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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox military operation
| name = Douma chemical attack
| partof = the [[Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018)]], [[Siege of Eastern Ghouta]], [[Syrian civil war]]
| image = সিরিয়ার দেবশিশু ০১.jpg
| caption = The graffiti "Syriar Debshishu" ({{lit|Syria's children of God}}) depicting a girl putting a gas mask on her sibling's face to protect her from chemical gas, drawn in 2018 in response to the attack, [[Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology]], [[Bangladesh]]<ref>{{cite web|title=ক্যাম্পাসের দেয়ালরাঙানো যত ছবি|language=bn|url=https://www.prothomalo.com/lifestyle/%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%99%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8B-%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%9B%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF|website=[[Prothom Alo]]|date=10 January 2022|accessdate=15 September 2024}}</ref>
| scope =
| type = [[Chemical warfare]],<ref name=OPCW-FFM-Mar2019 />{{rp|9.12}} [[airstrike]]<ref name=OPCWinterim>{{cite report |author=OPCW Technical Secretariat |author-link=OPCW |date=2018 |title=Note by the Technical Secretariat Update on the Fact-Finding Mission in Syria |url=https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2019/05/s-1755-2019.pdf |publisher=Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |access-date=3 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816200603/https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2019/05/s-1755-2019.pdf |archive-date=16 August 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|3.1}}
| location = [[Douma, Syria|Douma]], [[Rif Dimashq Governorate]], [[Syria]]
| coordinates = {{coord|33|34|16|N|36|24|17|E}}
| map_type = Syria
| map_size = 250
| map_caption = Location of Douma within Syria
| map_label = Douma
| planned =
| planned_by =
| commanded_by =
| objective =
| target =
| date =
| time = 19:30 <ref name=IICI2018report />
| time-begin =
| time-end =
| timezone = [[UTC+03:00]]
| executed_by = {{
| outcome = [[2018 missile strikes against Syria|US, UK, France launch retaliatory missile strikes]]
| casualties =
| fatalities = 41<ref name=ICRCReviewNaqvi>{{cite journal |last1=Naqvi |first1=Yasmin |title=Crossing the red line: The use of chemical weapons in Syria and what should happen now |journal=International Review of the Red Cross |date=7 February 2019 |volume=99 |issue=906 |pages=959–993 |doi=10.1017/S1816383118000450 |s2cid=150958989 |url=https://www.icrc.org/en/download/file/93054/906_7.pdf |access-date=4 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704155219/https://www.icrc.org/en/download/file/93054/906_7.pdf |archive-date=4 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BBC FFM Mar 2019">{{cite news |title=Syria war: Chlorine likely to have been used in Douma attack – OPCW |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-47424266 |access-date=4 July 2019 |agency=BBC News
| injuries = 100<ref name="French Intel 2018">{{cite report |date=14 April 2018 |title=Chemical attack of 7 April 2018 (Douma, Eastern Ghouta, Syria) |url=https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/180414_-_syria_-fr_national_assessment-_english-version_cle0c76b5.pdf |publisher=[[Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France)|Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères]] |page=2 |location=Paris |access-date=3 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507185029/https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/180414_-_syria_-fr_national_assessment-_english-version_cle0c76b5.pdf |archive-date=7 May 2018}}</ref>–650<ref name=IICI2018report />
}}
{{Campaignbox Syrian Civil War}}
On 7 April 2018, a [[chemical warfare]] attack was
* {{Cite web |date=27 January 2023 |title=OPCW Releases Third Report by Investigation and Identification Team |url=https://www.opcw.org/media-centre/news/2023/01/opcw-releases-third-report-investigation-and-identification-team |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127111421/https://www.opcw.org/media-centre/news/2023/01/opcw-releases-third-report-investigation-and-identification-team |archive-date=27 January 2023}}
* {{Cite
* {{Cite news |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=OPCW blames Syria
* {{Cite news |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=Watchdog blames Syria for 2018 Douma chemical attack |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64424831 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128025152/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64424831 |archive-date=28 Jan 2023}}
* {{Cite news |last=Chulov |first=Martin |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=Syrian regime found responsible for Douma chemical attack |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/27/syrian-regime-found-responsible-for-douma-chemical-weapons-attack |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127200237/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/27/syrian-regime-found-responsible-for-douma-chemical-weapons-attack |archive-date=27 Jan 2023}}
* {{Cite news |last=Loveluck |first=Louisa |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=Syrian army responsible for Douma chemical weapons attack, watchdog confirms |
* {{Cite news |last=Malsin |first=Jared |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=Assad Regime Carried Out 2018 Chlorine Attack in Syria, Investigators Say |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/assad-regime-carried-out-2018-chlorine-attack-in-syria-investigators-say-11674835088/}}
}} On 14 April 2018, the United States, France and the United Kingdom carried out [[2018 missile strikes against Syria|a series of military strikes]] against multiple government sites in Syria.
