The United States and Russia were on a collision course over Syria on Wednesday after a horrific chemical attack so shocked President Donald Trump that Washington threatened unilateral US action.

At least 86 people were killed early on Tuesday in rebel-held Khan Sheikhun in northern Syria and dozens more were being treated after they were found convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

After previous major chemical attacks in Syria in 2013, Trump strongly urged then-president Barack Obama not to order military intervention against Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime.

And he came to office promising both to improve ties with Assad&#39;s ally President Vladimir Putin of Russia and to focus US efforts in Syria solely on the defeat of the Islamic State group.&nbsp;

But on Wednesday -- as footage emerged of Syrian children choking to death in agony -- he declared that his view of the conflict had been changed by an attack that &quot;cannot be tolerated.&quot;

&quot;It crossed a lot of lines for me,&quot; Trump told reporters at a joint White House news conference with Jordan&#39;s King Abdullah, alluding to Obama&#39;s failure to enforce his own 2013 &quot;red line.&quot;

&quot;When you kill innocent children, innocent babies, little babies... that crosses many, many lines, beyond a red line, many, many lines,&quot; he warned.

&quot;I will tell you, it&#39;s already happened, that my attitude towards Syria and Assad has changed very much... You&#39;re now talking about a whole different level.&quot;

Trump did not go into detail about what any US response to the atrocity would be -- and he has previously opposed deeper US military involvement in Syria&#39;s civil war.

Rethink support

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, warned of unilateral action and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Russia to rethink its support for Assad.

&quot;There is no doubt in our mind that the Syrian regime under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad is responsible for this horrific attack,&quot; Tillerson told reporters.

&quot;And we think it is time for the Russians to really think carefully about their continuing support for the Assad regime.&quot;

Tillerson is due in Moscow next week for talks that will now be clouded by the Khan Sheikhun controversy.

At the United Nations, Haley was equally forthright.

&quot;When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action,&quot; she said.

The warning came during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council called by France and Britain after the attack.

Haley, lashing out at Russia for failing to rein in its ally Syria, showed photographs of lifeless children choked in the attack.

&quot;How many more children have to die before Russia cares?&quot; she demanded. &quot;If Russia has the influence in Syria that it claims to have, we need to see them use it.&quot;&nbsp;

&#39;Categorically unacceptable&#39;

Britain, France and the United States have presented a draft resolution demanding a full investigation of the attack.

Russia -- along with Iran -- is Syria&#39;s main diplomatic and military partner. And Moscow, true to form, said the draft text was &quot;categorically unacceptable.&quot;

Failure to agree on a compromise text could prompt Russia to use its veto to block the draft resolution. Moscow has used its veto seven times to shield Syria from UN action.

The Western-backed draft text backs a probe by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and demands Syria provide information on its operations.

Russia&#39;s deputy ambassador Vladimir Safronkov told the UN council that the proposed resolution was hastily prepared and unnecessary, but voiced support for an inquiry.

&quot;The main task now is to have an objective inquiry into what happened,&quot; he said.

Russia turned up at negotiations with a rival draft resolution that made no reference to specific demands that Damascus cooperate with an inquiry, diplomats said.

Negotiations were continuing on the draft text and diplomats said there would not be a vote before Thursday at the earliest.

&quot;We are talking about war crimes here, war crimes on a large scale, war crimes with chemical weapons,&quot; said French Ambassador Francois Delattre.

The British ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, told reporters he hoped council members would agree on a draft resolution by Thursday, but vowed to press for a vote regardless.

Moscow, which launched a military intervention in 2015 in support of Assad&#39;s forces, defended the government against accusations of responsibility for the attack.

It claimed the deaths were caused when a Syrian strike hit a &quot;terrorist warehouse&quot; for bombs containing &quot;toxic substances&quot; and pledged to maintain its military support for Assad.

Western experts have dismissed this claim as implausible, given the scale and nature of the casualties.

And a senior State Department official said: &quot;Anyone with common sense and the ability to look at pictures knows that what the Russians are saying about the depot is not true.&quot;&nbsp;

A gas so lethal&#39;

Doctors said victims showed symptoms consistent with the use of a nerve agent such as sarin -- suspected to have been used by government forces in deadly attacks outside Damascus in 2013.

US officials have not said what kind of agent they think was used, but Trump said it was &quot;a chemical gas that is so lethal, people were shocked to hear what gas it was.&quot;

If confirmed, the attack would be among the worst incidents of chemical weapons use in Syria&#39;s civil war, which has killed over 320,000 people since it began in March 2011.

Syria officially relinquished its chemical arsenal and signed the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013 to avert military action after it was accused of an attack outside Damascus that killed hundreds.

But there have been repeated allegations of chemical weapons use since.

