LAGOS SEPTEMBER 2ND (URHOBOTODAY) – As the American Government looks for international support for its planned attacks on the Bashar al-Asad regime in Syria, the White House has restated its conviction that the government in Damascus used chemical weapons against opposition elements in Damascus suburbs.
A statement emailed to THEWILL by the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America in Nigeria titled: Government Assessment of the Syrian Government’s Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21, 2013, said at least 1,429 persons were killed in the attack, including at least 426 children.
Citing independent sources, the U.S. Government said its assessments indicated that a nerve agent was used in the attack which took place in the Damascus suburbs on August 21.It however said it will continue to seek additional information to close gaps in its understanding of what actually took place.
The full text of the statement reads: “The United States Government assesses with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21, 2013.
“We further assess that the regime used a nerve agent in the attack.
“These all-source assessments are based on human, signals, and geospatial intelligence as well as a significant body of open source reporting. Our classified assessments have been shared with the U.S. Congress and key international partners.
“To protect sources and methods, we cannot publicly release all available intelligence – but what follows is an unclassified summary of the U.S. Intelligence Community’s analysis of what took place.
“A large body of independent sources indicates that a chemical weapons attack took place in the Damascus suburbs on August 21.
“In addition to U.S. intelligence information, there are accounts from international and Syrian medical personnel; videos; witness accounts; thousands of social media reports from at least 12 different locations in the Damascus area; journalist accounts; and reports from highly credible nongovernmental organisations.
“A preliminary U.S. government assessment determined that 1,429 people were killed in the chemical weapons attack, including at least 426 children, though this assessment will certainly evolve as we obtain more information.
“We assess with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attack against opposition elements in the Damascus suburbs on August 21. We assess that the scenario in which the opposition executed the attack on August 21 is highly unlikely.
“The body of information used to make this assessment includes intelligence pertaining to the regime’s preparations for this attack and its means of delivery, multiple streams of intelligence about the attack itself and its effect, our post-attack observations, and the differences between the capabilities of the regime and the opposition.
“Our high confidence assessment is the strongest position that the U.S. Intelligence Community can take short of confirmation. We will continue to seek additional information to close gaps in our understanding of what took place.”
Source: Thewill