On 6 July 2018, an interim report was issued by the [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons]] (OPCW). Various [[chlorinated]] [[organic chemicals]] ([[dichloroacetic acid]], [[trichloroacetic acid]], [[chlorophenol]], [[dichlorophenol]], bornyl chloride, [[chloral hydrate]] etc.) were found in samples, along with residues of explosive, but the designated laboratory 03 stated that no [[Chemical Weapons Convention|CWC-scheduled chemicals]] or [[nerve agent]]–related chemicals were detected. In September 2018 the [[United Nations]] Commission of Enquiry on Syria reported: "Throughout 7 April, numerous aerial attacks were carried out in Douma, striking various residential areas. A vast body of evidence collected by the Commission suggests that, at approximately 7.30 p.m., a gas cylinder containing a chlorine payload delivered by helicopter struck a multi-storey residential apartment building located approximately 100 metres south-west of Shohada square. The Commission received information on the death of at least 49 individuals, and the wounding of up to 650 others."<ref name=IICI2018report>{{cite report |author=UN Human Rights Council |author-link=United Nations Human Rights Council |date=9 August 2018 |title=Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic |url=https://undocs.org/A/HRC/39/65 |publisher=United Nations |access-date=30 June 2019 |id=A/HRC/39/65 |section=VI. Ongoing investigations |page=17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629143641/https://undocs.org/A/HRC/39/65 |archive-date=29 June 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>▼
While it was initially unclear which chemicals had been used, in 2019 the [[OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria|OPCW FFM (Fact-Finding Mission)]] report concluded: "Regarding the alleged use of toxic chemicals as a weapon on 7 April 2018 in Douma, the Syrian Arab Republic, the evaluation and analysis of all the information gathered by the FFM—witnesses' testimonies, environmental and biomedical samples analysis results, toxicological and ballistic analyses from experts, additional digital information from witnesses—provide reasonable grounds that the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon took place. This toxic chemical contained reactive chlorine. The toxic chemical was likely molecular chlorine."<ref name=OPCW-FFM-Mar2019 />{{rp|9.12}} The OPCW said it found no evidence to support the Syrian government's claim that a local facility was being used by rebel fighters to produce chemical weapons.<ref name="auto2">BBC News 1 March 2019 [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-47424266] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302162657/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-47424266|date=2 March 2019}}</ref>▼
==Background==
{{Main|Use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Civil War|Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018)|Siege of Eastern Ghouta}}
According to [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons]] (OPCW) and [[United Nations]] investigations, both the [[Syrian Arab Republic]]'s forces and [[Islamic State]] militants have used [[chemical weapons]] during the conflict.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/timeline-chemical-weapons-attacks-syria-54367351|title=Timeline of chemical weapons attacks in Syria|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |agency=ABC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418031513/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/timeline-chemical-weapons-attacks-syria-54367351|archive-date=18 April 2018|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-opcw-timeline/timeline-of-investigations-into-syrias-chemical-weapons-idUSKBN1HG1M7|title=Timeline of investigations into Syria's chemical weapons|work=Reuters|access-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418031511/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-opcw-timeline/timeline-of-investigations-into-syrias-chemical-weapons-idUSKBN1HG1M7|archive-date=18 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/timeline-syria-chemical-weapons-civil-war-article-1.3020430|title=A timeline of Syria's chemical weapons use in civil war|website=[[New York Daily News]] |date=5 April 2017 |access-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421061246/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/timeline-syria-chemical-weapons-civil-war-article-1.3020430|archive-date=21 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[Human Rights Watch]] has documented 85 [[Use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Civil War|chemical weapons attacks in Syria]] since 2013, and its sources indicate the Syrian government is responsible for the majority.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/04/16/how-many-chemical-attacks-have-been-documented-in-syria-infographic/#dd3f6265a1ed|title=How Many Chemical Attacks Have Been Documented In Syria? [Infographic]|first=Niall|last=McCarthy|website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417192856/https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/04/16/how-many-chemical-attacks-have-been-documented-in-syria-infographic/#dd3f6265a1ed|archive-date=17 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> People reported incidents of chemical weapons use specifically in Douma in January 2018; Russia vetoed a potential United Nations mission to investigate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/23/middleeast/us-russia-un-chemical-weapons-syria/index.html|title=Things got heated between the US and Russia today at the UN|first=Richard |last=Roth|date=24 January 2018 |publisher=CNN|access-date=9 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409110220/https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/23/middleeast/us-russia-un-chemical-weapons-syria/index.html|archive-date=9 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-has-no-evidence-of-syrian-use-of-sarin-gas-mattis-says U.S. has no evidence of Syrian use of sarin gas, Mattis says] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409141641/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-has-no-evidence-of-syrian-use-of-sarin-gas-mattis-says |date=9 April 2018}}. PBS, 2 February 2018</ref> The [[Arms Control Association]] reported two smaller [[Chlorine gas poisoning|chlorine gas]] attacks in Douma on 7 March and 11 March.<ref name="Arms control">{{cite web |url=https://www.armscontrol.org/taxonomy/term/17 |title=Timeline of Syrian Chemical Weapons Activity, 2012–2018 |publisher=[[Arms Control Association]] |first1=Daryl |last1=Kimball |first2=Kelsey |last2=Davenport |date=April 2018 |access-date=11 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412082646/https://www.armscontrol.org/taxonomy/term/17 |archive-date=12 April 2018 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