(AFP)

Trump alluded?to Obama's failure to enforce his own 2013 'red line'. Nikki Haley warned of unilateral action

The United States and Russia were on a collision course over Syria on Wednesday after a horrific chemical attack so shocked President Donald Trump that Washington threatened unilateral US action. At least 86 people were killed early on Tuesday in rebel-held Khan Sheikhun in northern Syria and dozens more were being treated after they were found convulsing and foaming at the mouth. After previous major chemical attacks in Syria in 2013, Trump strongly urged then-president Barack Obama not to order military intervention against Bashar al-Assad's regime. And he came to office promising both to improve ties with Assad's ally President Vladimir Putin of Russia and to focus US efforts in Syria solely on the defeat of the Islamic State group. But on Wednesday -- as footage emerged of Syrian children choking to death in agony -- he declared that his view of the conflict had been changed by an attack that "cannot be tolerated." "It crossed a lot of lines for me," Trump told reporters at a joint White House news conference with Jordan's King Abdullah, alluding to Obama's failure to enforce his own 2013 "red line." "When you kill innocent children, innocent babies, little babies... that crosses many, many lines, beyond a red line, many, many lines," he warned. "I will tell you, it's already happened, that my attitude towards Syria and Assad has changed very much... You're now talking about a whole different level." Trump did not go into detail about what any US response to the atrocity would be -- and he has previously opposed deeper US military involvement in Syria's civil war. Rethink support The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, warned of unilateral action and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Russia to rethink its support for Assad. "There is no doubt in our mind that the Syrian regime under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad is responsible for this horrific attack," Tillerson told reporters. "And we think it is time for the Russians to really think carefully about their continuing support for the Assad regime." Tillerson is due in Moscow next week for talks that will now be clouded by the Khan Sheikhun controversy. At the United Nations, Haley was equally forthright. "When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action," she said. The warning came during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council called by France and Britain after the attack. Haley, lashing out at Russia for failing to rein in its ally Syria, showed photographs of lifeless children choked in the attack. "How many more children have to die before Russia cares?" she demanded. "If Russia has the influence in Syria that it claims to have, we need to see them use it." 'Categorically unacceptable' Britain, France and the United States have presented a draft resolution demanding a full investigation of the attack. Russia -- along with Iran -- is Syria's main diplomatic and military partner. And Moscow, true to form, said the draft text was "categorically unacceptable." Failure to agree on a compromise text could prompt Russia to use its veto to block the draft resolution. Moscow has used its veto seven times to shield Syria from UN action. The Western-backed draft text backs a probe by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and demands Syria provide information on its operations. Russia's deputy ambassador Vladimir Safronkov told the UN council that the proposed resolution was hastily prepared and unnecessary, but voiced support for an inquiry. "The main task now is to have an objective inquiry into what happened," he said. Russia turned up at negotiations with a rival draft resolution that made no reference to specific demands that Damascus cooperate with an inquiry, diplomats said. Negotiations were continuing on the draft text and diplomats said there would not be a vote before Thursday at the earliest. "We are talking about war crimes here, war crimes on a large scale, war crimes with chemical weapons," said French Ambassador Francois Delattre. The British ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, told reporters he hoped council members would agree on a draft resolution by Thursday, but vowed to press for a vote regardless. Moscow, which launched a military intervention in 2015 in support of Assad's forces, defended the government against accusations of responsibility for the attack. It claimed the deaths were caused when a Syrian strike hit a "terrorist warehouse" for bombs containing "toxic substances" and pledged to maintain its military support for Assad. Western experts have dismissed this claim as implausible, given the scale and nature of the casualties. And a senior State Department official said: "Anyone with common sense and the ability to look at pictures knows that what the Russians are saying about the depot is not true." A gas so lethal' Doctors said victims showed symptoms consistent with the use of a nerve agent such as sarin -- suspected to have been used by government forces in deadly attacks outside Damascus in 2013. US officials have not said what kind of agent they think was used, but Trump said it was "a chemical gas that is so lethal, people were shocked to hear what gas it was." If confirmed, the attack would be among the worst incidents of chemical weapons use in Syria's civil war, which has killed over 320,000 people since it began in March 2011. Syria officially relinquished its chemical arsenal and signed the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013 to avert military action after it was accused of an attack outside Damascus that killed hundreds. But there have been repeated allegations of chemical weapons use since. (AFP)

Syria chemical attack: United States warns of 'own action'

Reactions to the news of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, which so far has killed 72 people,&nbsp;have&nbsp;unsurprisingly come gushing in from around the world.

Europe

Britian and France on Wednesday both renewed their call for Assad to go&nbsp;during an international conference on&nbsp;Syria, which the European Union convened in Brussels in a bid to shore up stalled peace talks between Assad and his rivals

Britiain&#39;s Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said, &quot;This is a barbaric regime that has made it impossible for us to imagine them continuing to be an authority over the people of Syria after this conflict is over.

The UK and France have blamed Assad for the attack.&nbsp;

Russia said it believed the toxic gas had leaked from a rebel chemical weapons depot struck by Syrian bombs, setting the stage for a diplomatic collision at the Security Council.

Germany on Wednesday accused Russia and Iran of carrying some responsibility for the&nbsp;suspected chemical weapons attack by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces.&nbsp;

&quot;The federal government sees responsibility lying with Russia and Iran as allies of the Assad regime,&quot; a German government spokeswoman told a regular news conference in Berlin. &quot;We are convinved that without their massive military support the regime would have long ago had to agree to serious negotiations about a political solution,&quot; she added.

