helpful in regard to this question.
The Syrian Government has as of yet still not signed on
to the Chemical Weapons Convention. There is an acute need to promote the Chemical Weapons Convention in the Middle
East today. There are only eight countries in the whole world which have either
not signed and / or not ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention. They
are:
Angola
Egypt
Israel
Myanmar
North Korea
Somalia
South Sudan
Syria
They should all be brought on board
urgently.
The al-Nusra Front also has chemical weapons: Syria’s
main chemical weapons base, though there are others
nearby, was at the Safira base just to the East of
Aleppo.
The Free Syrian Army destroyed the Safira base on
29th November 2012. The artillery base was utterly demolished but the
nearby air defence base was fought over for
some time. Safira was a sprawling military complex. However, the
Islamist group Al Nusra joined the fight and by mid February 2013 the entire town had fallen into rebel
hands.
On
29 May seven members of al-Nusra were arrested by Turkish authorities near
Adana, in possession of two kilos of sarin gas. The Turkish authorities claimed
that the al-Nusra members were planning an attack in Adana on 30 May, presumably
to implicate the Syrian government and draw the Turks into the Syrian war. Subsequently the Turkish authorities
switched their ground and denied that the chemical agent found was sarin but
refused to say what it in fact was.
According to the Foreign
Policy magazine the USA is basing some of their decision making on
an intelligence tape of a phone call between an official from the Syrian
Ministry of Defence, and the head of a chemical weapons unit. Foreign
Policy states that answers were demanded over a nerve agent strike. However,
the panicked phone call to Syria's chemical weapons department demanding answers
shortly after the attack could equally be regarded as suggesting
Syria's armed forces were not responsible.
Conclusion
It is NCF’s conclusion that the chemical weapon that
best fits the evidence available is sarin gas. With the UN investigation team
already in Syria, it should be possible for them to determine whether the
attacks were delivered by missile (definite Syrian Government culpability) or by
mortar (Probable Jebhat al-Nusra culpability) or by some other
means.
The UN weapon inspectors must be given time to establish
the facts of the matter. The NCF would advise the US government to wait and
re-examine the issue afresh when more evidence is made available by the UN
weapon inspection team.
Also, please note Secretary Kerry's smoking gun report. The four page "evidence document" is available on the White House
website.
President Barack Obama called Syria's chemical weapons attack 'a
challenge to the world' and said he is considering a 'limited, narrow act'
against the country's regime. 'We're not considering any open-ended commitment,'
Obama said. 'We're not considering any boots on the ground approach. I have not
made any decisions.'
Links to footage
This is a compilation of videos made by an independent
source showing victims, reports and images of the
attacks.
This is a link to the Youtube playlist compiled by user
‘Brown Moses’ showing footage of victims, doctors interviews and rockets being
launched.
Link to President Obama’s statement on crossing the red
line with the use of chemical weapons. International Business Times UK;
21stAugust 2012
FOOTNOTE: Fairly credible NCF military sources in
Syria indicate that on 20th August a number of FSA (a figure of 25 was recorded
by one source) from the suburb which was subsequently attacked surrendered to
the government and that the surrender of the balance was being negotiated,
however Al Nusra reinforcements were about to move into the area. Those killed
in the subsequent attack included almost all of the remaining FSA fighters in
the district.
2 comments:
The video of the street party is very interesting. Hadn't seen this before and I think it needs more publicity than it's getting.
Why is everyone so happy?
"We've just conned the US into attacking us by gassing some Alawite children" seems the best explanation I can think of.
It also shows that the UN investigation of the rocket landing sites is pointless. I suspect the rockets were put there afterwards next to holes made by conventional artillercy
er that should be a "We've just conned the US into joining us by gassing some Alawite children" party
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