Douma had been under rebel control since 18 October 2012,<ref name="Capture of Douma">{{cite news|last=Di Giovanni|first=Janine|title=Denial Is Slipping Away as War Arrives in Damascus|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/world/middleeast/syrian-war-reaches-damascus.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&smid=tw-share&&pagewanted=print|date=18 October 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=20 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203040632/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/world/middleeast/syrian-war-reaches-damascus.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&smid=tw-share&&pagewanted=print|archive-date=3 February 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and, with the rest of the Eastern Ghouta region, [[Siege of Eastern Ghouta|under siege]] since April 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43343266|title=UN convoy delivers aid to Eastern Ghouta amid 'calm'|date=9 March 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625211054/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43343266|archive-date=25 June 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The [[Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018)]], code-named Operation Damascus Steel, a [[Offensive (military)|military offensive]] launched by the [[Syrian Arab Army]] (SAA) and its allies on 18 February 2018 to capture the rebel-held territory.<ref name="kill71">{{cite news|last=Osborne|first=Samuel|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-civil-war-assad-regime-killed-air-striked-wounded-eastern-ghouta-rebel-damascus-a8218001.html|title=Syrian government air strikes kill 71 and wound 325 in 24 hours, monitor says|date=19 February 2018|work=The Independent|access-date=20 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408132826/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-civil-war-assad-regime-killed-air-striked-wounded-eastern-ghouta-rebel-damascus-a8218001.html|archive-date=8 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="ready">{{cite web|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20180218-syria-forces-ready-assault-rebel-enclave|title=Syria forces ready for assault on rebel enclave|date=18 February 2018|publisher=France 24|access-date=20 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220151841/http://www.france24.com/en/20180218-syria-forces-ready-assault-rebel-enclave|archive-date=20 February 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The [[Jaysh al-Islam]] rebel coalition controlled Douma.<ref>"[http://www.dw.com/en/which-rebel-groups-are-fighting-in-syrias-eastern-ghouta/a-42663501 Which rebel groups are fighting in Syria's eastern Ghouta?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227083307/http://www.dw.com/en/which-rebel-groups-are-fighting-in-syrias-eastern-ghouta/a-42663501 |date=27 February 2018}}". Deutsche Welle. 20 February 2018.</ref><ref name="aljazeera">"[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/syria-state-media-jaish-al-islam-agrees-leave-ghouta-douma-180401115350429.html Reports of Douma evacuation deal 'not true': council member] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408113609/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/syria-state-media-jaish-al-islam-agrees-leave-ghouta-douma-180401115350429.html |date=8 April 2018}}". Al-Jazeera. 1 April 2018.</ref><ref name="SBS">"[https://www.sbs.com.au/news/who-are-the-rebel-groups-fighting-in-syria-s-eastern-ghouta Who are the rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government forces in Eastern Ghouta?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408065540/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/who-are-the-rebel-groups-fighting-in-syria-s-eastern-ghouta |date=8 April 2018}}" SBS News. 2 March 2018.</ref> By mid-March, rebel territory in Eastern Ghouta had reduced to three pockets, one in the south around [[Hamouria]] held by [[Faylaq al-Rahman]]; a second in the west around [[Harasta]] held by [[Ahrar al-Sham]]; as well as Douma in the north held by Jaysh al-Islam.<ref name="BBC">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43414348 Syria war: Thousands flee Eastern Ghouta as army advances] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628111042/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43414348 |date=28 June 2018}}, BBC, 15 March 2018</ref> In the second half of March, the other two pockets were secured via evacuation deals between the rebels, Syria, and Russia.<ref>[https://www.afp.com/en/news/826/thousands-flee-ghouta-rebel-enclave-syria-army-advances-doc-12k4je3 Thousands flee Ghouta rebel enclave as Syria army advances] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316154116/https://www.afp.com/en/news/826/thousands-flee-ghouta-rebel-enclave-syria-army-advances-doc-12k4je3 |date=16 March 2018}}, AFP</ref><ref>{{cite
==Reports==
A chemical attack in Douma occurred on 7 April 2018. The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, a humanitarian organization that supervises medical services in the region, attributed seventy deaths to the attack. On-site medics reported smelling a [[chlorine gas|chlorine]]-like odour, but that symptoms and death toll pointed to something more noxious such as [[sarin]] nerve agent caused the deaths.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/08/dozens-reported-dead-chemical-attack-insyria-us-blames-russia/|title=Russia blames Israel for attack on Syrian air base as pressure mounts over gas atrocity|first1=Chris|last1=Graham|first2=Charlotte|last2=Krol |first3=Rob|last3=Crilly|first4=Josie|last4=Ensor|first5=Steven|last5=Swinford|first6=Ben |last6=Riley-Smith|first7=Louis|last7=Emanuel|date=8 April 2018|access-date=9 April 2018|work=Telegraph|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409010530/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/08/dozens-reported-dead-chemical-attack-insyria-us-blames-russia/|archive-date=9 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> A video from the scene showed dead men, women, and children with foam at their mouths.<ref name="BBC April 8" />