Also See:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-children-become-victims-of-chemical-attack-in-syria-220">&nbsp;In Pictures: Children become victims of &#39;chemical attack&#39; in Syria</a>

Turkey

Turkey has reminded Russia and Iran of their responsibilities in preventing violations of a ceasefire in&nbsp;Syria, Turkey&#39;s foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Turkey had made representations to the Russian and Iranian embassies in Ankara over Tuesday&#39;s attack in the rebel-held province of Idlib, foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said in a statement.

&nbsp;

America

The response from the US has been less than clear. In condemning Assad, Trump did not say how he would respond. The attack came a week after Trump&#39;s Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and UN&nbsp;envoy Nikki Haley said their focus was on defeating Islamic State in Syria rather than pushing Assad out.

&quot;Under Obama, we agreed that Assad had to go, but now it is unclear where the Trump position lies,&quot; said a senior EU diplomat.

&nbsp;

The Pope

Pope Francis said he was horrified by the suspected chemical weapons attack. To the&nbsp;tens of thousands of people in St Peter&#39;s Square&nbsp;he expressed his &quot;firm deploration of the unacceptable massacre that took place yesterday,&quot; and said he was praying for &quot;the defenceless victims, including many children&quot;.

Francis appealed to &quot;the consciences of those who hold political power, both at the local and international levels so that these tragedies end.&quot;

&nbsp;

The UN

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said:&nbsp;&quot;The need for humanitarian aid and the protection of Syrian civilians has never been greater. The humanitarian appeal for a single crisis has never been higher.&quot;

Hours before the Brussels conference, Guterres had said,&nbsp;&quot;We have been asking for accountability on the crimes that have been committed and I am confident the Security Council will live up to its responsibilities&quot;.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

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The government denies the use of chemical weapons and has in turn accused rebels of using banned weapons (Reuters)
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Not everybody condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Reactions to the news of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, which so far has killed 72 people, have unsurprisingly come gushing in from around the world. Europe Britian and France on Wednesday both renewed their call for Assad to go during an international conference on Syria, which the European Union convened in Brussels in a bid to shore up stalled peace talks between Assad and his rivals Britiain's Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said, "This is a barbaric regime that has made it impossible for us to imagine them continuing to be an authority over the people of Syria after this conflict is over. The UK and France have blamed Assad for the attack. Russia said it believed the toxic gas had leaked from a rebel chemical weapons depot struck by Syrian bombs, setting the stage for a diplomatic collision at the Security Council. Germany on Wednesday accused Russia and Iran of carrying some responsibility for the suspected chemical weapons attack by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces. "The federal government sees responsibility lying with Russia and Iran as allies of the Assad regime," a German government spokeswoman told a regular news conference in Berlin. "We are convinved that without their massive military support the regime would have long ago had to agree to serious negotiations about a political solution," she added. Also See: In Pictures: Children become victims of 'chemical attack' in Syria Turkey Turkey has reminded Russia and Iran of their responsibilities in preventing violations of a ceasefire in Syria, Turkey's foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Turkey had made representations to the Russian and Iranian embassies in Ankara over Tuesday's attack in the rebel-held province of Idlib, foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said in a statement. America The response from the US has been less than clear. In condemning Assad, Trump did not say how he would respond. The attack came a week after Trump's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and UN envoy Nikki Haley said their focus was on defeating Islamic State in Syria rather than pushing Assad out. "Under Obama, we agreed that Assad had to go, but now it is unclear where the Trump position lies," said a senior EU diplomat. The Pope Pope Francis said he was horrified by the suspected chemical weapons attack. To the tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square he expressed his "firm deploration of the unacceptable massacre that took place yesterday," and said he was praying for "the defenceless victims, including many children". Francis appealed to "the consciences of those who hold political power, both at the local and international levels so that these tragedies end." The UN The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said: "The need for humanitarian aid and the protection of Syrian civilians has never been greater. The humanitarian appeal for a single crisis has never been higher." Hours before the Brussels conference, Guterres had said, "We have been asking for accountability on the crimes that have been committed and I am confident the Security Council will live up to its responsibilities". (WION with inputs from Reuters) The government denies the use of chemical weapons and has in turn accused rebels of using banned weapons (Reuters) ×

World responds to suspected chemical attack in Syria, as death toll reaches 72

The United States said it would take unilateral action against Syria if the United Nations couldn&#39;t rein in the Syrian regime, a day after an alleged chemical attack on a rebel-held town left scores dead, including children.

The deadly attack in Idlib province in Syria has also changed US President Donald Trump&#39;s opinion about the Bashar al-Assad regime. Trump condemned the attack, saying it had crossed &quot;many, many lines&quot; by &quot;killing innocent children&quot;.

The warnings by the US administration were made a day after at least 86 people, including 30 children, died due to the possible gas attacks, while several others were left gasping for breath and foaming at the mouth.

Speaking during the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council called by France and Britain, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the US would act on its own if the United Nations failed to tackle the protracted conflict in Syria.

