UN confirms sarin gas used in Syria attack
- 11 years ago
It's the report much of the Western world has been waiting for. But it was far from a slam dunk.
SOUNDBITE: UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON SAYING:
"Chemical weapons were used on a relatively large scale in the Ghouta area of Damascus on August 21st, causing numerous casualties, particularly among civilians. This is the most significant, confirmed use of chemical weapons against civilians since Sadam Hussein used them in Halabja in 1988, the worst use of weapons of mass destruction in the 21st century."
According to the report, 85 percent of the blood samples taken by the UN's investigators tested positive for sarin.
Ban stopped short of assigning blame for the attack but did add:
SOUNDBITE: UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON SAYING:
"Do not slaughter your people with gas."
The report came on a day filled with general agreements between the U.S. and Russia . First ... Syria must hand over its chemical weapons.
But
SOUNDBITE: UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON SAYING:
"Chemical weapons were used on a relatively large scale in the Ghouta area of Damascus on August 21st, causing numerous casualties, particularly among civilians. This is the most significant, confirmed use of chemical weapons against civilians since Sadam Hussein used them in Halabja in 1988, the worst use of weapons of mass destruction in the 21st century."
According to the report, 85 percent of the blood samples taken by the UN's investigators tested positive for sarin.
Ban stopped short of assigning blame for the attack but did add:
SOUNDBITE: UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON SAYING:
"Do not slaughter your people with gas."
The report came on a day filled with general agreements between the U.S. and Russia . First ... Syria must hand over its chemical weapons.
But