The [[Syrian American Medical Society]] (SAMS) reported over 500 injured people at Douma "were brought to local medical centers with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent."<ref>{{cite news|title=Dozens killed in apparent chemical weapons attack on civilians in Syria, rescue workers say|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/dozens-killed-in-apparent-chemical-weapons-attack-on-civilians-in-eastern-ghouta--rescue-workers/2018/04/08/231bba18-3ac0-11e8-af3c-2123715f78df_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=8 April 2018|access-date=9 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412014259/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/dozens-killed-in-apparent-chemical-weapons-attack-on-civilians-in-eastern-ghouta--rescue-workers/2018/04/08/231bba18-3ac0-11e8-af3c-2123715f78df_story.html|archive-date=12 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> SAMS also said a chlorine bomb struck a Douma hospital, killing six people, and that another attack with "mixed agents" affected a building nearby.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dw.com/en/dozens-dead-in-suspected-chemical-weapons-attack-in-syria/a-43296814|title=Dozens dead in suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria|publisher=[[dw.com]]|date=8 April 2018|access-date=9 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408114300/http://www.dw.com/en/dozens-dead-in-suspected-chemical-weapons-attack-in-syria/a-43296814|archive-date=8 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> According to the Syrian opposition groups, witnesses also reported a strong smell of chlorine and said effects appeared stronger than in previous similar attacks.<ref name=WPapr11>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/04/11/chlorine-sarin-or-something-else-the-big-questions-in-alleged-syrian-chemical-weapons-attack/|title=Chlorine, sarin or something else? The big questions in the alleged Syrian chemical weapons attack.|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=11 April 2018|access-date=11 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412094954/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/04/11/chlorine-sarin-or-something-else-the-big-questions-in-alleged-syrian-chemical-weapons-attack/|archive-date=12 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Syrian opposition activists also posted videos of yellow compressed gas cylinders that they said were used during the attack.<ref name=WPapr11 /> Based on the symptoms and the speed with which the victims were affected, medical workers and experts suggested either a combination of chlorine with another gas or a nerve agent was used.<ref name=WPapr11 /> Several medical,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-ghouta/syrian-rebels-evacuated-from-douma-reach-northwest-monitor-idUSKBN1HH19M |title=Syrian rebels evacuated from Douma reach northwest: monitor |work=[[Reuters]] |date=10 April 2018 |access-date=11 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411070450/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-ghouta/syrian-rebels-evacuated-from-douma-reach-northwest-monitor-idUSKBN1HH19M |archive-date=11 April 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> monitoring, and activist groups<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|title=Suspected Syria chemical attack kills 70|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43686157|access-date=8 April 2018|agency=BBC News|date=8 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408004357/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43686157|archive-date=8 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>—including the [[White Helmets (Syrian Civil War)|White Helmets]]—reported that two [[Syrian Air Force]] [[Mil Mi-8|Mi-8]] helicopters dropped [[barrel bombs]] on the city of [[Douma, Syria|Douma]].<ref>{{cite
▲On 6 July 2018, an interim report was issued by the
▲While it was initially unclear which chemicals had been used, in 2019 the [[OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria|OPCW FFM (Fact-Finding Mission)]] report concluded: "Regarding the alleged use of toxic chemicals as a weapon on 7 April 2018 in Douma, the [[Syrian Arab Republic]], the evaluation and analysis of all the information gathered by the FFM—witnesses' testimonies, environmental and biomedical samples analysis results, toxicological and ballistic analyses from experts, additional digital information from witnesses—provide reasonable grounds that the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon took place. This toxic chemical contained reactive chlorine. The toxic chemical was likely molecular chlorine."<ref name=OPCW-FFM-Mar2019 />{{rp|9.12}} The OPCW said it found no evidence to support the
==Aftermath==
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On 14 April, France, the United Kingdom and the United States [[2018 missile strikes against Syria|launched missiles against four Syrian government targets]] in response to the attack.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-14/us-to-strike-syria-in-response-to-chemical-weapons-attack/9658900|title=Trump launches air strikes on Syria in wake of chemical attack|date=14 April 2018|work=ABC News|access-date=14 April 2018|language=en-AU|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415050759/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-14/us-to-strike-syria-in-response-to-chemical-weapons-attack/9658900|archive-date=15 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The strikes were claimed to successfully destroy the chemical weapons capabilities of Syria. Nevertheless, according to Pentagon, the Syrian Arab Republic still retains the ability to launch chemical weapons attacks.<ref name="USA">[https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-syria-trying-to-sanitize-chemical-attack-site/29178713.html Russia, Syria Trying To 'Sanitize' Chemical Attack Site, U.S. Says] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422070933/https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-syria-trying-to-sanitize-chemical-attack-site/29178713.html |date=22 April 2018 }}, by [[RFE/RL]], 19 April</ref>