&quot;When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action,&quot; Haley said.

She also urged Russia to use its influence to end the &quot;horrific acts&quot;&nbsp;in Syria.

&quot;How many more children have to die before Russia cares? If Russia has the influence in&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;that it claims to have, we need to see them use it,&quot; she said.

The US and the west have blamed Assad for overseeing the deadliest attack since 2013. They have also accused Russia and Iran of aiding Assad in the years-long civil war that has left around 320,000 people&nbsp;dead.

Both Syria and Russia have denied carrying out the attack, with Moscow suggesting that toxic agents were released after an air strike by the US coalition hit a rebel arsenal.&nbsp;

&#39;Terrible affront to humanity&#39;

Trump&#39;s condemnation of the possible gas attack has also pivoted the administration&#39;s agenda in Syria.

Trump had previously spoken about how defeating Islamic State and not removal of Assad was seen as a priority by his administration.

The shift in stance was evidenced when White House press secretary Sean Spicer admitted that the US administration was now being driven by a new &quot;reality&quot;, Independent reported.

Trump also assailed the Syrian regime by dubbing the attack as a &quot;terrible affront to humanity&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;That attack on children yesterday had a big impact on me ... my attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much,&quot; the 70-year-old president said.

France urges US to back&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;solution&nbsp;

Britain, France and the United States have presented a draft resolution demanding a full investigation of the attack, but Russia said the text was &quot;categorically unacceptable&quot;.

&quot;If we are not prepared to act, then this council will keep meeting, month after month to express outrage at the continuing use of chemical weapons and it will not end,&quot; Haley said.

&quot;We will see more conflict in&nbsp;Syria. We will see more pictures that we can never unsee.&quot;

French Ambassador Francois Delattre called on Russia to ratchet up pressure on Assad but also had a message for the Trump administration.

&quot;Frankly we also need an American that is seriously committed to a solution in&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;and puts all its weight behind it. If not now, when?&quot; Delattre told reporters.

The draft resolution backs a probe by the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and demands that&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;cooperate to provide information on its military operations on the day of the assault.

Russia&#39;s Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov told the council that the proposed resolution was hastily prepared and unnecessary, but voiced support for an inquiry.

&quot;The main task now is to have an objective inquiry into what happened,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Negotiations were continuing on the draft text, but diplomats said they hoped it could be put to a vote later on Wednesday.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The US also urged Russia to exert its influence and rein in the Syrian regime, who it blames for the deadly attack in Idlib province

The United States said it would take unilateral action against Syria if the United Nations couldn't rein in the Syrian regime, a day after an alleged chemical attack on a rebel-held town left scores dead, including children. The deadly attack in Idlib province in Syria has also changed US President Donald Trump's opinion about the Bashar al-Assad regime. Trump condemned the attack, saying it had crossed "many, many lines" by "killing innocent children". The warnings by the US administration were made a day after at least 86 people, including 30 children, died due to the possible gas attacks, while several others were left gasping for breath and foaming at the mouth. Speaking during the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council called by France and Britain, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the US would act on its own if the United Nations failed to tackle the protracted conflict in Syria. "When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action," Haley said. She also urged Russia to use its influence to end the "horrific acts" in Syria. "How many more children have to die before Russia cares? If Russia has the influence in Syria that it claims to have, we need to see them use it," she said. The US and the west have blamed Assad for overseeing the deadliest attack since 2013. They have also accused Russia and Iran of aiding Assad in the years-long civil war that has left around 320,000 people dead. Both Syria and Russia have denied carrying out the attack, with Moscow suggesting that toxic agents were released after an air strike by the US coalition hit a rebel arsenal. 'Terrible affront to humanity' Trump's condemnation of the possible gas attack has also pivoted the administration's agenda in Syria. Trump had previously spoken about how defeating Islamic State and not removal of Assad was seen as a priority by his administration. The shift in stance was evidenced when White House press secretary Sean Spicer admitted that the US administration was now being driven by a new "reality", Independent reported. Trump also assailed the Syrian regime by dubbing the attack as a "terrible affront to humanity". "That attack on children yesterday had a big impact on me ... my attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much," the 70-year-old president said. France urges US to back Syria solution Britain, France and the United States have presented a draft resolution demanding a full investigation of the attack, but Russia said the text was "categorically unacceptable". "If we are not prepared to act, then this council will keep meeting, month after month to express outrage at the continuing use of chemical weapons and it will not end," Haley said. "We will see more conflict in Syria. We will see more pictures that we can never unsee." French Ambassador Francois Delattre called on Russia to ratchet up pressure on Assad but also had a message for the Trump administration. "Frankly we also need an American that is seriously committed to a solution in Syria and puts all its weight behind it. If not now, when?" Delattre told reporters. The draft resolution backs a probe by the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and demands that Syria cooperate to provide information on its military operations on the day of the assault. Russia's Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov told the council that the proposed resolution was hastily prepared and unnecessary, but voiced support for an inquiry. "The main task now is to have an objective inquiry into what happened," he said. Negotiations were continuing on the draft text, but diplomats said they hoped it could be put to a vote later on Wednesday. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Syria 'gas attack': US threatens to take unilateral action if UN talks fail

A Syrian air strike hit a &quot;terrorist warehouse&quot; containing &quot;toxic substances&quot;, Moscow said Wednesday, a day after a suspected chemical attack in rebel-held northwest Syria that killed scores of civilians.

