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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 5 april 2017
Chemical attack kills dozens in Syria, US blames Assad

SARAH EL DEEB lized world.” The U.N. Secu- cal weapons and then did great moral responsibility children and adults. Some
ZEINA KARAM rity Council scheduled an nothing. The United States for these deaths,” Tillerson were struggling to breathe;
Associated Press emergency meeting for stands with our allies across said. others appeared to be
BEIRUT (AP) — A chemical Wednesday in response to the globe to condemn this In a statement, the Syrian foaming at the mouth.
weapons attack in an op- the strike, which came on intolerable attack.” government “categorical- The activist-run Assi Press
position-held town in north- published video of para-
ern Syria killed dozens of medics carrying victims,
people on Tuesday, leav- stripped down to their un-
ing residents gasping for derwear and many ap-
breath and convulsing in pearing unresponsive, from
the streets and overcrowd- the scene in pickup trucks.
ed hospitals. The Trump It was not immediately
administration blamed the clear if all those killed died
Syrian government for the from suffocation or were
attack, one of the deadli- struck by other airstrikes
est in years, and said Syria’s that occurred in the area
patrons, Russia and Iran, around the same time.
bore “great moral respon- It was the third claim of
sibility” for the deaths. a chemical attack in just
The Britain-based Syrian over a week in Syria. The
Observatory for Human previous two were report-
Rights said at least 58 peo- ed in Hama province, in
ple died, including 11 chil- an area not far from Khan
dren, in the early morning Sheikhoun.
attack in the town of Khan Opposition activists and a
Sheikhoun, which witnesses doctor in Idlib said it was
said was carried out by This frame grab shows a Syrian man carrying a man on his back who has suffered from a suspect- the worst incident since
Sukhoi jets operated by the ed chemical attack, in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, northern Idlib province, Syria. The suspected the 2013 gas attack on the
Russian and Syrian govern- chemical attack killed dozens of people on Tuesday, Syrian opposition activists said, describing Damascus suburb of Gh-
ments. the attack as among the worst in the country’s six-year civil war. (Qasioun News Agency, via AP) outa that killed hundreds
Videos from the scene of civilians and which a
showed volunteer medics the eve of a major interna- Trump left it to his top diplo- ly rejected” claims that it U.N. investigation said used
using fire hoses to wash the tional donors’ conference mat, Secretary of State Rex was responsible, asserting sarin gas.Faced with inter-
chemicals from victims’ in Brussels on the future of Tillerson, to assign at least that it does not possess national outrage over that
bodies. Haunting images Syria and the region. some blame to Russia and chemical weapons, hasn’t attack, Assad agreed to a
of lifeless children piled in In a statement, Trump also Iran, Assad’s most power- used them in the past and Russia-sponsored deal to
heaps reflected the mag- blamed former President ful allies. Tillerson called on will not use them in the destroy his chemical arse-
nitude of the attack, which Barack Obama for “weak- both countries to use their future. It laid the blame nal. His government de-
was reminiscent of a 2013 ness” in failing to respond influence over Assad to squarely on the rebels, ac- clared a 1,300-ton stock-
chemical assault that left aggressively after the 2013 prevent future chemical cusing them of fabricating pile of chemical weapons
hundreds dead and was attack. weapons attacks, and not- the attack and trying to and so-called precursor
the worst in the country’s “These heinous actions by ed Russia’s and Iran’s roles frame the Syrian govern- chemicals that can be
ruinous six-year civil war. the Bashar al-Assad re- in helping broker a cease- ment. The Russian Defense used to make weapons, all
Tuesday’s attack drew gime are a consequence fire through diplomatic Ministry also denied any in- of which were destroyed.
swift condemnation from of the past administration’s talks in the Kazakh capital, volvement But member states of
world leaders, including weakness and irresolution,” Astana. Photos and video emerg- the Organization for the
President Donald Trump, Trump said. “President “As the self-proclaimed ing from Khan Sheikhoun, Prohibition of Chemical
who denounced it as a Obama said in 2012 that he guarantors to the cease- located south of the pro- Weapons have repeatedly
“heinous” act that “can- would establish a ‘red line’ fire negotiated in Astana, vincial capital of Idlib, questioned whether Assad
not be ignored by the civi- against the use of chemi- Russia and Iran also bear showed the limp bodies of declared everything. q

EU, UN assess Syria’s reconstruction needs as donors gather

LORNE COOK peace if you are given timated war damages ternational community is hopes financial support will
Associated Press some hope that that pro- across Syria so far at $350 capable of being together continue at the levels of re-
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Eu- cess can be supported by billion, including physical — 70 countries tomorrow cent years, amid concern
ropean Union’s top diplo- others,” she told report- damage and loss of eco- — there is someone, some- about donor fatigue.
mat said Tuesday that the ers in Brussels ahead of nomic activity. how, that tries to under- Last year’s conference in
United Nations, EU and Wednesday’s conference, The conference, also to be mine that feeling of hope London raised more than
world financial institutions expected to draw officials attended by aid and de- by producing a feeling of $12 billion in pledges - $6
have begun technical from around 70 countries. velopment groups, follows horror and outrage,” de billion for 2016 and $6.1 bil-
work to figure out what will “We have seen that too reports Tuesday that a sus- Mistura said. “But we are lion more for 2017-20.
be needed to rebuild war- many times the internation- pected chemical attack not going to give up.” “It is vital that the interna-
ravaged Syria. al community is taken by killed dozens in northern The aim of the conference tional community con-
Speaking on the eve of an surprise (by) the end of the Syria. is to drum up funds for Syria tinues to support the Syr-
international conference conflict,” Mogherini said. U.N. envoy Staffan de Mis- and the region and to sup- ian people,” British Foreign
on Syria, EU foreign policy Nearly 400,000 people tura called for “clear iden- port efforts to secure a last- Secretary Boris Johnson
chief Federica Mogherini have been killed during the tification of responsibilities ing political solution to the said.
said the work would foster six years of the Syrian con- and accountability” for conflict. Participants will also look at
peace efforts by giving Syr- flict, while half of the coun- the chemical strike in Idlib The EU, which is hosting the ways to help rebuild, but
ians a sense of their post- try’s population has been province. event with the United Na- only once a political tran-
conflict future. displaced by the violence. “Every time we have a tions, Britain, Germany, Ku- sition involving all Syrians is
“It is easier to imagine U.N. agencies have es- moment in which the in- wait, Norway and Qatar , underway.q