== Investigations and reports ==
===Media commentary and investigations===
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In June 2018, a ''[[New York Times]]'' investigation found that Syrian military helicopters dropped a chlorine bomb on the rooftop balcony of an apartment building in Douma.<ref name="NY Times interactive 1" /> At least 34 victims were counted and their bodies "showed horrific signs of chemical exposure."<ref name="NY Times interactive 1" /> Dozens of videos and photos were examined with academics, scientists and chemical weapons experts.<ref name="NY Times interactive 2" /> ''The New York Times'' was unable to visit Douma, but forensically analysed the visual evidence from Syrian activists and Russian reports.<ref name="NY Times interactive 1" /> They collaborated with [[Forensic Architecture]] to reconstruct a three-dimensional model of the building, balcony and bomb, and analysed how damage to the bomb's casing related to the debris.<ref name="NY Times interactive 1" /><ref name="NY Times interactive 2" /><ref name="Bellingcat March" /> According to their findings, key pieces of evidence indicated the bomb was not planted, but dropped from the air by a Syrian military helicopter, and the evidence supported the involvement of chlorine.<ref name="NY Times interactive 1" /><ref name="NY Times interactive 2" /><ref name="Bellingcat March" /> The dent on the front of the bomb indicated it crashed nose down into the floor of the balcony and pierced the ceiling.<ref name="NY Times interactive 1" /> The front of the casing showed corrosion similar to that which is caused when metal is exposed to chlorine and water.<ref name="NY Times interactive 1" /><ref name="NY Times interactive 2">[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/25/world/middleeast/syria-chemical-attack-douma.html "One Building, One Bomb: How Assad Gassed His Own People"] ''The New York Times''. 25 June 2018.</ref> The grid pattern imprinted on the underside of the bomb matched the metal lattice in the rubble that was over the balcony.<ref name="NY Times interactive 1" /><ref name="Bellingcat March" /> Twisted metal found in the rubble corresponded to rigging seen attached to similar weapons.<ref name="NY Times interactive 1" /><ref name="Bellingcat March">[https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2019/03/01/the-opcw-ffms-report-on-the-april-7th-2018-douma-chemical-attack-versus-the-open-source-evidence/ "The OPCW FFM's Report on the April 7th 2018 Douma Chemical Attack Versus The Open Source Evidence"] [[Bellingcat]]. 1 March 2019.</ref> Apparent frost covering the underside of the casing indicated the canister of chlorine was emptied quickly.<ref name="NY Times interactive 1" /> According to ''The New York Times'', since the Syrian military controlled the airspace over Douma, it would be "almost impossible" for the attack to have been staged by opposition fighters who do not have aircraft.<ref name="NY Times interactive 2" /> ''The New York Times'' noted that remote access "cannot tell us everything", and environmental and tissue samples were also needed in chemical weapons investigations.<ref name="NY Times interactive 1">[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/24/world/middleeast/douma-syria-chemical-attack-augmented-reality-ar-ul.html "How We Created a Virtual Crime Scene to Investigate Syria's Chemical Attack"] ''The New York Times''. 24 June 2018.</ref>
The investigations published soon after the fact by Bellingcat, the New York Times, and [[Forensic Architecture]] were later confirmed by an in-depth report by James Harkin and Lauren Feeney in ''[[The Intercept]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McMahon |first1=Félim |title=Investigative Journalism |date=2021 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-06028-1 |edition=3 |chapter=Digital sleuthing|pages=66–67}}</ref> After six months of examining the evidence, interviewing witnesses, and consulting with experts such as Higgins and [[Theodore Postol]] of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]],
A report released by the [[Global Public Policy Institute]] (GPPi), a Berlin-based think tank, determined that chlorine attacks accounted for 91.5% of all confirmed chemical weapons attacks attributable to the Syrian government throughout the war, including the 7 April 2018 attack on Douma.<ref name="GPPI">{{cite web |url=https://www.gppi.net/2019/02/17/the-logic-of-chemical-weapons-use-in-syria |title=Nowhere to Hide: The Logic of Chemical Weapons Use in Syria |publisher=Global Public Policy Institute |date=17 February 2019 |access-date=20 February 2019 |author1=Schneider, Tobias |author2=Lütkefend, Theresa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221063359/https://www.gppi.net/2019/02/17/the-logic-of-chemical-weapons-use-in-syria |archive-date=21 February 2019 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syrian-military-linked-to-more-than-300-chemical-attacks-report-says/2019/02/16/c6e128de-31d4-11e9-ac6c-14eea99d5e24_story.html |title=Syrian military linked to more than 300 chemical attacks, report says |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=17 February 2019 |access-date=20 February 2019 |author=Loveluck, Louisa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221224018/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syrian-military-linked-to-more-than-300-chemical-attacks-report-says/2019/02/16/c6e128de-31d4-11e9-ac6c-14eea99d5e24_story.html |archive-date=21 February 2019 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The report held the Syrian government responsible for 98% of all recorded chemical weapons attacks over the course of the Syrian civil war and believes its use of chemical weapons "is best understood as part of its overall war strategy of collective punishment of populations in opposition-held areas".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Assad-Regime-soll-fuer-fast-alle-von-336-angeblichen-Chemiewaffenangriffen-verantwortlich-sein-4311280.html |title="Assad-Regime" soll für fast alle von 336 angeblichen Chemiewaffenangriffen verantwortlich sein |publisher=Heise.de |date=18 February 2019 |access-date=20 February 2019 |author=Rötzer, Florian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190218163227/https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Assad-Regime-soll-fuer-fast-alle-von-336-angeblichen-Chemiewaffenangriffen-verantwortlich-sein-4311280.html |archive-date=18 February 2019 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="GPPI" />