&quot;According to the objective data of the Russian airspace control, Syrian aviation struck a large terrorist warehouse near Khan Sheikhun,&quot; the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

It housed &quot;a warehouse making bombs, with toxic substances&quot;, said the ministry, without stating if the strike was voluntary or deliberate.

&quot;The arsenal of chemical weapons&quot; was destined for fighters in Iraq, the ministry said, adding that the information was &quot;completely reliable and objective.&quot;

The use of such weapons &quot;by terrorists has been repeatedly proved by international organisations as well as official authorities&quot; in Iraq.

The statement did not specify whether the Syrian regime knew there were chemical weapons there and pointed the finger at &quot;terrorists&quot; who they say hold the toxic arms.&nbsp;

At least 72 civilians including 20 children died in a suspected chemical attack on Tuesday in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province in the northwest.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the attack also left dozens suffering respiratory problems and symptoms including vomiting, fainting and foaming at the mouth.

Syria&#39;s opposition blamed President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces, saying the attack cast doubt on the future of peace talks.

The army denied any involvement in a statement blaming &quot;terrorist groups&quot; for using &quot;chemical and toxic substances&quot;.

Rebel groups led by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front vowed revenge for the attack.

The incident brought swift international condemnation, with the United States, France and Britain presenting a draft resolution to the UN Security Council demanding a full investigation.

(AFP)

The death toll from Tuesday's attack has risen to 72, including 20 children

A Syrian air strike hit a "terrorist warehouse" containing "toxic substances", Moscow said Wednesday, a day after a suspected chemical attack in rebel-held northwest Syria that killed scores of civilians. "According to the objective data of the Russian airspace control, Syrian aviation struck a large terrorist warehouse near Khan Sheikhun," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement. It housed "a warehouse making bombs, with toxic substances", said the ministry, without stating if the strike was voluntary or deliberate. "The arsenal of chemical weapons" was destined for fighters in Iraq, the ministry said, adding that the information was "completely reliable and objective." The use of such weapons "by terrorists has been repeatedly proved by international organisations as well as official authorities" in Iraq. The statement did not specify whether the Syrian regime knew there were chemical weapons there and pointed the finger at "terrorists" who they say hold the toxic arms. At least 72 civilians including 20 children died in a suspected chemical attack on Tuesday in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province in the northwest. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the attack also left dozens suffering respiratory problems and symptoms including vomiting, fainting and foaming at the mouth. Syria's opposition blamed President Bashar al-Assad's forces, saying the attack cast doubt on the future of peace talks. The army denied any involvement in a statement blaming "terrorist groups" for using "chemical and toxic substances". Rebel groups led by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front vowed revenge for the attack. The incident brought swift international condemnation, with the United States, France and Britain presenting a draft resolution to the UN Security Council demanding a full investigation. (AFP)

Syria strike hit rebel 'toxic' weapons depot: Moscow

A suspected chemical attack in rebel-held northwestern Syria killed dozens of civilians including children and left many more sick and gasping, causing international outrage Wednesday.

The attack on the town of Khan Sheikhun killed at least 58 civilians and saw dozens suffer respiratory problems and symptoms including vomiting, fainting and foaming at the mouth, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

Syria&#39;s opposition blamed President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces, saying the attack cast doubt on the future of peace talks.

The army denied any involvement in a statement blaming &quot;terrorist groups&quot; for using &quot;chemical and toxic substances&quot;.

At least 19 children and 13 women were among the dead, the Observatory said, and an AFP correspondent in Khan Sheikhun saw many people on respirators.

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<h5>Washington condemned what it called a &#39;reprehensible&#39; attack by Assad&#39;s forces and US officials said his allies Russia and Iran must bring the dictator to heel</h5>
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If confirmed, it would be one of the worst chemical attacks since Syria&#39;s civil war began six years ago.

The incident brought swift international condemnation, with the United States, France and Britain presenting a draft resolution to the UN Security Council demanding a full investigation.

&quot;This is clearly a war crime,&quot; British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters.

The Tahrir al-Sham rebel alliance, which includes Al-Qaeda&#39;s former affiliate, the Fateh al-Sham Front, vowed to avenge the deaths, calling on fighters to &quot;ignite the fronts&quot;.

&#39;Brutal, unabashed barbarism&#39;

Washington condemned what it called a &quot;reprehensible&quot; attack by Assad&#39;s forces and US officials said his allies Russia and Iran must bring the dictator to heel.

&quot;While we continue to monitor the terrible situation, it is clear that this is how Bashar al-Assad operates: with brutal, unabashed barbarism,&quot; Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.&nbsp;

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said the attack was believed to be chemical and launched from the air, adding there should be a &quot;clear identification of responsibilities and accountability&quot;.

The Observatory said the attack on a residential part of Khan Sheikhun came early on Tuesday, when a warplane carried out strikes that released &quot;toxic gas&quot;.

As well as those killed, at least 160 people were injured, it said, and many died even after arriving at medical facilities.

The monitor could not confirm the nature of the gas, but said the attack was probably carried out by government warplanes.

&quot;We ran inside the houses and saw whole families just dead in their beds,&quot; resident Abu Mustafa said.

&quot;Children, women, old people dead in the streets.&quot;&nbsp;

Russia&#39;s military, which has been fighting in support of Assad&#39;s government since September 2015, denied carrying out any strikes near the town.

Hours after the initial attack, air strikes also hit a hospital in the town where doctors were treating victims, the AFP correspondent said, bringing down rubble on top of medics as they worked.

He saw a young girl, a woman and two elderly people dead at a hospital.

A father carried his dead little girl wrapped in a sheet, her lips blueish and her dark curls visible.

Speaking to AFP, medic Hazem Shehwan said victims of the earlier attack had symptoms including &quot;pinpoint pupils, convulsions, foaming at the mouth and rapid pulses&quot;.

Army denial

Khan Sheikhun is in Idlib province, which is largely controlled by the Tahrir al-Sham rebel alliance.

The province is regularly targeted in government and Russian air strikes, and has also been hit by the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group, usually targeting jihadists.

The Observatory said 16 people, including 11 children, were killed Tuesday by air strikes in Salqin, in north Idlib province.

Syria&#39;s leading opposition group, the National Coalition, blamed Assad for the Khan Sheikhun attack.

Damascus officially joined the Chemical Weapons Convention and turned over its declared chemical arsenal in 2013, as part of a deal to avert US military action.

That agreement came after hundreds of people -- up to 1,429 according to a US intelligence report -- were killed in chemical weapons strikes allegedly carried out by government troops east and southwest of Damascus.

But there have been repeated allegations of chemical weapons use since, with a UN-led investigation pointing the finger at the regime for at least three chlorine attacks in 2014 and 2015.

The army again denied using chemical weapons on Tuesday, insisting &quot;it has never used them, any time, anywhere, and will not do so in the future&quot;.

Peace talks doubts

More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

Successive rounds of peace talks, including a UN-sponsored meeting in Geneva last week, have failed to produce a political breakthrough.

Tuesday&#39;s attack cast new doubt on the peace process, said the opposition&#39;s chief negotiator Mohamad Sabra.

&quot;If the United Nations cannot deter the regime from carrying out such crimes, how can it achieve a process that leads to political transition in Syria?&quot; he told AFP.

A senior Syrian security source told AFP that opposition forces were trying to &quot;achieve in the media what they could not achieve on the ground&quot; by spreading images from the alleged attack site.

The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the attack following calls from France and Britain.

(AFP)

The attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun killed at least 58 civilians

A suspected chemical attack in rebel-held northwestern Syria killed dozens of civilians including children and left many more sick and gasping, causing international outrage Wednesday. The attack on the town of Khan Sheikhun killed at least 58 civilians and saw dozens suffer respiratory problems and symptoms including vomiting, fainting and foaming at the mouth, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. Syria's opposition blamed President Bashar al-Assad's forces, saying the attack cast doubt on the future of peace talks. The army denied any involvement in a statement blaming "terrorist groups" for using "chemical and toxic substances". At least 19 children and 13 women were among the dead, the Observatory said, and an AFP correspondent in Khan Sheikhun saw many people on respirators. Washington condemned what it called a 'reprehensible' attack by Assad's forces and US officials said his allies Russia and Iran must bring the dictator to heel × If confirmed, it would be one of the worst chemical attacks since Syria's civil war began six years ago. The incident brought swift international condemnation, with the United States, France and Britain presenting a draft resolution to the UN Security Council demanding a full investigation. "This is clearly a war crime," British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters. The Tahrir al-Sham rebel alliance, which includes Al-Qaeda's former affiliate, the Fateh al-Sham Front, vowed to avenge the deaths, calling on fighters to "ignite the fronts". 'Brutal, unabashed barbarism' Washington condemned what it called a "reprehensible" attack by Assad's forces and US officials said his allies Russia and Iran must bring the dictator to heel. "While we continue to monitor the terrible situation, it is clear that this is how Bashar al-Assad operates: with brutal, unabashed barbarism," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said the attack was believed to be chemical and launched from the air, adding there should be a "clear identification of responsibilities and accountability". The Observatory said the attack on a residential part of Khan Sheikhun came early on Tuesday, when a warplane carried out strikes that released "toxic gas". As well as those killed, at least 160 people were injured, it said, and many died even after arriving at medical facilities. The monitor could not confirm the nature of the gas, but said the attack was probably carried out by government warplanes. "We ran inside the houses and saw whole families just dead in their beds," resident Abu Mustafa said. "Children, women, old people dead in the streets." Russia's military, which has been fighting in support of Assad's government since September 2015, denied carrying out any strikes near the town. Hours after the initial attack, air strikes also hit a hospital in the town where doctors were treating victims, the AFP correspondent said, bringing down rubble on top of medics as they worked. He saw a young girl, a woman and two elderly people dead at a hospital. A father carried his dead little girl wrapped in a sheet, her lips blueish and her dark curls visible. Speaking to AFP, medic Hazem Shehwan said victims of the earlier attack had symptoms including "pinpoint pupils, convulsions, foaming at the mouth and rapid pulses". Army denial Khan Sheikhun is in Idlib province, which is largely controlled by the Tahrir al-Sham rebel alliance. The province is regularly targeted in government and Russian air strikes, and has also been hit by the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group, usually targeting jihadists. The Observatory said 16 people, including 11 children, were killed Tuesday by air strikes in Salqin, in north Idlib province. Syria's leading opposition group, the National Coalition, blamed Assad for the Khan Sheikhun attack. Damascus officially joined the Chemical Weapons Convention and turned over its declared chemical arsenal in 2013, as part of a deal to avert US military action. That agreement came after hundreds of people -- up to 1,429 according to a US intelligence report -- were killed in chemical weapons strikes allegedly carried out by government troops east and southwest of Damascus. But there have been repeated allegations of chemical weapons use since, with a UN-led investigation pointing the finger at the regime for at least three chlorine attacks in 2014 and 2015. The army again denied using chemical weapons on Tuesday, insisting "it has never used them, any time, anywhere, and will not do so in the future". Peace talks doubts More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. Successive rounds of peace talks, including a UN-sponsored meeting in Geneva last week, have failed to produce a political breakthrough. Tuesday's attack cast new doubt on the peace process, said the opposition's chief negotiator Mohamad Sabra. "If the United Nations cannot deter the regime from carrying out such crimes, how can it achieve a process that leads to political transition in Syria?" he told AFP. A senior Syrian security source told AFP that opposition forces were trying to "achieve in the media what they could not achieve on the ground" by spreading images from the alleged attack site. The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the attack following calls from France and Britain. (AFP)