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{{See also|OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria}}
On 10 April, the Syrian and Russian governments invited the [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons]] to send a team to investigate the attacks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.opcw.org/news/article/opcw-will-deploy-fact-finding-mission-to-douma-syria/|title=OPCW Will Deploy Fact-Finding Mission to Douma, Syria|website=www.opcw.org|access-date=11 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411192559/https://www.opcw.org/news/article/opcw-will-deploy-fact-finding-mission-to-douma-syria/|archive-date=11 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-ghouta-investiga/syria-invites-opcw-to-investigate-alleged-chemical-attack-in-douma-idUSKBN1HH218|title=Syria invites OPCW to investigate alleged chemical attack in Douma|work=Reuters|access-date=14 April 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414130054/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-ghouta-investiga/syria-invites-opcw-to-investigate-alleged-chemical-attack-in-douma-idUSKBN1HH218|archive-date=14 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> When the investigators arrived in Damascus on 14 April, their access to the site was blocked by Russia and Syria who cited security concerns.<ref name="Svoboda">{{cite
On 17 April, the OPCW was promised access to the site, but had not entered Douma<ref>{{cite news|title=OPCW chemical weapons investigators enter Douma after being 'blocked'|url=https://news.sky.com/story/opcw-chemical-weapons-investigators-enter-douma-11334938|date=17 April 2018|access-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417162037/https://news.sky.com/story/opcw-chemical-weapons-investigators-enter-douma-11334938|archive-date=17 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and was unable to carry out the inspection because a large crowd gathered at one site, while their reconnaissance teams came under fire at the other site. According to the OPCW director, "On arrival at site one, a large crowd gathered and the advice provided by the [[United Nations Department for Safety and Security|UNDSS]] was that the reconnaissance team should withdraw," and "at site two, the team came under small arms fire and an explosive was detonated. The reconnaissance team returned to Damascus."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria/u-n-team-fired-upon-in-syria-while-visiting-suspected-chemical-sites-idUSKBN1HP0SG|title=U.N. team fired upon in Syria while visiting suspected chemical sites|first=Anthony|last=Deutsch|
On 19 April, the OPCW still was unable to access the sites. According to a [[United States Department of State|US State Department]] spokeswoman, there was "credible information" that "Russian officials are working with the Syrian regime to deny and to delay these inspectors from gaining access to Douma," and "to sanitize the locations of the suspected attacks and remove incriminating evidence of chemical weapons use."<ref name="USA" /><ref name="Wintour Douma" />
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The third report published in 27 January 2023 by the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) concluded that the [[Syrian Armed Forces]] were responsible for the chemical attack.{{Efn|Sources:
* {{Cite web |date=27 January 2023 |title=OPCW Releases Third Report by Investigation and Identification Team |url=https://www.opcw.org/media-centre/news/2023/01/opcw-releases-third-report-investigation-and-identification-team |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127111421/https://www.opcw.org/media-centre/news/2023/01/opcw-releases-third-report-investigation-and-identification-team |archive-date=27 January 2023}}
* {{Cite
* {{Cite web |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=Joint Statement on OPCW Report Finding Syrian Regime Responsible for Chemical Weapons Attack in Douma, Syria on April 7, 2018 |url=https://www.state.gov/joint-statement-on-opcw-report-finding-syrian-regime-responsible-for-chemical-weapons-attack-in-douma-syria-on-april-7-2018/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128024629/https://www.state.gov/joint-statement-on-opcw-report-finding-syrian-regime-responsible-for-chemical-weapons-attack-in-douma-syria-on-april-7-2018/ |archive-date=28 January 2023 |publisher=U.S Department of State}}
* {{Cite news |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=OPCW blames Syria
* {{Cite news |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=Watchdog blames Syria for 2018 Douma chemical attack |agency=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64424831 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128025152/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64424831 |archive-date=28 Jan 2023}}
* {{Cite news |last=Chulov |first=Martin |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=Syrian regime found responsible for Douma chemical attack |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/27/syrian-regime-found-responsible-for-douma-chemical-weapons-attack |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127200237/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/27/syrian-regime-found-responsible-for-douma-chemical-weapons-attack |archive-date=27 Jan 2023}}
* {{Cite news |last=Loveluck |first=Louisa |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=Syrian army responsible for Douma chemical weapons attack, watchdog confirms |
In a joint [[press release]] published by the [[United States Department of State|US Department of State]] on the same day, the [[Foreign minister|Foreign Ministers]] of [[United States]], [[United Kingdom|UK]], [[France]] and [[Germany]] thanked the [[OPCW]] for its "independent, unbiased, and expert" research and denounced the Syrian government for its continuing violations of [[Chemical Weapons Convention]]s, stating: <blockquote>"Our governments condemn in the strongest terms the Syrian regime’s repeated use of these horrific weapons..Syria must fully declare and destroy its chemical weapons program and allow the deployment of OPCW staff to its country to verify it has done so... IIT also obtained information that, at the time of the attack, the airspace over Douma was exclusively controlled by the Syrian Arab Air Force and the [[Russian Aerospace Defence Forces]]. We call on the [[Russian Federation]] to stop shielding Syria from accountability for its use of chemical weapons. No amount of disinformation from the [[Kremlin]] can hide its hand in abetting the Assad regime."<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=Joint Statement on OPCW Report Finding Syrian Regime Responsible for Chemical Weapons Attack in Douma, Syria on April 7, 2018 |url=https://www.state.gov/joint-statement-on-opcw-report-finding-syrian-regime-responsible-for-chemical-weapons-attack-in-douma-syria-on-april-7-2018/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128024629/https://www.state.gov/joint-statement-on-opcw-report-finding-syrian-regime-responsible-for-chemical-weapons-attack-in-douma-syria-on-april-7-2018/ |archive-date=28 January 2023 |publisher=U.S Department of State}}</ref></blockquote>
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===Government===
{{flag|France}} – On 12 April, French President [[Emmanuel Macron]] said he has proof that the Syrian government attacked the town of Douma with chemical weapons and at least used chlorine.<ref name=BBCApr12>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43740626|title=Syria 'chemical attack': France's President Macron says he has proof|date=12 April 2018|agency=BBC News|access-date=12 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412205303/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43740626|archive-date=12 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=DW=180412>{{cite web |url=http://www.dw.com/en/macron-assad-regime-used-chemical-weapons-on-syrias-douma/a-43359542 |title=Macron: Assad regime used chemical weapons on Syria's Douma |work=[[Deutsche Welle]] |date=12 April 2018 |access-date=13 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412142209/http://www.dw.com/en/macron-assad-regime-used-chemical-weapons-on-syrias-douma/a-43359542 |archive-date=12 April 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Macron">{{cite
{{flag|Iran}} – The [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iran)|Foreign Ministry of Iran]] spokesman said: "While the Syrian army has the upper hand in the war against armed terrorists, it is not logical for them to use chemical weapons. Such claims and accusations [about chemical weapons use] by the Americans and some Western countries signal a new plot against the government and nation of Syria and is an excuse for military action against them."<ref>"[https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/04/iran-syria-reaction-douma-chemical-attack-khamenei.html Iran condemns chemical weapons attacks, denies Syria's role] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413044551/https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/04/iran-syria-reaction-douma-chemical-attack-khamenei.html |date=13 April 2018}}". Al-Monitor. 9 April 2018.</ref>
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{{flag|Qatar}} – The [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Qatar)|Qatar Foreign Ministry]] condemned the use of chemical weapons, and called for an investigation into the incident and for punishment of those involved.<ref>{{cite news|title=Qatar calls for urgent international probe into chemical weapons use in Syria|url=https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/08/04/2018/Qatar-calls-for-urgent-international-probe-into-chemical-weapons-use-in-Syria|access-date=8 April 2018|work=The Peninsula|date=8 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408152725/https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/08/04/2018/Qatar-calls-for-urgent-international-probe-into-chemical-weapons-use-in-Syria|archive-date=8 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
{{flag|Russia}} – On 13 March 2018 the [[Chief of the General Staff (Russia)|Chief of the General Staff]] of the [[Russian Armed Forces]], [[Valery Gerasimov]], said the Russian military had "reliable intelligence" that suggested the rebels holding Eastern Ghouta, along with the [[White Helmets (Syrian Civil War)|White Helmets]] activists, were preparing to stage and film a chemical weapons attack against civilians, which the U.S. government would blame on the Syrian forces and use as a pretext to bomb the government quarter in Damascus.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia-usa/russia-says-u-s-plans-to-strike-damascus-pledges-military-response-idUSKCN1GP0TY|title=Russia says U.S. plans to strike Damascus, pledges military response|date=13 March 2018|work=Reuters|access-date=12 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414080128/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia-usa/russia-says-u-s-plans-to-strike-damascus-pledges-military-response-idUSKCN1GP0TY|archive-date=14 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/russia-military-threatens-action-against-the-us-in-syria.html|title=Russian military threatens action against the US in Syria|date=13 March 2018|publisher=CNBC|access-date=16 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416201906/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/russia-military-threatens-action-against-the-us-in-syria.html|archive-date=16 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interfax.ru/world/603320|title=Российские военные предупредили о подготовке боевиками провокации с химоружием в Восточной Гуте|date=13 March 2018|publisher=Interfax|access-date=16 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417022922/http://www.interfax.ru/world/603320|archive-date=17 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In the event that the lives of Russian servicemen should be threatened by U.S. strikes, Gerasimov said Russia would respond militarily—"against both the missiles and the platforms from which they're launched".