Global outrage after Syria 'chemical attack' kills dozens

The United States&#39; stumbling response Tuesday to the latest apparent chemical weapons strike in Syria underlined the disarray at the heart of its strategy for the country.

After an awkward delay, Washington officials joined a global chorus of outrage after dozens of civilians were killed by a suspected chemical agent in a strike on a rebel-held town.

The White House said it was confident that Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime was to blame, and US officials said his allies Russia and Iran must bring the dictator to heel.

&quot;While we continue to monitor the terrible situation, it is clear that this is how&nbsp;Bashar al-Assad operates: with brutal, unabashed barbarism,&quot; Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

In a separate statement, President Donald Trump criticized his predecessor Barack Obama&#39;s &quot;weakness and irresolution&quot; in failing to punish previous Syrian chemical attacks in 2013. &nbsp;&nbsp;

But no senior figure appeared on camera to denounce the attack. Tillerson ignored questions from reporters and Trump went ahead with an address to building workers without mentioning it.

Next week, Tillerson will visit Moscow for talks with the government of President Vladimir Putin, Assad&#39;s main military and diplomatic backer in Syria&#39;s six-year-old civil war.

&quot;We call upon Russia and Iran, yet again, to exercise their influence over the Syrian regime and to guarantee that this sort of horrific attack never happens again,&quot; he said. &nbsp;

&quot;As the self-proclaimed guarantors to the ceasefire negotiated in Astana, Russia and Iran also bear great moral responsibility for these deaths,&quot; he warned.

The Syrian army and Russia have categorically denied involvement in the strike on Khan Sheikhun.

The latest attack came as Trump&#39;s administration was already struggling to explain its policy towards Syria, beyond rejecting Obama&#39;s previous strategy.

Assad not the priority&nbsp;

Building on Trump&#39;s bellicose campaign rhetoric, the core of the new approach was to be a single-minded re-focusing of US efforts towards the defeat of the Islamic State group.

This ambitious jihadist force exploited the disorder thrown up by Syria&#39;s civil war, which allowed it to seize Raqa in eastern Syria and a pocket of land leading to the Iraqi city of Mosul.

But the IS group is already on the back foot after a campaign by US-backed local forces that began under Obama, and Assad&#39;s war against his domestic opposition is a far deadlier conflict.

Under Obama, Washington hoped to defeat the Islamic State group on the battlefield while working with Russia and US Arab allies to pressure Assad and his civil war opponents to negotiate peace.

Back in 2013, Obama warned Assad his use of banned chemical weapons against his own people crossed a &quot;red line&quot;, but he famously decided not to order US intervention.

Instead, then secretary of state John Kerry negotiated a deal with Russia to oversee the dismantling of Assad&#39;s declared chemical stockpiles, although it is now obvious some remained.

Under Trump, new secretary Tillerson&#39;s job is to get Russia on board with the battle against &quot;radical Islamic terrorism&quot; and, until this week, Assad&#39;s fate was far from a priority.

Last week, Tillerson said the &quot;status of president Assad will be decided by the Syrian people&quot; -- tacitly aligning Washington with Russia&#39;s plan to allow him to seek re-election.