<ref>[https://ria.ru/syria/20180313/1516248303.html Боевики как повод для атаки: Россия готова ответить на удар США по Дамаску] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413124631/https://ria.ru/syria/20180313/1516248303.html |date=13 April 2018}} RIA Novosti, 13 March 2018.</ref><ref>"[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/10/russian-officials-warn-of-possible-military-clash-with-us-over-syria Russian officials warn of possible military clash with US over Syria] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413135335/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/10/russian-officials-warn-of-possible-military-clash-with-us-over-syria |date=13 April 2018 }}". ''The Guardian.'' 10 April 2018.</ref> The [[Russian foreign ministry|Russian Foreign Ministry]] on 8 April denied chemical weapons had been used.<ref name="BBC News 2018 no evidence">{{cite
{{flag|Saudi Arabia}} – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the use of chemical weapons, and stress the need for a peaceful solution based on the principles of the Geneva Declaration and UN Security Council resolutions.<ref>{{cite news|title=Saudi Arabia condemns Douma chemical attack|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1280981/saudi-arabia|access-date=8 April 2018|work=Arab News|date=8 April 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409180138/http://www.arabnews.com/node/1280981/saudi-arabia|archive-date=9 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
{{flag|Syria}} – The Syrian state-owned [[Syrian Arab News Agency]] reported a Foreign and Expatriates Ministry source saying that Syria's alleged use of "chemical weapons have become an unconvincing stereotype, except for some countries which traffic with the blood of civilians and support terrorism in Syria."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sana.sy/en/?p=133561|title=Foreign Ministry: Allegations of using chemical weapons unconvincing stereotype – Syrian Arab News Agency|website=sana.sy|date=8 April 2018 |access-date=9 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409044109/https://sana.sy/en/?p=133561|archive-date=9 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{flag|Turkey}} – A spokesman for President [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] said the "Syrian regime must give account for the attacks in various regions of the country at different times," and called upon the international community to address war crimes and crimes against humanity.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey condemns use of chemical weapons in Syria's Douma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-douma-turkey/turkey-condemns-use-of-chemical-weapons-in-syrias-douma-idUSKBN1HF0GJ|access-date=8 April 2018|work=Reuters|date=8 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408142534/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-douma-turkey/turkey-condemns-use-of-chemical-weapons-in-syrias-douma-idUSKBN1HF0GJ|archive-date=8 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/those-behind-douma-chemical-attack-will-pay-erdogan-says-130099 |title=Those behind Douma chemical attack will pay, Erdoğan says |date=10 April 2018 |newspaper=Hurriyet Daily News |access-date=12 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411025933/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/those-behind-douma-chemical-attack-will-pay-erdogan-says-130099 |archive-date=11 April 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
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===Intergovernment===
{{flag|European Union}} – In a statement, the EU said "the evidence points towards yet another chemical attack by the regime" and "it is a matter of grave concern that chemical weapons continue to be used, especially on civilians. The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the use of chemical weapons and calls for an immediate response by the international community". It also called for the [[United Nations Security Council]] to identify the perpetrators and for Russia and Iran to influence Assad against launching such attacks.<ref>{{cite news|title=EU calls for response to 'yet another chemical attack' in Syria|url=https://reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-gouta-eu/eu-calls-for-response-to-yet-another-chemical-attack-in-syria-idUKKBN1HF0PX|
{{flag|United Nations}} – On 10 April 2018, the [[United Nations Security Council]] failed to adopt three competing resolutions on an inquiry into the chemical attack, with Russia and the United States clashing over the issue and exchanging military threats.<ref>[https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/04/1006991 Security Council fails to adopt three resolutions on chemical weapons use in Syria] UN, 10 April 2018.</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria/u-s-russia-clash-at-u-n-over-chemical-weapons-attacks-in-syria-idUSKBN1HG0D8 U.S., Russia clash at U.N. over chemical weapons attacks in Syria] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411180656/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria/u-s-russia-clash-at-u-n-over-chemical-weapons-attacks-in-syria-idUSKBN1HG0D8 |date=11 April 2018}} Reuters, 9 April 2018.</ref>
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==See also==
{{Portal|Asia
*[[List of massacres during the Syrian civil war]]
*[[List of Syrian civil war barrel bomb attacks]]
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|last=Goodman
|date=23 May 2019}}
{{Syrian Civil War}}
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[[Category:Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian government]]
[[Category:Rif Dimashq Governorate in the Syrian civil war]]
[[Category:Attacks on hospitals during the Syrian civil war]]
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