Nikki Haley -- the US ambassador to the United Nations and increasingly the voice of US foreign policy compared to the taciturn Tillerson -- underlined this choice.

Pick your battles&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;You pick and choose your battles,&quot; she told reporters.

&quot;And when we&#39;re looking at this, it&#39;s about changing up priorities and our priority is no longer to sit and focus on getting Assad out,&quot; she explained.

Haley later walked this back, declaring Assad a &quot;war criminal&quot; and insisting that the Syrian people themselves reject him.

But even after Tuesday&#39;s chemical attack, Trump&#39;s spokesman Sean Spicer admitted that Assad&#39;s rule is a &quot;political reality&quot; and that there is no &quot;fundamental option of regime change.&quot;

This will be welcome news for Putin as he prepares to receive Tillerson on Wednesday next week, but it outraged Washington hawks who see Trump as going soft on a bloody dictator.

Republican Senator John McCain derided the idea the Syrian people would be able to decide on the future of Assad while under bombardment by him as &quot;an absurd fiction.&quot;

And, in a nod to Tillerson and Haley, he said: &quot;The recent statements by US officials suggesting otherwise only serve to legitimize the actions of this war criminal in Damascus.&quot;

(AFP)

Washington officials joined a global chorus of outrage after an awkward delay, and no official publicly denounced the deadly attack

The United States' stumbling response Tuesday to the latest apparent chemical weapons strike in Syria underlined the disarray at the heart of its strategy for the country. After an awkward delay, Washington officials joined a global chorus of outrage after dozens of civilians were killed by a suspected chemical agent in a strike on a rebel-held town. The White House said it was confident that Bashar al-Assad's regime was to blame, and US officials said his allies Russia and Iran must bring the dictator to heel. "While we continue to monitor the terrible situation, it is clear that this is how Bashar al-Assad operates: with brutal, unabashed barbarism," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. In a separate statement, President Donald Trump criticized his predecessor Barack Obama's "weakness and irresolution" in failing to punish previous Syrian chemical attacks in 2013. But no senior figure appeared on camera to denounce the attack. Tillerson ignored questions from reporters and Trump went ahead with an address to building workers without mentioning it. Next week, Tillerson will visit Moscow for talks with the government of President Vladimir Putin, Assad's main military and diplomatic backer in Syria's six-year-old civil war. "We call upon Russia and Iran, yet again, to exercise their influence over the Syrian regime and to guarantee that this sort of horrific attack never happens again," he said. "As the self-proclaimed guarantors to the ceasefire negotiated in Astana, Russia and Iran also bear great moral responsibility for these deaths," he warned. The Syrian army and Russia have categorically denied involvement in the strike on Khan Sheikhun. The latest attack came as Trump's administration was already struggling to explain its policy towards Syria, beyond rejecting Obama's previous strategy. Assad not the priority Building on Trump's bellicose campaign rhetoric, the core of the new approach was to be a single-minded re-focusing of US efforts towards the defeat of the Islamic State group. This ambitious jihadist force exploited the disorder thrown up by Syria's civil war, which allowed it to seize Raqa in eastern Syria and a pocket of land leading to the Iraqi city of Mosul. But the IS group is already on the back foot after a campaign by US-backed local forces that began under Obama, and Assad's war against his domestic opposition is a far deadlier conflict. Under Obama, Washington hoped to defeat the Islamic State group on the battlefield while working with Russia and US Arab allies to pressure Assad and his civil war opponents to negotiate peace. Back in 2013, Obama warned Assad his use of banned chemical weapons against his own people crossed a "red line", but he famously decided not to order US intervention. Instead, then secretary of state John Kerry negotiated a deal with Russia to oversee the dismantling of Assad's declared chemical stockpiles, although it is now obvious some remained. Under Trump, new secretary Tillerson's job is to get Russia on board with the battle against "radical Islamic terrorism" and, until this week, Assad's fate was far from a priority. Last week, Tillerson said the "status of president Assad will be decided by the Syrian people" -- tacitly aligning Washington with Russia's plan to allow him to seek re-election. Nikki Haley -- the US ambassador to the United Nations and increasingly the voice of US foreign policy compared to the taciturn Tillerson -- underlined this choice. Pick your battles "You pick and choose your battles," she told reporters. "And when we're looking at this, it's about changing up priorities and our priority is no longer to sit and focus on getting Assad out," she explained. Haley later walked this back, declaring Assad a "war criminal" and insisting that the Syrian people themselves reject him. But even after Tuesday's chemical attack, Trump's spokesman Sean Spicer admitted that Assad's rule is a "political reality" and that there is no "fundamental option of regime change." This will be welcome news for Putin as he prepares to receive Tillerson on Wednesday next week, but it outraged Washington hawks who see Trump as going soft on a bloody dictator. Republican Senator John McCain derided the idea the Syrian people would be able to decide on the future of Assad while under bombardment by him as "an absurd fiction." And, in a nod to Tillerson and Haley, he said: "The recent statements by US officials suggesting otherwise only serve to legitimize the actions of this war criminal in Damascus." (AFP)